College Football 2010: Who Are the Most Overrated and Underrated Running Backs?

Last week we gave you a rundown of college football's most overrated and underrated quarterbacks, but this week we'll put the spotlight on the running backs.

As mentioned in our quarterback rankings, players tend to ride on their reputations longer than than they should.

It works both ways though. Players who've been good in the past or come into a season with a lot of hype are awarded the benefit of the doubt when they falter. But players under the radar have to scratch and claw to get noticed. 

Here are the most overrated and underrated running backs in college football. 

No. 5 Underrated: Brandon Bolden, Mississippi

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 11: Brandon Bolden #34 of the Ole Miss Rebels runs past Dominique Robertson #36 of the Tulane Green Wave at the Louisiana Superdome on September 11, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Bolden has emerged as the No. 1 running back at Ole Miss and so far the results have been very good for the junior in a crowded backfield. 

After receiving 34 carries though the first three games of the season, Bolden took the rock 42 times in the last two games and proved his effectiveness is no fluke with extended minutes.

He rushed the ball for 336 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 32 yards and two touchdowns receiving. It might have been against Fresno State and Kentucky, but the belief here is that it'll continue. 

No. 5 Overrated: Evan Royster, Penn State

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ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 24: Evan Royster #22 of the Penn State Nittany Lions points looks for running room during a thrid quarter run while playing the Michigan Wolverines on October 24, 2009 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Penn State won the

Entering the season you had to consider Evan Royster one of the top backs in the nation. He was very good in 2008 and 2009; he was expected to finish strong as a senior. 

While things haven't worked out at all so far, Royster still is credited for his talent while the offensive line takes the biggest chunk of the blame for his shortcommings. 

Take away his 187-yard performance against Temple, and Royster is averaging less than four yards a carry on the year and 40.2 yards per game. 

No. 4 Underrated: Jordan Todman, Connecticut

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Todman is fourth in the nation in rushing though the first six weeks of the season, but hasn't gotten enough credit for his skills because he plays for a struggling Connecticut team matching up with second-tier opponents.

True, performances against Vanderbilt, Buffalo, and Texas Southern aren't the best measures of success, but Rutgers and Michigan are a different story. 

Todman averaged over five yards a carry while scoring a touchdown and crossing the century mark against both of them; in fact he's yet to have less than a touchdown and 100 yards in any game this year. 

No. 4 Overrated: Montel Harris, Boston College

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 25: Montel Harris #2 of the Boston College Eagles is stopped by Lyndell Gibson #44 of the Virginia Tech Hokies on September 25, 2010 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Montel Harris was 10th in the country in rushing last season, just behind Noel Devin, John Clay, and LaMichael Jordan, but he's riding on his reputation right now rather than his performance. 

His only memorable game this season besides the season opener against Weber State was a solid outing in a 19-0 loss against Virginia Tech. 

Against Kent State, Notre Dame, and N.C. State, Harris is averaging just over 50 yards rushing a game and under three yards a carry. 

No. 3 Underrated: Edwin Baker, Michigan State

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ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 09: Edwin Baker #4 of the Michigan State Spartans scores on a 61 yard touchdown in the second quarter during the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the game on October 9, 2010 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Th

Edwin Baker is so underrated he's probably underrated as the fourth-most underrated back in the country; say that five times fast. 

If he wasn't splitting carries with Le'Veon Bell he'd no doubt be a top five rusher right now, but even with the timeshare Baker is putting up some really impressive numbers and the Spartans are undefeated. 

He hasn't even had 100 carries yet, but has 683 yards on a staggering seven yards per carry average. He got the ball 22 times against Michigan and turned it into 147 yards and a touchdown. 

No. 3 Overrated: Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Runningback Jacquizz Rodgers #1 of the Oregon State Beavers reacts after a 6 yard rush during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona.

Rodgers has been Mr. Up and Down in 2010 and his campaign for a Heisman seems to have derailed before it ever got going. 

He was the only two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 player to return from last season and was expected to be one of the best backs in the country.

But so far this season, Rodgers has been either great or terrible. He was ineffective in the season opener against TCU, dominated Louisville, disappeared for the Boise State game, re-emerged a week later against Arizona State, and then put up yet another clunker against Arizona.  

No. 2 Underrated: Mikel LeShoure, Illinois

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CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 02: Mikel Leshoure #5 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Champaign, Illinois. Ohio State defeated Illinois 24-13. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Last season LeShoure averaged 6.8 yards per carry, but had just 734 yards and had the misfortune of playing for a struggling Illinois team. 

This season the Fighting Illini have figured out that he's their best weapon and are finally feeding him the ball. 

Though six weeks he's on pace to rush for over 1,400 yards this year. He's only failed to rush for over 100 yards once and that in a loss to Ohio State that he played well in. 

No. 2 Overrated: Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech

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ATLANTA - DECEMBER 31: Running back Ryan Williams #34 of the Virginia Tech Hokies runs with the ball during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Georgia Dome on December 31, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hokies beat the Volunteer

Ryan Williams came into the season as a top five back in the country and arguably the best offensive weapon in the ACC. 

He's missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, which doesn't help his cause, but even before Williams got hurt he wasn't very good. 

Virginia Tech in general as struggled in 2010, particularly in the first three weeks, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Williams was averaging three yards a carry before he went down.  

No. 1 Underrated: Andre Ellington, Clemson

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 18: Andre Ellington #23 of the Clemson Tigers against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Unfortunately Ellington is coming off an untimely subpar game, but we're sticking to our guns when we call him the most underrated running backs in the country. 

People are too quick to forget how highly regarded he was coming out of high school after he spent last season playing behind C.J. Spiller.

Clemson's struggles don't help either but that doesn't take away from how electric Ellington is. He's averaging 6.6 yards per carry on a team that has almost no passing game.

No. 1 Overrated: Dion Lewis, Pitt

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 26: Dion Lewis #28 of the Pittsburgh Panthers runs with the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game on December 26, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Dion Lewis just doesn't make any sense. He was one of the best running backs in the country last year, but has been relegated to a timeshare after a miserable start to the 2010 season. 

For a player who rushed for nearly 1,800 yards in 2009, it's shocking that Lewis is on pace to fall short of 500 this year. 

And you can't blame the offensive line or play calling either; Ray Graham has received an equal number of carries for the Panthers and has amassed nearly triple the yardage that Lewis has.