Best running back combinations in college football since 2000

There are plenty of intriguing storylines heading into Saturday’s top-five showdown between No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). Among those storylines is the dominant backfields both of these teams have, as arguably the two best running back duos in the nation get set to go head-to-head. 

The Buckeyes are led by talented running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins has rushed for 520 yards on 6.4 yards per carry and six touchdowns, while Henderson has rushed for 449 yards on 7.2 yards per carry and four touchdowns this season.

The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, have their own pair of talented running backs. Nicholas Singleton has rushed for 483 yards on 6.4 yards per carry and three touchdowns to go with four receiving touchdowns, while Kaytron Allen has rushed for a team-high 509 yards on 5 yards per carry, scoring five total touchdowns. 

As one of college football’s top rivalries is renewed this weekend with plenty of attention given to the running backs, let’s take a look back at the best running back combinations in college football since the turn of the century.

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Miami (Fla.) – Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Willis McGahee (2001)

The Hurricanes’ last title team had a three-headed monster in the backfield. Portis was the leader of the group, rushing for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gore rushed for 562 yards on a jaw-dropping 9.1 yards per carry, while McGahee had three rushing touchdowns in eight games. All three players went on to be future Pro Bowlers.

Auburn – Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown (2004)

Think about this for a minute: Auburn had two future top-five NFL Draft picks on this roster … and they played in the same backfield! Williams and Brown formed one of the most memorable running back duos in college football history in 2004. Williams, who was selected No. 5 overall in the 2005 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, rushed for 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2004 campaign. Brown rushed for 913 yards on 6 yards per carry and eight touchdowns, adding 313 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. Auburn won the Sugar Bowl that season and was controversially left out of the national championship game.

Minnesota – Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney (2003 and 2004)

The Golden Gophers had a pair of future NFL running backs in their backfield in 2003 and 2004. Barber rushed for 1,196 and 17 touchdowns during his junior year, while Maroney was right behind him with 1,121 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns. The duo was even better the following year, as Barber totaled 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Maroney led the team in rushing, despite having 14 fewer carries. He had 1,358 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns for a Minnesota team that went 7-5. 

USC – Reggie Bush and LenDale White (2004 and 2005)

Bush might be seen as the face of this duo, but White was actually the team’s leading rusher in 2004. He ran for 1,103 yards and 15 touchdowns that year, while Bush had 908 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while also having 509 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. The duo had nearly the same number of carries in 2005 (Bush 200, White 197), as Bush rushed for 1,740 yards on 8.7 yards per carry and 16 touchdowns to go with 478 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. White actually scored more touchdowns that year, reaching the end zone 26 times and rushing for 1,302 yards. 

Arkansas – Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis (2006 and 2007)

McFadden and Jones each rushed for 1,000 yards in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In fact, they nearly rushed for 3,000 combined yards in 2007 (McFadden rushed for 1,830, Jones rushed for 1,162) as they scored 28 total touchdowns that year. The Razorbacks‘ third-string running back, Hillis, rushed for 347 yards and two touchdowns in 2007. McFadden’s effort that year helped him finish as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. 

Wisconsin – John Clay, Montee Ball and James White (2010)

The Badgers nearly had three running backs rush for 1,000 yards in 2010. White led the team in rushing with 1,052 yards, while Clay wasn’t far behind with 1,012 yards. Ball fell 4 yards short of the 1,000-yard mark, but he led the team with 18 rushing touchdowns. Clay and White each had 14 rushing touchdowns as Wisconsin went 11-2, losing in the Rose Bowl.  

Alabama – Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy (2009 and 2010)

Most college football fans remember Ingram’s dominant 2009 season en route to winning the Heisman, but he also had a pretty good backup. Richardson rushed for 751 yards and eight touchdowns alongside Ingram, who had 1,992 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns that season to help Alabama win the national title. A year later, Lacy entered the mix, rushing for six touchdowns, while Ingram rushed for 875 yards and had 14 total touchdowns, and Richardson rushed for 700 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns.

Oregon – LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas (2011)

James was one of the best running backs in the nation in each of the three seasons he played at Oregon. He was the face of arguably the best running back room in the nation in 2011, rushing for 1,805 yards and scoring 19 total touchdowns that year en route to winning the Doak Walker Award. Barner added 939 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns that season, while Thomas had 595 yards and 16 total touchdowns. It isn’t a surprise that Oregon averaged 45.6 points per game in 2011.

Wisconsin – James White, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement (2013)

After forming a strong duo with Ball for two seasons, White formed another strong partnership in his final year in Madison, joining forces with Melvin Gordon. White totaled 1,744 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns in 2013, while Gordon rushed for 1,609 yards and 12 touchdowns that year. The duo was also backed up by Corey Clement, who rushed for 547 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games that season. The strong ground game helped Wisconsin win nine games in 2013. 

Alabama – T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake and Alvin Kamara (2013 and 2014)

In the two seasons before Henry dominated en route to winning the Heisman Trophy, he was just one part of a strong backfield for the Crimson Tide. Yeldon was the lead back for the 2013 team, rushing for 1,235 yards and 14 touchdowns. Drake was the secondary back that year, rushing for 694 yards and scoring nine total touchdowns, while Henry had 382 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. Kamara was also a part of Alabama’s running back room in 2013, but he didn’t record a carry while playing behind three future NFL running backs. He transferred at season’s end. 

Henry’s role increased in 2014 after Drake suffered a broken leg and played just five games that season. Yeldon led the team in rushing attempts, going for 979 yards and scoring 12 total touchdowns. But Henry was the more efficient runner, rushing for 990 yards and scoring 13 total touchdowns. The duo helped Alabama reach the first-ever College Football Playoff, where it lost to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

Oklahoma – Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine (2016)

Lincoln Riley’s offenses might be more known for their aerial attack, but he had a strong rushing duo in his second season as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. Perine (1,060) and Mixon (1,274) each rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2016, with the former scoring 13 total touchdowns and the latter adding 15 total touchdowns. The duo led the Sooners to 11 wins and a Sugar Bowl victory.

Stanford – Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love (2016)

A year after McCaffrey nearly won the Heisman, he had a running mate out of the backfield for the 2016 season. McCaffrey had 1,913 yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns in his final year of college football, while Love added 783 rushing yards and four total touchdowns, helping Stanford to a 10-win season. 

Georgia – Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D’Andre Swift (2017)

Three years after forming a strong partnership with Todd Gurley, Chubb and Michel were the veteran leaders for a younger Swift. Chubb rushed for 1,345 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2017, while Michel rushed for 1,227 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns, including the game-winning score in Georgia’s Rose Bowl win over Oklahoma. Swift pitched in with 618 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. The trio fell just short of winning the national title that season.

Alabama – Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris, Brian Robinson Jr. and Jerome Ford (2018)

Tua Tagovailoa threw to four future first-round wide receivers in his first season as Alabama’s starting quarterback. But Alabama also had an unbelievable backfield that year. Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Jacobs and Robinson spread the wealth among themselves in 2018. Damien Harris was the leading rusher of the group, putting up 876 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Jacobs had 640 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Najee Harris had 783 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns that year, while Robinson had 272 yards and two touchdowns. The team also had Jerome Ford buried on its depth chart as he only had five carries that season.

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