Malcolm Brown, The Nation's Best Running Back Recruit Looks at Final Two

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, Fla.) It's not hard to read between the lines when you listen to recent statements made by the nation's best high school running back prospect. The list seems to have narrowed to the home favorite Texas, and national champions, Alabama.

In such cases, the longer Texas has to wait for an OK from Brown, the worse the outcome could be.

The more Brown studies his chances of success, the more he may turn to Alabama.

On one hand, he has assurances from Mack Brown that they are looking at moving away from the spread offense to a more traditional offensive attack. And there is the prospect of more playing time in his earliest years.

But there's a reason there's an opportunity for more playing time at Texas—the running game there simply sucks. When faced with a top tier defense and the loss of a starting quarterback, one would have thought that Texas may turn more to running in that recent national championship game, but there's a reason they didn't.

They don't have an offensive line that could come close to opening up a hole in the Alabama defensive line, and Texas' best two runners went for 39 and 33 yards respectively.

On the other hand, Alabama linemen opened gaping holes and Alabama's top two rushers each ran for over a hundred yards.

When considering which school could help him look his best, the longer he looks at Texas the more that decision will begin to smell.

With Ingram likely leaving for the NFL at the end of the season, and Richardson taking that starting role, that would leave Brown to compete with Eddie Lacy for the backup role and leave him in sold possession of the job by his junior year.

So while he may get more carries at Texas his first year, he may not have the chance for highlight reels like he would at Alabama.

As for the home advantage and distance from home, it certainly didn't hurt Mark Ingram, who found not only a Heisman Trophy at Alabama, but a new family too.

"My family can't come to all the games, but they can see them on TV, and when they do come down, it's like a re-union." said Ingram of the situation.

Brown would do well to follow Ingram's example and perhaps earn the money Ingram is sure to get when he enters the NFL as the top rushing prospect and sure first round pick.

Brown says he wants to announce a decision before the start of his senior season. And when asked about his final choices said, “It's harder now. I have to get down to the real details. They both have everything. Right now, I don't even know.”

Yes they both have everything, but Alabama has linemen who know how to run block and Texas doesn't and in the end, that may the detail that swings the decision.