Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Georgia RBs are what I cite when the topic of returning starters comes up.  Just because someone left doesn't automatically mean that position will be less productive, it just becomes an unknown. 
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For Florida (career):
1. Emmitt
2. Errict Rhett - not many RBs had 150 career catches, pre-2000
3. Fred Taylor
4. Tony Green
5. Neal Anderson
6. Ernest Graham
7. Jeff Demps
8. Chris Rainey
9. Elijah Williams
10. Jimmy DuBose
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Single-Season:
1. 89 Emmitt - 1616 yds, 14 TD (I'm including bowl stats for all these)
2. 97 Taylor - 1526 yds, 10 TD
3. 75 DuBose - 1402 yds, 8 TD (6.8 ypc)
4. 87 Emmitt - 1469 yds, 7 TD
5. 93 Rhett - 1394 yds, 8 TD
6. 04 Fason - 1361, 9 TD
7. 12 Gillislee - 1200, 12 TD
8. 91 Rhett - 1172, 10 TD
9. 02 Graham - 1205, 13 TD
10. 85 Anderson - 1034, 11 TD
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Single Game:
I know Emmitt ran for 300+ vs New Mexico (in a close win), but what Fred Taylor did to FSU in 1997 was epic.  They had the #2 run defense...not of 1997, but of the past 50 years!  And he pops off for 160 yds and 4 TDs.  It was sick.
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Emmitt has ZERO passing game to play off of.  It was all him, all the time.  If you watch the 89 QB play, it's embarrassing.

MSU/UM that I've seen, which basically goes back to 1990 (so no Lorenzo White or Jamie MOrris)

• T.J. Duckett
• Javon Ringer
• Le'Veon Bell
• Sedrick Irvin
• Jeremy Langford
• Edwin Baker
• Jehuu Caulcrick
• L.J. Scott
• Tico Duckett
• DeAndra Cobb

• Tyrone Wheatley
• Tim Biakabatuka
• Anthony Thomas
• Chris Perry
• Mike Hart
• Chris Howard
• Karan Higdon
• Fitzgerald Toussaint
• Ricky Powers
• Clarence Williams

It would be good if the NCAA would go back and count bowl games for guys like Dayne.

The fact that they haven't is one of the more curious stat anomalies ever.  It wouldn't be even a little bit hard

I hear they are busy trying to find a way to make Micah Potter ineligible for next year.

Those were two guys I hope landed in C-Bus.I know with Powers(Akron) he came out the same year as Robert Smith(Cleveland) so that wasn't going to happen.There was some reason about Ringer,I think it was some Buckeyes got dinged on grades and Ringer had dyslexia or some disability.My brother saw him play down in Dayton and he was real good and reportedly a good kid

He tore his ACL and missed the entire camp circuit and his senior year IIRC.  It was viewed as a UM-OSU battle until then

Part of valuing volume is that the players earned their way onto the field early in their careers.  If Barry Sanders was so good, why was he a backup for 2 years?  Yes, we know why, but if he was THAT good, he'd start ahead of the established star.  We can fault coaching or traditional wisdom or whatever, but would Peterson have backed up Thurman Thomas?  Would Herschel?  Would Bo?  

Well that's what the simple math suggests, but we can't say that.  More carries = more chances to get hurt, then you're back to Fearless' point.  Plus, if Gordon has 3 years of high carries, he loses the season with 10 ypc...

It's a million different little things out of their control.  
A huge inefficiency in football is a HC sticking with a good player, despite having a better one as a backup.  Thomas should have been backing up Sanders at OKST.  Ball should've been backing up Gordon.  And if that's a leap too far, Gordon should have at least gotten way more carries when he was 3rd-string.  If you have a guy averaging 10 ypc, it's irresponsible to not get him more carries.  But then you have to consider knowledge of the offense and/or pass-blocking, etc.  
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It's just fun to think about.