Who is the Big 10's best running back?

[PSUFAN]

Might spark some interesting discussion.

[Mikey]

Might spark some interesting discussion.

So far, so good.

[Shoalzie]

So far Ringer has been the only choice. You also could've thrown in Sutton and Sheets into the mix...they have more yards than Hill and Wells. Granted, Wells missed a couple games...he'd probably be 3rd or 4th if he played all year.

I think you look at Ringer and his value to the Spartans...he might be one of the most important players to his individual team in the country. The Badgers hold him to his lowest yardage of the season and the Spartans had to escape with the win yesterday.

State really doesn't have a #2 option and Hoyer won't win games by himself. Yesterday was the first time Ringer was held in check but the Spartans were able to win. He carries the ball so often and scores the majority of State's TDs...I don't know who you can put up there with him from the conference.

As far as NFL prospects are concerned...you might not say Ringer is a guy that is big enough to take that beating. But as a college running back, he's a horse.

My complete rankings:
1. Ringer, MSU
2. Greene, IOW
3. Royster, PSU
4. Wells, OSU
5. Sheets, PUR
6. Sutton, NW
7. Minor/McGuffie, MIC
8. Hill/Clay, WIS
9. Dufrene, ILL
10. Eskridge, MIN
11. Thigpen, IND

[Shoalzie]

As for NFL projections, I suspect that Wells will be the best pro.

Can't argue with that. He can be a Brandon Jacobs-type of a back. A big body with quick feet.

[dotdotdot]

7. McGuffie, MIC

Not to take away from the overall theme of this thread, but how is McGuffie doing?
I haven't kept up with him, but always interested in getting someone close to the situation's take on a local kid.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I voted for Greene because I'm an Iowa homer....but also because I think he means just as much to the Iowa offense as Ringer does to MSU's....and he's racking up the yards with far fewer carries than Ringer. As for NFL projections, I suspect that Wells will be the best pro.

Greene is the real deal. I believe he and Ringer are interchangeable at the 1 spot, and also believe Greene has the best potential as a pro as far as Big Ten RBs are concerned. In addition, Greene has had some of the most impressive isolated runs from scrimmage from anybody I've seen this year.

The thing with Ringer vs Greene is, Ringer is doing what he's doing with one of the weaker offensive lines in the conference. Sometimes I wonder how much more dominant he'd be with an OSU or Iowa-type offensive line.

In any event, both certainly do mean a ton to their teams. I really don't know where MSU would be without Ringer - perhaps only a couple games above .500. Things are getting much tougher though, and the offensive playbook has had to expand some since EVERYBODY is stacking 8 in the box against him. He has to work for every single yard. Some people have called Ringer overrated due to his number of carries, and while there's some validity to the notion of over-inflated statistics, you still have to respect a guy who's even capable of running it that much to begin with. Does a guy's condition and ability to peak late in games not factor into how good of a player he is? He plays when he's hurt, he plays when he's sick, and if he doesn't have a huge day statistically, he'll stay in the game until the bitter end and pick up the necessary yards and goal line tds to win the game.

1. Ringer, MSU
2. Greene, IOW
3. Royster, PSU
4. Wells, OSU
5. Sheets, PUR
6. Sutton, NW
7. Minor/McGuffie, MIC
8. Hill/Clay, WIS
9. Dufrene, ILL
10. Eskridge, MIN
11. Thigpen, IND

McGuffie has some natural ability, and he's fast, but #7 is a little too high for a freshman who's fumble-prone. Thigpen has more yards on WAY less carries, and he's also a better all-around football player. He makes contributions all over the field, but doesn't get a ton of rushing yards due to IU's myriad spread schemes. McGuffie ain't better than P.J. Hill either. No way, no how.

[M Club]

i don't think shoalzie was insinuating that mcguffie is the 7th-best back in the league. perhaps a hybird of him and minor would be. personally, mcguffie kind of sucks and will continue to do so until this whole offensive scheme is installed and runs halfway efficiently. michigan hasn't spread anyone out, so to say, and mcguffie can't run between the tackles, unless he slips through a small crease. he needs space. re: minor, he's been amazing as long as the ball's given to him, not thrown. it's only when considering where he ranks among the big ten's best that one realizes how much talent the league has at rb. someone as good as minor isn't in the top five or six? he's fast, cuts well, runs motherfuckers over, and blocks like his coach is prone to start a freshman ahead of him.

[Shoalzie]

i don't think shoalzie was insinuating that mcguffie is the 7th-best back in the league.

I was grading out the team's running back situation and really Michigan has more than just Minor and McGuffie. You can throw in Shaw and Grady.

[Shoalzie]

7. McGuffie, MIC

Not to take away from the overall theme of this thread, but how is McGuffie doing?
I haven't kept up with him, but always interested in getting someone close to the situation's take on a local kid.

He hasn't played much the last couple weeks...had a good start to the season. I think he's going to have a hard time unseating Minor considering the only reason he started coming out of spring was because Minor was hurt. Now that he's healthy, he's been the best back on the team. I think he and McGuffie would be a nice combo when they're both healthy. Grady has been the goal line back and Shaw is used mostly as a receiver out of the backfield.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

i don't think shoalzie was insinuating that mcguffie is the 7th-best back in the league.

I was grading out the team's running back situation and really Michigan has more than just Minor and McGuffie. You can throw in Shaw and Grady.

Gotcha. In that case there isn't much to dispute, except I'd put Hill/Clay higher.

[M Club]

i don't think shoalzie was insinuating that mcguffie is the 7th-best back in the league.

I was grading out the team's running back situation and really Michigan has more than just Minor and McGuffie. You can throw in Shaw and Grady.

you can say that about most teams who don't give 100% of their carries to a single back. i think you could only grade minor and mcguffie together if you take carries throughout the entire season into account, otherwise the job is minor's. mcguffie hasn't even been getting carries as a change-of-pace [the purdue game obviously notwithstanding].

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If we're doing duos, I'd probably list Greene/Hampton ahead of Ringer.

Agreed. From what I've seen of Hampton, he's solid. Ringer has no truly reliable backup, contrary to what I believed at the beginning of the season. I suspect MSU will start a true frosh at RB next year.

[WolverineSteve]

McGuffie is alot of things. Young, indecisive, too light to shed tacklers at this point. But he isn't fumble prone. He fumbled when concussed vs. State, other than that, I think he may have been charged with a fumble or two on horribl Threet option pitchouts....totally not his fault.

[M Club]

minor's not fumble prone, either, though he certainly carries that tag. i can only think of two fumbles off hand, and one of them [against utah] should have been overturned because of ground causation.