Alabama Football: Why Trent Richardson Should Start Over Mark Ingram

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The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide are set to host No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions at 7:00 p.m. ET, and last season's Heisman Trophy winner, running back Mark Ingram, has been missing so far this season due to knee surgery.

For most teams, losing a Heisman-worthy running back would mean losing a huge chunk of their offense.

But not Alabama.

The Tide have another trick up their sleeve in the form of sophomore running back, Trent Richardson.

In fact, Richardson could be a better option for the starting position than Ingram.

Here are 10 reasons why.

10. Last Season

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Even though Mark Ingram earned a Heisman Trophy last season with Alabama, Trent Richardson was no scrub.

Richardson racked up 751 yards on 145 carries and eight touchdowns for Alabama last season.

Not bad for a freshman.

9. Send The Right Message

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Even though Alabama's main goal is to win football games, they should be careful about the message they'd send by starting Ingram.

He has been injured, and Richardson has stepped up to pick up the slack. Simply throwing Ingram back into the starting position would show a lack of consistency on the Alabama offense.

8. Give The Kid a Shot

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Alabama's offense is stacked with plenty of talent, and Richardson seems to be fitting in perfectly.

Why not give the younger running back a shot to demonstrate his talent?

7. Alabama Recruited Richardson For a Reason

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Alabama must have seen the future of their offense when they recruited Richardson as a five-star recruit.

Richardson was ranked in the top five running backs in the country coming out of high school.

6. He's Great Against Ranked Teams

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Last year, Richardson averaged 5.3 yards per rush against ranked teams, and this will come in handy against the No. 18 Nittany Lions.

Looking down the road, Alabama will play several ranked SEC teams as they go through their schedule, so the team would be smart to start Richardson.

5. It's Penn State

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Penn State will give the Tide a run for their money as Alabama's offense will try to cut through a tough Nittany Lions defense.

Penn State is particularly good at defending against the run, so the healthy, young Richardson is the best bet for Alabama as they rest the injured Ingram.

4. Looking Good This Season

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The way Richardson has played so far this year, he is projected to break 1,000 yards by the end of the season.

A good start toward his 1,000 yards could be against Penn State.

3. They Don't Need Ingram

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Even though Mark Ingram had a Heisman-caliber season last year, Alabama's offense is demonstrating that they can do without the running back.

After last week's spanking of San Jose State, it has become apparent that the Crimson Tide can get the job done.

With or without Mark Ingram.

2. Ingram Is Still Hurt

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Whether Ingram is cleared to play in tonight's game or not, he is still coming off of recent knee surgery.

Alabama would be wise to sit Ingram for this game and make sure he is back to 100 percent fighting shape for tougher games down the road.

1. Richardson Could Be Better Than Ingram

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In last week's game against San Jose State, Trent Richardson rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries.

With an entire season in front of him, this sophomore just might prove that he is better than Ingram.

Alabama could have yet another running back earn the Heisman Trophy.