Oregon Ducks: LaMichael James Is the Best RB in College Football

Last season, the Oregon Ducks' sensational RB, LaMichael James, finished third in the Heisman race behind Stanford's Andrew Luck and Auburn's Cam Newton, who would eventually claim the title. But after deciding to stay in Eugene for a third year, James came back better than ever, dominating the opposition with his lightning speed, cat-like agility and uncanny elusiveness.

This season, James is sixth in the NCAA in rushing yards with 1207, while the high-man, David Wilson of Virginia Tech, has 1360. But if Wilson has more yards than James, doesn't that make him the better running back?

Absolutely not, and here's why.

LaMichael James dislocated his elbow in Oregon's 43-15 decimation of the California Golden Bears back in October. Subsequently, he was forced two sit out the next two games vs. Arizona State and Colorado; two games in which Kenjon Barner hauled in a combined 286 yards and three touchdowns.

Need I say what James' stats would be like had he played those two games against clearly sub-par defenses?

Yet another shocking statistic, LJ averages a whopping 7.9 yards per carry, the most among running backs with more than 678 yards on the season. If you combine his stats with the fact that 99.9 percent of his runs are in an Ace (Singleback) Formation or out of the Gun, as per the Ducks' "Quack Attack" Spread Offense. You simply can't deny that LaMichael James is, hands down, the most explosive RB in college football.

Though he got off to a slow start, only rushing for 54 yards in the season-opener against top-ranked LSU—arguably the best defense in college football at No. 2 in points allowed—and 67 yards against Nevada, James quickly rebounded with back-to-back-to-back 200-plus yard games, including a 288-yard show-out against Arizona. 

Clearly a front runner in the Heisman candidacy, LJ will overtake the likes of Zach Line (SMU), Montee Ball (Wisconsin), Bobby Rainey (Western Kentucky), Ronnie Hillman (SDSU) and David Wilson in the battle for the most rushing yards on the season. And once he does, he'll only have one more person to take on: Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy.