Looking at Best's 2008 Season Compared to Ingram's 2009 Season

So, the Heisman Award has been handed out to Mark Ingram of the Alabama Crimson Tide who just narrowly beat out Stanford Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart. The problem is that Gerhart had the far superior season and should have won the award.

After looking at the stats of Ingram I began to wonder how Jahvid Best's 2008 season compared to Ingram's 2009 season. Well the answer to that is Best's season was better than Ingram's if you're applying the logic of Heisman voters. 

Let's take a look at Ingram's stats this season. Ingram carried the ball 249 times for 1542 yards, 15 touchdowns, a 6.2 yards per carry average, contributed 118.6 yards on the ground average, and a long of 70. He also contributed with 30 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns.

Meaning that on 279 touches he had 1864 yards and 18 touchdowns. There's nothing wrong with that season at all for Ingram.

What about Best? How did his season look? Best carried the ball 194 times for 1580 yards, 15 touchdowns, an 8.1 yard per carry average, and a long of 86.

Out of the backfield he caught 27 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. Meaning that Best touched the ball 221 times for 1826 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The numbers include the bowl game Cal played in and the 13 games that Alabama has played in. Best missed a game last year after dislocating his elbow, so his numbers are out of 12 games compared to when Alabama finishes the season 14 games.

Going further into the comparison Ingram had five games under 100 yards, and three games held without a touchdown either rushing or receiving. His best effort was a 24 carry 246 yard effort with a touchdown. That was the only 200 yards plus game for Ingram.

Best was held under 100 yards four times, four times he didn't reach the end zone in a game, and his best game was a 19 carry effort for 311 yards and four touchdowns. Best on the other hand had two other games over 200 yards rushing.

So, when comparing the stats you will see that Ingram had more yards and total touchdowns. While Best beat Ingram in yards per carry, 200 plus yard games, longest rush, and higher touchdown game.

If you're excluding the stats of the bowl game from Best he carried the ball 174 times for 1394 yards, as well as 126.7 yards on the ground per game, he had 12 touchdowns, and a long of 86.

It means that Ingram had more yards and more touchdowns, but Best still would hold the edge in longest run, more 200 plus yard games, more yards per game, better yards per carry average, and less games held out of the endzone.

Best held the edge in categories but Ingram had more yards and more touchdowns. In the end Best arguably had the better stats, but because Ingram held the advantage in yards and touchdowns he'd be considered better.