2016's Curse of the Running Back
The running back is one of the most exciting positions to watch in college football.
The electric runs, hurdling jumps, and stop-on-a-dime moves leave fans both in the stadium and at home "oohing" and "aahing." There is never a lack of must-see moments from running backs each season, which is why only the quarterback position has produced more Heisman winners all time.
As the midway point of the college football season approaches this weekend, there has been no shortage of shocking plays made by running backs. However, it's who isn't making the plays in the backfield that has left many fans scratching their heads this year.
Coming into the season, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey was at or near the top of everyone's Heisman watch list. After all, he finished second in 2015 voting by rushing for 2,019 yards. In the Cardinal's run-first offence, he seemed like a good bet to repeat that performance this season.
In 2016, though, McCaffrey has rushed for a solid-but-unspectacular 520 yards and three touchdowns in five games, dropping from his average of 6 yards per carry last season to 5.3 this year.
His inability to get loose is a big reason why Stanford is only 3-2 and on pace to finish with 1,689 rushing yards as a team after producing a whopping 3,132 a year ago.
Down in the SEC, Heisman-caliber backs are also facing tough sledding this year.
LSU's Leonard Fournette came into the season with first-round potential in next year's NFL Draft, but has found it challenging to stay on the field so far, as he'll potentially miss his third game this weekend due to a lingering ankle injury.
Over at Georgia, Nick Chubb has made a strong return after a gruesome injury last season, posting a respectable 5.5 yards per carry. However, that is drastically down from his 8.1- and 7.1-yard averages in his sophomore and freshman seasons, respectively.
Even powerhouse running schools like Wisconsin and Notre Dame are struggling on the ground.
From 2010-14, Wisconsin ranked 8th, 11th, 8th, and 3rd in the FBS in team rushing yards. The last two seasons have seen that ranking plummet to 88th and 78th in the nation.
The Fighting Irish averaged just shy of 2,300 rushing yards as a team over the past four seasons. This year, Notre Dame is on pace to finish below 1,800 yards as a group.
The one star who seems to have sidestepped the curse is Florida States' Dalvin Cook. After averaging just 76 yards a game over the first three weeks, Cook has posted 267-, 140-, and 150-yard games in his last three contests.
It's likely all just a coincidence that so many running backs have hit a rough patch in the same season, but as is the case with college football in general, anything can happen and nothing is ever a guarantee.