If an SEC West team fields a sub-par run defense this fall, it will get exposed.
College football analyst Phil Steele released a list of the eight best backfields in the country for 2015, and the SEC represented half of the list. According to Steele, three of the eight best reside in the SEC’s West Division.
Top 8 RB units ALPHABETICAL order,
Alabama, Akransas, Florida St, Georgia, LSU, Ohio St, Oklahoma, Oregon.
Make you case for next in line.— Phil Steele (@philsteele042) May 16, 2015
We ranked all four of the SEC teams included in Steele’s list in our recent post titled “5 deepest SEC backfields in 2015.” The one team that Steele excluded? Auburn.
The Tigers have ranked No. 1 and No. 14 in the nation in rushing offense, respectively, in coach Gus Malzahn’s two seasons. Sure, the team lost Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant, but JUCO transfer Jovon Robinson, returnee Roc Thomas and backup Peyton Barber have a chance to help Auburn lead the SEC in rushing yards once again.
If I were to rank Steele’s eight backfields for ’15, as of now, I’d slot them like this:
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Arkansas
5. Oregon
6. LSU
7. Florida State
8. Oklahoma
The Big Ten dominated the country on the ground in ’14, claiming all three Doak Walker Award finalist spots (Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman).
The SEC is in position to potentially make a similar run this fall.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
