College Football Power Rankings: The Top 25 Running Backs Heading Into Week 7

Week 7 was one of the best of the year, with Alabama dropping to South Carolina, LSU slipping past Florida, Florida State sending the Hurricanes' fans home early against Miami and Michigan State staking their claim as the best team in the Big Ten.

Edwin Baker took the spotlight on Saturday with a dominating effort against Michigan in a huge win for the unbeaten Spartans. 

At this point, there's no denying he's becoming one of the best backs in the country. But he wasn't the only running back to blow up last weekend. 

LaMichael James is rushing his way to a Heisman, John Clay did everything he could to stop losing carries to James White and Nevada's Vai Taua continued to put up numbers with the best of them.

Here are the rankings for the top 25 running backs heading into Week 7.

You can check out last week's rankings here. 

25. Bilal Powell, Louisville

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LOUISVILLE, KY - SEPTEMBER 04: Bilal Powell #15 of the Louisville Cardinals runs with the ball during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 689 / AVG: 7.6 / TD: 7 / Receiving Yards: 96 / AVG: 16.0 / TD: 1

Powell has had a relatively quiet career at Louisville, but the senior has nearly matched his 2009 totals in his last two games alone. 

His might have a short-lived experience in the top 25, but coming off 426 total yards and four touchdowns against Arkansas State and Memphis, we have to take notice. 

24. Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky

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LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 04: Bobby Rainey #3 of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers gets brought down by Josh Williams #98 and Eric Hagg #28 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during first half action of their game at Memorial Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Lincol

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 602 / AVG: 4.9 / TD: 5 / Receiving Yards: 66 / AVG: 6.6 / TD: 0

It's become more and more evident as the season goes along that Bobby Rainey is really the only consistent weapon Western Kentucky has on offense, and teams are starting to recognize it. 

That's led to a dip in production, but considering the circumstances, Rainey is still putting up good numbers. You would have liked to see more than 94 yards rushing against FIU, but Rainey simply can't do it all alone. 

23. Brandon Bolden, Mississippi

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 11: Brandon Bolden #34 of the Ole Miss Rebels is chased by 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)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 518 / AVG: 6.8 / TD: 5 / Receiving Yards: 124 / AVG: 11.3 / TD: 2

Bolden makes his first appearance on the list after Week 5, but he and Ole Miss were off this past weekend.

Bolden proved in Week 5 that his explosion against Fresno State the week before was no fluke. After rushing for 228 yards against the Bulldogs, he had 125 total yards and two scores against Kentucky; it's definitely his backfield now.

22. Adam Robinson, Iowa

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 05: Adam Robinson #32 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the FedEx Orange Bowl at Land Shark Stadium on January 5, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Iowa won 24-14. (Photo by Doug B

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 480 / AVG: 4.9 / TD: 6 / Receiving Yards: 143 / AVG: 20.4 / TD: 0

Robinson's numbers against Arizona a few weeks back are still fresh in our memories, but he's made up for it with two solid performances in a row to get back on track before hitting a bye this past weekend. 

After putting up nearly 200 total yards and a pair of touchdowns against Ball State, Robinson followed it up with 95 hard-fought yards in Iowa's 24-3 victory over Penn State. 

21. Stevan Ridley, LSU

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GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 09: Stevan Ridley #34 of the Louisiana State University Tigers waits for the start of the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Ima

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 640 / AVG: 5.1 / TD: 6 / Receiving Yards: 42 / AVG: 42 / TD: 0

Ridley had arguably his worst game of the season in LSU's win over Florida, but give credit to the Gators defense for doing a really nice job of making running room hard to come by. 

With 28 carries in the game, Ridley was only able to muster 83 yards, failing to find the end zone for the first time in five games; his 3.0 yards per carry was also his lowest average of the year. 

20. Chris Polk, Washington

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: Running back Chris Polk #1 of the Washington Huskies celebrates his second quarter touchdown against the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Washington won 32-31.

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 466 / AVG: 5.5 / TD: 3 / Receiving Yards: 79 / AVG: 8.8 / TD: 0

As the season goes on, Polk's poor outing against Nebraska looks like it can be chalked up as an off-day against a stellar defense.

Since then he's averaged over six yards per carry in his last two games, including an 18-carry, 110-yard performance against Arizona State in Week 6. 

19. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Running back Marcus Lattimore #21 of the South Carolina Gamecocks runs for a touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Imag

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 459 / AVG: 4.3 / TD: 8 / Receiving Yards: 81 / AVG: 10.1 / TD: 1

Just when you're ready to write off Marcus Lattimore after his 33-yard performance against Auburn, the top running back of the 2010 class comes back with a bang against Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have one of the best defenses in the nation, making Lattimore's stats all the more impressive. He rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, adding 16 receiving yards and a third score in South Carolina's major upset. 

18. Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State

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ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 09: Le'Veon Bell #24 of the Michigan State Spartans scores on a 41 yard touchdown in the second quarter during the game aginst the Michigan Wolverines during the game on October 9, 2010 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 549 / AVG: 7.7 / TD: 8 / Receiving Yards: 60 / AVG: 12.0 / TD: 0

Last week we listed Bell and Edwin Baker in one slot, but after their performances against Michigan, you can't deny the Spartans backfield is the best duo short of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.

Bell only had seven carries against the Wolverines, but made the most of them rushing for 78 yards and a touchdown. He's averaging 7.7 yards per carry on the year. 

17. Ed Wesley, TCU

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ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 04: Tailback Ed Wesley #34 of the TCU Horned Frogs runs the ball against the Oregon State Beavers at Cowboys Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 612 / AVG: 7.0 / TD: 7 / Receiving Yards: 10 / AVG: 5.0 / TD: 0 

Wesley had a couple of quiet games leading up to TCU's matchup with Wyoming, but he finally cracked the century mark after failing to do so since September 18. 

He only carried the ball 17 times, but ripped off 115 yards and a touchdown in the 45-0 victory. 

 

16. Jordan Todman, Connecticut

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PISCATAWAY, NJ - OCTOBER 08: Jordan Todman #23 of the Connecticut Huskies runs the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Stadium on October 8, 2010 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers defeated UConn 27-24. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 761 / AVG: 6.2 / TD: 8 / Receiving Yards: 40 / AVG: 4.4 / TD: 0 

Connecticut suffered a tough loss to Rutgers in Week 5, but Todman kept his streak alive with another solid performance. 

He's rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown in every game he's played this season, including 123 yards and a score against Rutgers. 

15. 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)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 597 / AVG: 5.7 / TD: 3 / Receiving Yards: 43 / AVG: 8.6 / TD: 0

LeShoure continues to be one of the most underrated backs in the country despite his solid performance through the first six weeks of the season.

Playing for Illinois isn't the best way to find your way into the limelight, but putting up 151 total yards against Penn State in a game your team wins with ease is a very good start. 

14. Derrick Locke, Kentucky

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LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 18: Derrick Locke #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs with the ball during the game against the Akron Zips at Commonwealth Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 574 / AVG: 5.3 / TD: 7 / Receiving Yards: 225 / AVG: 9.4 / TD: 0

Locke was off to a hot start against Auburn before leaving the game with a shoulder injury, so you'll have to consider his stats with a grain of salt for the next couple of weeks; he's doubtful for the South Carolina game. 

He only touched the ball 10 times for five rushes and five catches, but had 78 total yards in limited minutes; his injury is a huge blow to the Wildcats. 

13. Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Runningback Jacquizz Rodgers #1 of the Oregon State Beavers runs with the football during the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Beavers defeated the W

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 481 / AVG: 4.4 / TD: 7 / Receiving Yards: 79 / AVG: 7.2 / TD: 1

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

So far this season, Rodgers has been mostly 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 a performance against Arizona that was worse than it looks on paper. 

12. 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

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 683 / AVG: 7.0 / TD: 6 / Receiving Yards: 2 / AVG: 2.0 / TD: 0 

Baker was exceptional against Michigan in MSU's 34-17 victory. He's quickly turning into one of the top backs in the nation. With Illinois and Northwestern coming up next, there's no reason to think he'll slow down.

Baker ripped Michigan apart with 147 yards and a touchdown off 22 carries. He's currently the No. 10 rusher in the nation. 

11. DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

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DALLAS - OCTOBER 02: Running back Demarco Murray #7 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs for a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns in the first quarter at the Cotton Bowl on October 2, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 551 / AVG: 4.2 / TD: 9 / Receiving Yards: 142 / AVG: 7.1 / TD: 1

Murray had a huge game in the Red River Rivalry a couple of weeks ago and was pivotal in Oklahoma's 28-20 victory. It was exactly the game he needed after a bad performance in the Sooners' win over Cincinnati. 

Murray had 115 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the game, adding four catches for 34 yards. Through his first five games, Murray is tied for fifth in touchdowns; he was off in Week 6. 

10. 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)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 435 / AVG: 6.6 / TD: 7 / Receiving Yards: 88 / AVG: 9.8 / TD: 0

Ellington had his worst game of the season against North Carolina, if you discount his three-carry performance against Presbyterian.

After solid outings against Auburn and Miami, Ellington was held to 55 yards off just 12 carries and failed to score for the first time this season. 

9. Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Daniel Thomas #8 of the Kansas State Wildcats is pursued by Korey Bosworth #55 of the UCLA Bruins in the first quarter at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo b

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 691 / AVG: 5.4 / TD: 6 / Receiving Yards: 52 / AVG: 4.3 / TD: 0

Thomas became the latest back to get shut down by Nebraska's defense when he and Kansas State suffered a brutal 48-13 loss. 

