Iron Bowl 2011: Trent Richardson Will Solidify Heisman Status vs. Auburn

Auburn is not an elite rush defense.

That's all you need to know when predicting what kind of game Alabama running back Trent Richardson will have on Saturday against the Tigers.

Richardson, who has gone on to rush for 1,380 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, has been limited by only one opponent since Week 1, and that's No. 1 LSU.

Even against good rush defenses in Penn State and Vanderbilt, Richardson lit up the scoreboard, averaging 109 yards rushing and collecting three total touchdowns.

That's why Richardson has surpassed Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck on most lists as the top Heisman candidate this season.

Auburn is giving up 4.3 yards per carry and 17 rushing touchdowns this season, pretty much middle of the road in both categories. And for the most part, the Tigers haven't been able to contain the top rushing attacks or top running backs in college football.

It's one of the reasons I have the Crimson Tide rolling over Auburn on Saturday, combined with the fact that quarterback Clint Moseley won't know what hit him when he faces Alabama's defense.

When this season started, I figured there was no way anyone was going to wrestle the Heisman Trophy away from Luck. For one, it didn't seem possible that he would falter. Two, voters seemed to naturally lean to Luck and a "tie" would likely go to him.

But Luck has faltered in recent weeks, and Richardson hasn't.

There's still the chance that Luck could win the Heisman, but if Richardson excels on Saturday it would be highway robbery if Richardson didn't receive the award.

What better way to solidify his Heisman status than with a big performance in the historic Iron Bowl?