During Alabama’s reign atop college football, it has had some of the game’s best running backs standing in the backfield.

Mark Ingram gave way to the likes of Trent Richardson, who passed the torch to Eddie Lacy, and so on and so forth. When Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry departed for the NFL after leading the Crimson Tide to a national championship last season, whispers of another running back made in his image began to emerge.

Bo Scarbrough, a 6-foot-2 replica of Henry, was expected to rip through SEC defenses and carry on Alabama’s running back legacy. Instead, it was fellow sophomore Damien Harris who won the starting job, leaving the former 5-star prospect to come off the bench.

Because of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ dual-threat abilities, Alabama hasn’t relied on a single workhorse as it has over the years. Instead, Hurts and Harris have combined to provide a solid one-two punch that can put a defense on its heels.

This approach has arguably given the Crimson Tide a more dynamic ground game, but it also put Scarbrough in a difficult position. Entering Saturday’s Playoff game, Scarbrough had 539 yards and 7 touchdowns on just 90 carries.

The preseason hype surrounding Scarbrough seemed like a distant memory when Alabama took the field against Washington, but in the span of four quarters, he reminded the nation why it had been warranted in the first place.

Scarbrough scored the Crimson Tide’s first touchdown on an 18-yard run in the first quarter, breaking five tackles in the process.

https://vine.co/v/595PrFlirKQ

Alabama’s offense was largely held in check, but Washington had no answer for Scarbrough, who powered the Crimson Tide to a 24-7 victory. The sophomore running back finished his outing with 180 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries, setting a school rushing record for yards in a bowl game.

“It’s all a mental thing,” Scarbrough told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game. “You’ve got to train hard to become the best, and that’s what we did.”

While his 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter was the spark Alabama needed, Scarbrough’s biggest moments came much later in the game.

Backed up at their 3-yard line, the Crimson Tide faced a 3rd-and-long against a Washington defense determined to make a big play. After two failed runs by Harris and Hurts, Alabama handed the ball off to Scarbrough, who broke free for a 12-yard gain and a much-needed first down.

Three plays later, Scarbrough looked to be stopped for a loss but broke a tackle and outran the Huskies’ defense for a 68-yard touchdown that sealed the game for the Crimson Tide.

In that one play, he gained more rush yards than half of Alabama’s opponents had against the Crimson Tide’s defense this season – as much a testament to this incredible defense as it is the run itself.

It was a realization of Scarbrough’s full potential, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Alabama.

“Bo’s been playing pretty well for us the last three or four games,” Nick Saban told reporters after the game. “We wanted to play him more. He’s hard to tackle. He’s big and powerful. He’s playing with a lot of confidence, and he did a great job for us today.”

Washington was ranked No. 11 in total defense heading into the Peach Bowl. Clemson and Ohio State are ranked No. 8 and No. 3 in that category, respectively. It won’t get any easier for Alabama’s offense in the national championship game.

Having Scarbrough operating at this level is an unexpected surprise for the Crimson Tide, but one that now makes this offense even scarier.

While Alabama has turned away from a downhill power game in favor of Hurts’ and Harris’ read-option abilities, Scarbrough brings that element back into the mix. He can take advantage of a defense that has been stretched horizontally and find gaps along the interior.

The Crimson Tide have won games in nearly every way imaginable this year. They’ve won blowouts, shootouts and defensive duels. They’ve won with stifling defense, deceptive runs and explosive passes.

Alabama’s offense averaged over 40 points per game this season without much help from Scarbrough. Against Washington, he proved he could carry the Crimson Tide like Henry did last year.

In the span of 60 minutes, Alabama’s offense gained a new dimension and became much more lethal.

William McFadden covers the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama for Saturday Down South. For insight on these two SEC powerhouses, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.