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By Mike Craven
Quarterbacks tend to dominate headlines, but the running back position is stacked in 2015. A running back hasn’t won the Heisman Trophy since Alabama’s Mark Ingram won the award in 2009. There are a few candidates this season that could change that trend. After taking a peek at five signal callers that will saw the national championship picture, we take a look at five running backs who could make a run for the Heisman and determine the fate of their team’s season in this edition of The Five.
Ezekiel Elliott – Ohio State
Quarterback Cardale Jones received a hefty amount of the praise for the Buckeyes winning the first College Football Playoff, but it was Elliott that did the work. He rushed for over 200 yards in the final three games of the season, propelling Ohio State to heights the program didn’t expect to reach after falling early in 2014 to Virginia Tech. It started with two touchdowns and 220 yards against Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship game that lifted the Buckeyes over TCU in the rankings. He ran over Alabama in the semi-finals and then took the heart from Oregon’s defense in the championship.
Cook didn’t play much until the middle of October, but once Florida State settled on him as the feature back he never looked back, accumulating over 1,000 yards on 170 carries. With Winston gone, Cook will be the focal point of the Florida State offense and that should work out just fine.
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