Alabama vs Auburn: Did Trent Richardson Do Enough to Win the Heisman?

In a season that has seen quarterbacks largely dominate the Heisman Trophy chase, RB Trent Richardson has made an awfully strong case that he should be the one hoisting the trophy in New York. He needed a strong performance in the Crimson Tide's rivalry game with Auburn to help cement his argument for being the best player in America this year.

Did he do enough?

Keep in mind that Alabama is officially done playing until their bowl game in January. Thanks to their 6-9 loss to LSU, they won't be playing in the SEC Championship game where Richardson could make yet another statement, only in front of arguably the largest audience yet this season.

That could hurt Richardson a little. While other contenders will get another opportunity to wow voters, Richardson will be sitting at home, awaiting the official announcement of his participation in a BCS bowl.

Today was his last opportunity to tell the voters, "I'm your man."

He made the most of it, that's for certain. On 27 carries, Richardson racked up 203 yards, averaging an awe-inspiring 7.5 yards per carry. He didn't score a touchdown, but late in the game he ripped off a 57-yard rumble that was awfully elegant.

His season stats look like this: 263 carries, 1583 yards, 6.02 average (are you kidding me?!) and 20 touchdowns.

Those are impressive numbers, no matter how you look at it.

Is it enough, though.

Stanford's Andrew Luck has had a tremendous season, to be sure. He has a completion percentage of 70.3, will likely pass the 3,000-yard passing mark tonight against Notre Dame, has 30 touchdown passes to just eight interceptions and touts a 167.4 quarterback rating.

In his worst game—on the road against Oregon—he threw a pair of interceptions and came away with his lowest QB rating of the year (132.69). That still wasn't a terrible showing, as he completed nearly 66 percent of his passes and threw for over 250 yards.

Luck will face Notre Dame tonight and a solid performance would keep him at the top of the list, but a poor performance could open the door for Richardson to take sole possession of the top spot in the voting.

Baylor's Robert Griffin III has arguably been the flashiest player in the nation this year. He's backed it up with some pretty impressive numbers also.

"RG3" boasts a 191.7 quarterback rating, has passed for nearly 3,600 yards, has completed 72.9 percent of his passes and has thrown 33 touchdowns to just five interceptions.

However, he's also been a little inconsistent. At Oklahoma State, he threw two interceptions with just one touchdown and failed to be the exciting threat we'd seen earlier in the season.

That said, that's only one game and he's looked very strong throughout the majority of the season.

Houston's Case Keenum has thrown for over 4,700 yards, has 43 touchdowns to just three interceptions and has completed over 73 percent of his passes.

However—and fair or not—Keenum plays in a very weak conference. Conference-USA doesn't exactly boast the toughest pass defenses in the nation. It's a large reason why Keenum is listed, at best, fourth on most Heisman lists. It's too easy to put up stellar numbers when you're not facing stiff defenses on a regular basis.

So, the debate will rage on. Who deserves the Heisman Trophy?

Richardson is certainly high on the list and has made a good case. He plays in arguably the toughest conference in America, has put up incredible numbers and has helped lead his team to a one-loss record.

Is it enough?

Time will tell. There's still a week or two to go before the voters make their decision final. Unfortunately, during that time Richardson will have to make his case based on what has already happened. He won't get another chance to prove his worth.

Whatever the outcome, it's been a tremendous season for Richardson and the Crimson Tide. No one can argue that he is one of the best running backs in America.