I don’t think anyone would argue with you that Denard Robinson is a more talented runner than just about anyone on the list. It’s not really fair to compare quarterbacks to running backs.
That’s fine if you think that way about MSU. If you give 20 carries to Smith or Isaac against UNLV, I am pretty confident that Isaac would be the more productive back…and I have evidence to back that up. We’ll just see about Smith vs. Isaac.
Again, I have never said that yards per carry is the definition of the better running back. But it is a strong indicator of who’s being successful. Only in very rare cases – such as the terrible OL of 2013 – will I suggest that a running back who’s averaging 4.0 yards/carry or less should be the #1 back with the vast majority of cases. Smith was averaging 3.9 yards/carry up until this past week, and his good game bumped it all the way up to 4.8, which is still below several of the guys listed. It’s a sign of how bad we’ve been that a guy averaging 3.9 yards/carry can garner as much support as he did.
BTW, I think it’s a little misleading to use Anthony Thomas’s (and others’) freshman stats to make your point. If you want to talk about using stats “well” or “poorly,” then saying “Anthony Thomas was clearly the best back but he only averaged 4.1 yards/carry so you’re wrong” is a bit like saying, “Tom Brady redshirted as a freshman, so he was the best QB even though he didn’t start.” Thomas went on to average 5.2, 4.4, and 5.4 yards/carry once he was a non-freshman.
We’re not talking about freshmen here. We’re talking about a bunch of guys who are redshirt sophomores, juniors, and redshirt juniors.
