College Football's Top Ten RB's

Yes, I live in Berkeley but I am not a Cal is not my favorite team. I just think Best is the top running back in the country, pure and simple. We're talking about a guy who was fifth in the country with 1,580 yards last year despite WELL over 100 less carries than the four guys above him. The only guy that averaged more yards per carry than Best (who averaged 8.1 per tote) was Shun White of Navy. With Best adding a bit of muscle and with the Golden Bears looking to have a good year, Best is ready to explode onto the national scene.

Penn State should be the class of the Big Ten and they will do it behind a solid running game. Last year Royster didn't get 200 carries, but this year I think he will. He ran for 1,265 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. With the Nittany Lions losing several of their top receivers, Royster should play an even bigger role in the offense.

In Paul Johnson's triple-option offense, Dwyer is a threat. He is capable of a big play on every carry and that offense creates some big, big opportunities for him. Dwyer averaged seven yards a carry and ran for nearly 1,400 yards last year despite sharing carries in the run-happy offense.

This shifty little runner made a name for himself by tearing USC to shreds and would have finished with much more than 1,253 yards had he not got hurt. This year, if the Beavers stud stays healthy, he will be a handful for whichever defense he faces.

Here is the Big 12's best running back and he is the third-leading returning runner. He ran for 1,555 yards last year and scored 16 touchdowns and with the Pokes expected to be one of the top teams in the nation this year, everyone will be hearing about Hunter from week one. 

The only reason I don't have Blount higher is because I need to be sure Oregon won't skip a beat with Chip Kelly taking over as head coach. Blount is a specimen. He's huge, fast and a tough runner. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last year on just 137 carries and he is now the No. 1 back.

Devine is one of the quickest backs in the country and playing in the spread for a run-first offense in a conference that is not as tough as the other BCS conferences Devine should have a big year. Nearly 1,300 yards last year indicates he could do even better than that, but he does need to score more than four touchdowns this year.

The top returning runners as far as yards last year has a few things to prove. With Nate Davis no longer under center, will Lewis still have the same space to run in? Will 322 carries last year take its toll this year? Lewis should tear the MAC up, but will he be as dominant as he was in 2008?

As far as talent goes, there is probably nobody better than McKnight. With USC having a stable of running backs, coupled with McKnight's decision making, have slowed him down a little bit. This year, with questions at quarterback the Trojans should run even more. You can bet McKnight will get more than 89 carries this year, and if his 7.4 ypc means anything, you can expect a good year.

An absolute great offense for a running back to be in, the pistol has allowed Tapua to be one of the best backs in the country. He is a very tough runner who runs down hill and does not go down very easily. He rushed for 1,521 yards last year and 15 touchdowns and you can probably expect those numbers to go up.

DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown, Oklahoma: I do wonder if Murray is going to be hampered by injuries. I also wonder how many carries each one will get.

Darren Evans, Virginia Tech: He was easily on the top ten until he tore his ACL on Tuesday.

Harvey Unga, BYU: The big man should have a big year.

Stafon Johnson, USC: I think McKnight will take more carries this year.

Shane Vereen, Cal: A very underrated runner, who will probably run for 1,000 yards on very few carries.

C.J. Spiller, Clemson: Anyone from Clemson has to prove it. He's been very disappointing.