This is really interesting, and probably a really good way to look at the true success of a RB.
The six running backs who received the most All-America attention last winter were Greene, Dwyer, Hunter, Moreno, Donald Brown, and Michigan State's Javon Ringer. Ringer was fourth in the country in rushing yards last year, but where did he stack up in POE? A whopping 137th, between Ball State backup Cory Sykes and Colorado backup Demetrius Sumler. Ringer's 390 carries merited a POE of -0.3, meaning an average college running back would have put up exactly what he did in 390 carries. While there is certainly skill (or at least good genes) involved in managing 30 carries per game without breaking down, it is unlikely that the skills Ringer possesses will in any way translate to pro success.
and then there is this:
Jeremiah Johnson was an outstanding running back for Oregon last season, but assuming LaGarrette Blount's disciplinary problems are in the past (he was suspended in February for not fulfilling team obligations, whatever that means, and he was reinstated for spring football), Oregon's rushing attack might actually get better in 2009, especially considering their quarterback situation is much more stable this year with the late-season emergence of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Blount did more with fewer carries than anybody else in the country, and he should get more carries and opportunities to prove himself to a national audience this year. Combined with Cal's Jahvid Best, it appears that the best running backs are in the Pac-10 this year.
Better than last year? I sure hope so but it will be really interesting to see, especially depending on who the "lightening" will be. Of course I thought the same thing after Jonathan Stewart graduated.
woundedknees wrote:Think about that... 1 final year with Dixon and Snoop, with Masoli and Blount as backups?
Now that qualifies as a pipe dream!
I remember seeing/reading somewhere that if Dixon had redshirted one year, he's pretty sure he could have convinced Jonathan Stewart to stick around his senior year. Would have been interesting to see if Blount still would have come to Oregon, but damn!
