Alabama Football: Mark Ingram or Trent Richardson, Who Do You Think Is Best?

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) While Mark Ingram was out, the world marveled over the exploits of Trent Richardson and his rough shod running over, through and away from opposing defenders. The media didn't waste a moment in creating a story line that Richardson, the usual backup, may be the best back in the Alabama stable.

Then Ingram returned to play in the third game and in his usual role, started the game. Many wondered if he had lost a step in his recent knee injury and surgery. The wondered if Saban should have started Richardson and let Ingram try and earn his job back slowly.

They didn't have to wonder long.

On the first play from scrimmage, Mark Ingram ran for 48 yards and on just his third carry ripped off another 50 yards for a total of 101 yards in just three carries.

That would end the debate and the article right here, but there is so much more to this story that people outside the Alabama may not realize and something that makes this "competition" unique.

What fans need to know is that there is no competition. On this team there is discipline, there is respect, and there is order.

Part of that order is knowing your role and supporting that role and your team 100%. If you ask Trent Richardson who should be the starter at Alabama, he would answer without hesitation, "Mark Ingram".

It's not because Richardson doesn't see himself as less than Ingram in any way, he would tell you that too, and he's not, he's Trent Richardson and his "brother" is Mark Ingram. They are different people with different personalities, different running styles and both would say that they are each important to the team, along with the other running backs.

That team is tight. Players from offense and defense mingle socially as best friends and that is not all that common at most schools. But the running backs, each and every one of them to a man, support one another in an almost family relationship.

When Ingram didn't play with a bad knee and Richardson took a hard tackle near the sideline face first, who was the first person to his side to pull the grass clumps from his helmet? Mark Ingram.

When he scored his touchdowns and made his way to the sidelines, who was the first hug and chest bump with? Mark Ingram.

Who is the player coach on the field that works with the younger running backs and encourages them, Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson both.

When Eddie Lacy fumbled for the second time this season in last week's game and was sure to face the ire of Saban, Ingram and Richardson both took him to the back of bench area with their arms around him, both loving and re-assuring him and hiding him from sight from Nick Saban.

When Lacy scored, both Ingram and Richardson were the first to greet him on the sideline to celebrate with him.

I've written before that these Alabama teams that Saban is assembling is simply a machine. These running backs all see themselves as the same part that can be interchanged into the machine and the machine will keep running the same.

They don't feel like their "cog" in the machine is any better or worse than the other "cogs" that could be inserted. The job is the same, keep the machine running, keep it grinding down the opponents and keep the other "cogs" the best they can be.

In other words, it's not about which part is in the machine at any given time, just that the machine keeps functioning as well as possible.

Nick Saban makes recruits very few promises and none he doesn't keep.

One of those promises is that if you're the good, you will play. If you're the best you will start.

Last Saturday Mark Ingram ran for 151 yards in just nine carries for an astounding 16.8 yards a carry. Trent Richardson went for 61 yards in just seven carries for a more than respectable 8.7 yards a carry. Eddie Lacy ran for 52 yards in just seven carries and had a great 7.4 yards per carry average himself and don't forget about Jalston Fowler, a new face, who threw in 48 yards in just six tries for an eight yard per carry average himself.

Most teams would die to have just one back with any of those yards per carry average in a game and Alabama has five backs who can do that.

But that is only one "cog" in the total machine. The running game may have gone for a total of 315 yards, but the passing game went for another 311 and the kick and punt return teams chipped in another 179 yards including one 57 yard return by Richardson.

That is some more machine.

So while Alabama fans and others like to assign depth chart numbers, the players at Alabama are only interested in final score numbers and that is why are they are the defending national champions and may repeat.