Roll On, Tide: Ingram's Injury Opens Path for 'Bama's Next Heisman Candidates

Mark Ingram’s injury, which kept the 2009 Heisman winner on the sideline for Alabama’s beat down of San Jose State, could be a headline beyond opening weekend.

Knees issues, especially for a running back, tend to linger given the nature of the position. A back must cut, cut, cut to elude fierce linebackers and darting safeties.

Fear not, though, ‘Bama fans: Two future Heisman candidates—Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy—are on the depth chart.

No one can argue that Ingram personifies the Alabama Crimson Tide: tough and relentless. Like a former No. 22, Emmitt Smith, Ingram chews up yards more on grit and resolve than speed and agility. And also like Smith, Ingram’s not a flashy highlight reel; he’s simply a winner.

Still, ‘Bama’s chances of repeating as National Champion aren’t diminished, even if Ingram were to wear street clothes all season. Waiting behind him are two backs capable of churning out yards and racking up points.

Sophomore Richardson (145 CAR, 751 YDS, 8 TD in 2009), a lethal mix of power and quickness, is set to eclipse 1,000 yards in 2010, whether or not Ingram is healthy. If Ingram’s knee does, in fact, continue to plague him beyond the first game, Richardson could very well finish the season in the 1,500-yard neighborhood.

Lacy, a 6’0” redshirt freshman, showed off his 4.4 speed against the Spartans in his college debut, totaling 111 yards on just 13 carries. Like Richardson, he has size and speed, a back capable of hitting a home run on any given handoff.

Regardless of who carries when and how many times, Alabama has the nation’s most dangerous backfield. A strong-kneed Ingram would be a blessing but, even without him at 100 percent—or at all—Richardson and Lacy will guide the Tide back to the BCS National Championship Game.