SoonerBredCD
Active Member
Sanders
Jackson
Walker
Jackson
Walker
Best college running back of all-time?
- Thread starter geefrogs
- Start date
maximilian
Active Member
Can we at least mention the NCAA all time rushing leader, Ron Dayne from Wisky? I know the dude had one of the best OL a RB could have, but the same can be said about Emmitt Smith in his pro career, and we still laud him as one of the greats.
geefrogs
Active Member
he is listed.
Frog Brother
Full Member
Voted for Bo Jackson but could have voted for Herschel Walker or Earl Campbell from that list. Didn't see enough of Barry Sanders in college and Toney Dorsett was a different kind of back. Great but different. Jackson, Walker and Campbell imposed their will on opponents.
Limey Frog
Full Member
True, but those 150 yards came with both Georgia TDs. As I said, that Georgia offense was hardly imaginative. At times Vince Dooley made Woody Hayes look like Pop Warner when it came to offensive innovation. ND had a great defense and they knew what was coming on every play. That was true for most of the games Georgia played. Comparing numbers isn't always a great indicator. None of these guys played for or against the same teams in the same circumstances. Ultimately it's all a matter of perspective and is entirely subjective. I feel that Walker did more on his own contextually than anyone else. But Sanders can probably claim that just as strongly.
DannyAdelante
Active Member
Barry Sanders. His final season was incredible.
Had it not been for injuries his sophomore and junior seasons, Adrian Peterson would be on that list. He was amazing in 2004, was good with a bum ankle in 2005, and he was running away with the Heisman in 2006 until he broke his collarbone.
Don't think Archie Griffin should be getting too many votes. OJ Simpson deserved two Heismans far more than Griffin.
Archie Griffin ran for 1,450 yards and 4 TDs for Ohio State, who were undefeated (until their Rose Bowl loss to UCLA). Chuck Muncie ran for 1,460 yards and 13 TDs and Cal won a share of the Pac-8 title with Cal.
It would have been a nice story - Two-time Heisman winner leads undefeated Ohio State team to a national title. But Muncie was the better player that year.
Had it not been for injuries his sophomore and junior seasons, Adrian Peterson would be on that list. He was amazing in 2004, was good with a bum ankle in 2005, and he was running away with the Heisman in 2006 until he broke his collarbone.
Don't think Archie Griffin should be getting too many votes. OJ Simpson deserved two Heismans far more than Griffin.
Archie Griffin ran for 1,450 yards and 4 TDs for Ohio State, who were undefeated (until their Rose Bowl loss to UCLA). Chuck Muncie ran for 1,460 yards and 13 TDs and Cal won a share of the Pac-8 title with Cal.
It would have been a nice story - Two-time Heisman winner leads undefeated Ohio State team to a national title. But Muncie was the better player that year.
froginaustin
Active Member
Campbell hung in for his entire college eligibility, and that's the reason I picked him over Herschel. If Walker had stayed in college for 4 years and stayed healthy, maybe he would close this conversation.
maximilian
Active Member
I know, I just wanted to throw a mention his way in the thread is all.
geefrogs
Active Member
my bad. I thought you were asking why he wasnt an option.
I am surprised nobody has voted for him at all. Maybe because he is from Wisky and we just beat them in the Rose Bowl gives TCU fans the impression that he isnt as good as his numbers project? Just a thought. Or maybe a lot of TCU fans dont watch Big Ten football? Or maybe we cant get his horrible tenure as a New York Giant out of our heads.
masterfrog
Active Member
I guess I have a hard time understanding why somebody who wasn't even good enough to start on his own team for more than one season would be considered the greatest ever. Sanders had a really special season, but he got to hold Thurman Thomas's jock for two years. He was never even able to work into a rotation like Campbell did with Leaks at Texas. Walker wins this one, but maybe I am tainted because I went to the Nebraska-Oklahoma State game in 1988 and watched Ken Clark for Nebraska look like the better running back when the teams met and Nebraska won 63-35.
Frog-in-law1995
Active Member
Big whoop. A 3-yard run and a 1-yard run that took him 2 tries.
OK...I'm giving you a hard time. Herschel was every bit as hold-your-breath exciting as Bo or Barry. I can't make a good argument against him being the best college RB talent of all time, but it's fun to try.
On a related side-note, looking back at the '81 Sugar Bowl stats, Georgia had a total of 127 yards of offense, punted 11 times and still won. Amazing.
FeistyFrog
Sir FeistyFrog
Gale Sayers
roddog
Banned
lots of people on the bench are amazing players, tom brady
masterfrog
Active Member
I don't think you can say for sure that he was a great college quarterback. Some people get better when they get to the NFL.
Texas Otto
New Member
The Elmira Express Ernie Davis RIP
VA Froggie
Active Member
I can't beleive the name Jim Swink hasn't been brought up. He dominated the land in the 50's while at TCU. :blink:
Give me Sanders. He may have only had one great season, but it is a season that may never be touched.
Keep in mind that his single season rushing record of 2628 yards was done in 11 games. Among the NCAA's stupid rules, bowl game stats from that era don't count. If they did, you'd add another 222 yards and 5 TDs which he accomplished in only 3 quarters. The next closest to that 2628 is Kevin Smith at 2567 which took 14 games.
He rushed for 238.9 YPG that season. Second closest is Marcus Allen at 212.9.
He still holds about 30 NCAA records. ESPN had him #2 all time for ALL college football players, not just RBs. He was behind only Red Grange.
And for those who say he couldn't be greatest in college because he was only good enough to start one year. Maybe he was good enough to start, but he was behind a guy who got 4600 career yards himself (not including bowls). Hard for a coach to sit a guy like that.
Keep in mind that his single season rushing record of 2628 yards was done in 11 games. Among the NCAA's stupid rules, bowl game stats from that era don't count. If they did, you'd add another 222 yards and 5 TDs which he accomplished in only 3 quarters. The next closest to that 2628 is Kevin Smith at 2567 which took 14 games.
He rushed for 238.9 YPG that season. Second closest is Marcus Allen at 212.9.
He still holds about 30 NCAA records. ESPN had him #2 all time for ALL college football players, not just RBs. He was behind only Red Grange.
And for those who say he couldn't be greatest in college because he was only good enough to start one year. Maybe he was good enough to start, but he was behind a guy who got 4600 career yards himself (not including bowls). Hard for a coach to sit a guy like that.
