SEC on Verge of Bucking the Heisman Trophy Quarterback Trend

Look out, quarterbacks around the country. The SEC is coming for you like a freight train.

Specifically, running backs Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry have you squarely in their cross hairs.

That trio of running backs has set the college football world on fire during the first month of the season and represents the conference's three best bets to buck the trend and win the Heisman Trophy.

Only twice since 2000 have running backs won college football's top award—USC's Reggie Bush in 2005 and Alabama's Mark Ingram in 2009.

Player	Team	Games	Yds.	YPC	TD	YPG
Leonard Fournette	LSU	2	387	8.23	6	193.5
Nick Chubb	Georgia	3	468	8.36	4	156.0
Derrick Henry	Alabama	3	370	6.85	7	123.33

Fournette established himself not only as a contender, but the front-runner for the award with his 228-yard, three-touchdown performance versus Auburn on Saturday afternoon. In addition to displaying his catlike quickness and unrivaled power, the 6'1", 230-pounder also had several "Heisman moments." On back-to-back touchdown runs, he hit the truck stick on Auburn defensive back Blake Countess and sent safety Tray Matthews flipping over his back.

As Shea Dixon of 247Sports noted, the New Orleans native has already made a huge splash with six touchdowns in two games and won't be hurt by the season opener against McNeese State being rained out:

Fournette's quarterback, sophomore Brandon Harris, hasn't thrown for more than 100 yards in either game, and it's clear that it's the "Fournette Show" in Baton Rouge until a team can prove it can stop the sophomore sensation.

The same goes for Chubb at Georgia.

Ho-hum, just another 159 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday—the 11th straight game in which Chubb has topped the century mark. The 5'10", 220-pounder, who was an elite hurdler in high school, has the same kind of speed and athleticism as Fournette and is in an offense that's going to feed him the ball early and often. 

The difference between the two is that Chubb's quarterback, junior Greyson Lambert, looks like much more of a weapon. He completed 24 of his 25 passes against South Carolina, including his final 20. Lambert's passing accuracy will keep defenses honest and open up running lanes for Chubb.

As Dayne Young of WRBL TV in Columbus, Georgia, notes, the two bruisers could be on a collision course for the SEC championship before the Heisman becomes a reality.

That would be a matchup for the ages.

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Henry has a little bit more of an uphill battle at Alabama, since his team already has a loss. But he rushed for 127 yards and a score against the stout Ole Miss defense on Saturday and has 370 yards and seven touchdowns through three games. Given his team's quarterback issues, he is going to be the workhorse for the Crimson Tide for the foreseeable future.

Sure, Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly made a Heisman splash on Saturday night as well and is No. 4 in Bleacher Report's current top five. But wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche might steal some of Kelly's Heisman hype down the stretch, which would make it hard for the junior-college transfer to make a legitimate charge.

Around the country, it's not like the quarterbacks are ruling the roost.

Ohio State's situation is a mess (at least by Ohio State standards) after Cardale Jones was benched in favor of J.T. Barrett. Oregon's Vernon Adams has a loss and has been banged up. USC's Cody Kessler couldn't lead his team to a win over Stanford. Notre Dame lost a contender with Malik Zaire but could boast another if DeShone Kizer continues to progress.

Other than TCU's Trevone Boykin, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Clemson's Deshaun Watson, many of the national quarterback contenders have either fallen off or haven't made splashes nearly as big as the SEC's trio of talented tailbacks.

Through three games, it looks like 2015 could be the exception to the rule and produce a Heisman Trophy winner at running back.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.