It’s been dubbed the Year of the Running Back in the SEC, and that title is completely warranted.

Six SEC teams rushed for more than 200 yards in week 1, with three teams eclipsing the 250 yard mark.  The SEC has historically been a running back-rich league, but 2014 may be its most deep, talented stable of backs.

We love nothing more at SDS than a 6-foot-2 inch, 240 pound running back (that’s the size of linebackers in the Big Ten) trucking a defender, or a speedster losing his shoe along the sideline yet still running 47 yards for the score.

Two SEC backfields, in particular, have received a lot of preseason hype and week 1 reaction.

Georgia, with Heisman candidate Todd Gurley leading the way has the deepest talent in the league.  Keith Marshall, who burst on to the scene as a freshman with Gurley is returning from an ACL injury but looks to return to form.  The Bulldogs boast two highly-touted true freshman in Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, both of whom saw playing time and made an impact in the ‘Dawgs season-opening win over Clemson.

Alabama, widely considered to have the two best backs in T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry.  Yeldon has amassed 2,647 yards from scrimmage and scored 27 touchdowns in his career.  Henry’s breakout performance came in the Sugar Bowl last season when he rushed for 100 yards on eight carries and scored a touchdown.

So who has the better backfield?

(Side bar: there’s no right answer.)

Georgia

If you’re taking a backfield based on upside alone, you’d go with Georgia.  Gurley is a junior and is a lock to leave after this season for the NFL, but the Bulldogs have two guys in Michel and Chubb who will be ready to step in and take over from day one.

Chubb, after his four carry, 70-yard performance Saturday night against Clemson, has been compared to Gurley by many Georgia players and coaches.  He’s a bulky back who runs low, and will be the between-the-tackles guy for Georgia.  Good luck to trying to tackle him, head coach Mark Richt said multiple players have said Chubb’s a load to take down in practice.  Michel is more agile and shifty than Chubb and possesses breakaway speed.  If he gets to the second level or in open space, he’ll beat you because of his ability to make guys miss and pull away from defenders with his speed.  Michel brings versatility to the Georgia offense, as well, with his ability to line up at flanker and run routes.

Because of Georgia’s plan to use all four guys throughout the season to take some of the hits off Gurley, Michel and Chubb will have plenty of game experience under their belts heading into 2015 when they’ll be the feature backs.

Fortunately for Georgia, Gurley is still there for at least 11 more weeks (hopefully 12 or 13 with an SEC Championship game and College Football Playoff appearance, if you’re a Bulldog fan).  And did he ever make a statement on Saturday night against Clemson.  Gurley amassed 293 total yards, with 198 of those coming on the ground.  He scored four touchdowns, including his second career 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.  Gurley gets significantly less touches than Yeldon, but with his ability to make those touches count and his explosiveness on special teams, Gurley provides an arsenal of weapons for Georgia.

Don’t discount Marshall after his six carry, 8-yard performance.  He is coming off an ACL injury that was sustained midway through the season last year.  He was checked out after the game on Saturday, and was cleared.  Look for Georgia to ease him into the rotation slowly and he continues to strengthen that knee and return to form.

Alabama

If you’re choosing your backfield on sheer reliability and the more fail-proof option, Alabama’s probably the way to go.

You have three proven backs in Yeldon, Henry and Kenyan Drake.  The carries are not distributed as evenly as Georgia.  Yeldon carries the brunt of the load, followed by Drake and Henry.  Though not as versatile as the Georgia backfield, Bama’s trio of runners anchor an offense that centers around the run.

Aside from Yeldon’s production since he arrived in Tuscaloosa two years ago, he does possess the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield for the Crimson Tide.  He’s Alabama’s most versatile back, but takes an awful lot of blows with the amount of touches he gets per game.  Yeldon accounted for 62 percent of the Tide’s carries in 2013, but that number projects lower in 2014 with Henry and Drake proving themselves more than serviceable.  Yeldon is shifty in the open field, but also displays power inside.  He does have a history of ball security issues, though, that have proved costly for Bama at times.

Henry is a stunning combination of size and speed.  Standing at 6-foot-3 inches and 241 pounds, Henry can outrun just about anybody on the field.  He torched the Oklahoma defense in the Sugar Bowl last season, and was Alabama’s only bright spot in that game.  Henry, who averaged 10.9 yards per carry in 2013, was used primarily in short down-and-distance situations last season for Alabama, but did have 10 runs of at least 12 yards, proving he can make plays.

Yeldon and Henry split the carries in the Crimson Tide’s season-opener against West Virginia.  Yeldon rushed 23 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns, while Henry netted 113 yards on 17 carries and one score.

Drake’s offseason arrest could hurt his standing among the team’s top two or three backs, but when he’s on the field, defenses must take notice.

What Gives?

It really is a toss-up.  Both teams have star tailbacks in Gurley and Yeldon and backups who can capably take the load.  Georgia already has two guys who will be the future of the Georgia offense in Michel and Chubb, while Alabama will be left with Henry and some question marks behind him.

Either way, the run games will lead arguably the two best teams in the SEC this season.  Could we be looking at a Georgia-Alabama matchup in Atlanta?  Perhaps.  Could Gurley and Yeldon find themselves in New York City in December vying for a certain trophy with a stiff-arm man on it?

It could happen.

Which backfield would you rather have? Georgia or Alabama?