Michigan Football: How Fitz Toussaint Grades out Against the Big Ten's Best

Fitz Toussaint couldn't have burst onto the scene in a bigger way in the second half of 2011.

Now that expectations are as high as ever, how does he stack up against the rest of the Big Ten running backs?

Here's a look at the top five STARTING running backs in the Big Ten, and where Toussaint lands on the list (if at all).

5. Le'Veon Bell (Jr.)

Bell makes this list of five best starting running backs in the Big Ten...but only by default.  The crop of starting running backs looks to be extremely weak in the Big Ten in 2012.

The main reason is because of the sudden departure of Marcus Coker. If he was returning, it would help strengthen the group tremendously.

Since Edwin Baker surprisingly decided to go pro, the job will belong to Bell.

Bell actually had the better year of the two in 2011, as he rushed for just under 1,000 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

He is absolutely huge, standing 6"2' and weighing right around 240 pounds.

We'll see if he follows in Baker's footsteps and declares for the NFL draft at the end of the year.

4. Rex Burkhead (Sr.)

As some of you might know, I was extremely high on Rex Burkhead before 2011 started.

I wasn't necessarily disappointed with his performance, but wasn't overly impressed either.

Too often did he not play well in big games.

In a tight game against Fresno State, he only ran for 55 yards and averaged under four yards a carry.

In a game where Northwestern beat Nebraska by three points, Burkhead ran for 69 yards on 22 carries, averaging out to an ugly 3.1 yards per carry.

In a huge game against Michigan, he was nonexistent, only rushing for 36 yards, and barely even averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

The Taylor Martinez-Rex Burkhead duo just wasn't as dangerous as many people thought it would be in 2011.

However, I wouldn't be surprised to see him take over as a senior and really lead this team in 2012.

Stiff competition from young backs such as Ameer Abdullah and Aaron Green will also be a positive.

3. Fitz Toussaint (RS Jr.)

Fitz Toussaint lands at No. 3 on this list.

What he did last year in November against great competition was just simply amazing.

He absolutely tore up three solid defenses in Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio in back-to-back-to-back weeks.

Because of those performances, expectations will be extremely high for Toussaint in 2012.

He will be expected to once again rush for 1,000 yards and take the load off of Denard's shoulders.

The scary thing is is that this kid will only be a junior. If he has a big year in 2012, imagine what the expectations will be like heading into 2013.

2. Silas Redd (Jr.)

I had a hard time putting Silas Redd this high, but the fact of the matter is that this kid is simply a darn good back.

Everybody knew in 2011 that this Penn State team could not throw the ball, yet Redd still managed to rush for well over 1,000 yards.

Like Rex Burkhead, Redd did disappear at times in games, but he did do some impressive things against very good competition.

This might not seem impressive, but Redd did manage to run for 65 yards against Alabama.

He also ran for nearly 140 yards against a great Illinois defense in what was a huge game at the time.

He also managed eight yards a carry in a huge win for Penn State in Columbus, Ohio.

Honestly, though, it might have been generous to put Redd this high.

You can't deny though that it will be very intriguing to see what Bill O'Brien does with this offense in 2012. I wouldn't be surprised to see O'Brien utilize him in a very productive way, setting Redd up for a big year.

1. Montee Ball (Sr.)

No surprises here at No. 1. You just can't realistically put anyone ahead of Montee Ball.

Honestly, it is even hard to compare anybody to him.

His numbers in 2011 were just simply mind blowing.

Ball rushed for just under 2,000 yards and averaged over six yards a carry. The most impressive stat, though, is that he scored 33 rushing touchdowns. 33!

He had six more receiving touchdowns, giving him a total of 39.

Ball had at least 10 carries in all 14 games in 2011, and of those 14, his lowest yards per carry in any game was incredibly 4.6.

He'll likely be an early Heisman favorite heading into next season.