Thomas was held to just 63 yards off 22 carries, but did add eight catches for 36 yards to help salvage the day; he failed to find the end zone for the second straight game after scoring twice in each of his first three games. 

8. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State

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STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 5: Running back Kendall Hunter #24 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys rushes for a nine yards during the third quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Boone Pickens Stadium on September 5, 2009 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 700 / AVG: 6.4 / TD: 9 / Receiving Yards: 41 / AVG: 3.4 / TD: 0

Hunter is averaging just 4.5 yards per carry over his last two games, which isn't bad except that the battle is a close one and everything matters.

In Oklahoma State's dominant win over Louisiana-Lafayette, Hunter had 28 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown. He falls in the rankings not because he's playing poorly, but because others are just playing better. 

7. Shane Vereen, Cal

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BERKELEY, CA - OCTOBER 09: Shane Vereen #34 of the California Golden Bears runs against the UCLA Bruins in the first half at California Memorial Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 577 / AVG: 5.7 / TD: 8 / Receiving Yards: 119 / AVG: 10.8 / TD: 2

After a quiet start to the season, Vereen has been explosive in his last three games, putting up arguably his best performance of the year in Cal's 35-7 victory over UCLA.

Vereen rushed for 300 combined yards against Nevada and Arizona, then went off for 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns against the Bruins, adding another 51 yards on three catches. 

6. Vai Taua, Nevada

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS - OCTOBER 02: Vai Taua #34 of the Nevada Reno Wolf Pack celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the UNLV Rebels in the second quarter of their game at Sam Boyd Stadium October 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada Reno won 44-26. (Photo by

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 837 / AVG: 7.2 / TD: 11 / Receiving Yards: 72 / AVG: 9.0 / TD: 1

Taua is averaging 167 yards a game over his last four outings, and had his most impressive game of the season against San Jose State. 

He needed just 16 carries to rush for 196 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 18 yards off two catches. He's the No. 3 rusher in the country just behind LaMichael James. 

5. Trent Richardson, Alabama

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Running back Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide returns a kick against the South Carolina Gamecocks October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 442 / AVG: 7.0 / TD: 4 / Receiving Yards: 138 / AVG: 11.5 / TD: 1

Richardson had his worst game of the season in Alabama's loss to South Carolina, failing to rush for over six yards a carry for the first time this year. 

He only had six rushes in the game and managed only 23 yards. Richardson has failed to find the end zone in his last three games, but for those who doubt him, don't forget he'd be starting on practically any other team. 

4. Noel Devine, West Virginia

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 25: Noel Devine #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers avoids a tackle by Brandon Taylor #15 of the Louisiana State Univeristy Tigers at Tiger Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Tigers defeated the Mou

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 475 / AVG: 5.3 / TD: 4 / Receiving Yards: 114 / AVG: 7.1 / TD: 0

Devine only took three carries in West Virginia's blowout win over UNLV, but even with such limited touches, he still had a very impressive game. 

A 48-yard score helped to pad the stats a bit, but any time you get 84 yards and two touchdowns off just three carries, that's a game worth taking note of. 

3. John Clay, Wisconsin

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 18: John Clay #32 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Camp Randall Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Arizona State 20-19. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Image

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 692 / AVG: 6.0 / TD: 9 / Receiving Yards: 0 / AVG: 0.0 / TD: 0

While we worried that a timeshare would destroy Clay's value, there proved to be plenty of carries to go around in Wisconsin's victory over Minnesota. 

Clay had 21 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns, while James White needed only 19 carries for 118 yards and two scores. If White puts up one more game like that, he'll join Clay in the top 25. 

2. Mark Ingram, Alabama

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Running back Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide rushes upfield against the South Carolina Gamecocks October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 396 / AVG: 7.1 / TD: 6 / Receiving Yards: 62 / AVG: 6.9 / TD: 0

You could argue that Ingram is being gifted his spot on the list at this point after two subpar performances in a row, but keep in mind his opponents were Florida and South Carolina; not too many people rush well against them. 

Ingram had just 11 carries in the game against South Carolina as Alabama was playing from behind most of the contest and was forced to rely on their passing game. That's the main reason last year's Heisman winner had just 41 yards. 

1. LaMichael James, Oregon

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 18: Running back LaMichael James #21of the Oregon Ducks heads to the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Portland State Vikings at Autzen Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards: 848 / AVG: 7.4 / TD: 9 / Receiving Yards: 96 / AVG: 32.0 / TD: 1

The honor of top running back in the nation is LaMichael James' to lose at this point, having garnered another eye-popping statline in Week 6. 

James had 223 total yards and three touchdowns against Washington State, the third time in four games he's had over 220 total yards and two scores.