LSU vs Alabama: Big Game for Trent Richardson Won't Sway Heisman Voters

Alabama running back Trent Richardson has had an extraordinary season so far, rushing for 989 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He's already being called a better running back than former star Mark Ingram—and he's the No. 2 Crimson Tide's biggest star.

However, despite all of this, he had garnered just one first-place vote in ESPN's expert poll before Saturday's game against No. 1 LSU.

And that is because Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck had collected 14 of the possible 15 first-place votes.

While Richardson has been called an elite prospect by many experts, Luck is basically being called the second coming of Peyton Manning. He hasn't faced a top defense all season long, yet he's still widely favored in the Heisman discussion.

There's a disturbing pattern evolving. Of the last 10 Heisman winners, nine of them have been quarterbacks. That may be the biggest evidence Richardson won't win the Heisman this season, no matter how hard he tries. Luck is the most celebrated quarterback of those Heisman winners, so why would Richardson beat him out?

The truth is, the quarterback is the most important position in football, and a tie seems to always go to the quarterback. In my mind, Richardson has done just as much as Luck this season, but even if he blows up against LSU on Saturday, the only way Luck can lose is if he completely tanks the rest of the season.

This is a reality Richardson fans must face, that Richardson doesn't truly hold his Heisman chances in his own hands. Only Luck can sway this discussion and alter a Heisman race that was over before it even started.