Can Leonard Fournette become the GOAT?

College football can be a cruel mistress. Leonard Fournette steamed out to a sizable Heisman lead in the first two months of 2015, amassing an eye-popping 1,352 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first seven games. He was quite literally leaving players in his wake. LSU then traveled to Tuscaloosa for its eighth game of the season and that's when Fournette's Heisman bandwagon blew a tire. Alabama dominated the second half of this top-five showdown and limited Fournette to just 31 rushing yards.

That single-game performance kept Fournette on the couch for the Heisman Trophy presentation the following month. Just six weeks prior, he was universally recognized as the game's best running back, yet two other ball-carriers were seated in the front row of the PlayStation Theater, but not No. 7. That's how fast things can change in college football. And Fournette hasn't soon forgotten it.

The SEC has produced seven Heisman Trophy-winning running backs and only one, Derrick Henry, had as many 200-yard rushing performances in a single season as Fournette did in 2015. Fournette's 162.8 rushing yards per game average is second only to Herschel Walker in the conference record books, and his five-touchdown performance against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl tied a bowl record held by Barry Sanders.

Everywhere you look, Fournette is either setting the pace or is within spitting distance of some of the greatest running backs to ever put on a uniform. Which begs the question: Can Fournette end his 2016 campaign as the greatest running back of all time?

The short answer is an emphatic, yes. The talent is undoubtedly there, the opportunity to carry the Tigers to the CFP is there, and most importantly the record books are within reach. The quickest way to elevate yourself past the legends of yesteryear is to best them statistically. If LSU were to make an appearance in the SEC championship game, and Fournette were to replicate his rushing average from last fall, he would be on pace to break Herschel Walker's 34-year-old, SEC career rushing record.

The SEC career touchdown record, held by Tim Tebow with 57, remains in play as well. Fournette would need 25 touchdowns to tie the former Florida great. If he were to break either of those career records, while simultaneously carrying LSU to the CFP, complete with a win over Alabama, his legacy as one of the greatest running backs of all time would be cemented.

In that scenario, all that really would be left out would be the optics. The absence of a Heisman moment can be hard to overcome, while a memorable highlight can stick with you for the rest of your life.

Billy Cannon had his famed punt return on Halloween. Bo Jackson went over the top against Alabama. Ricky Williams gouged the Aggies to set the NCAA career rushing record. Considering that his season opens at Lambeau Field, and then features a handful of potential top-10 showdowns, Fournette will have every opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the game of college football. Only time will tell if that impression makes him the GOAT.