post 1960 college football Mt. Rushmore

Squirrel Master on 22 Aug 2012 - 2:13pm #

Out of the tens of thousands of players to play since 1960, kind of hard to name a top 4.

I would go with Griffin.

Have to say Tebow is on there too. Despite his lack of passing skills, he was the only person to win the Heisman as a sophomore not to mention he did rack up huge stats and won NC.

Charles Woodson is fine although personal issues with this one!

The best for last has to be Barry Sanders. 2600 rushing yards, 7.6 ave per carry, over 200 per game himself and he was still the kickoff and punt returner. Outside of Griffin, probably the all-time best player ever!

honorable mentions: Hershel Walker, Reggie Bush (he was good despite the money issue) and Tommy Frazier.

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hodge on 22 Aug 2012 - 2:22pm #

I would say that Reggie Bush was probably the single greatest player of the last 20 years...at least since Frazier. I agree that Tebow was an exceptional player, but I don't think that he was an all-time great.

Griffin's definitely a lock here, as well. I'd round out the group with Barry Sanders and Hugh Green.

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dancorona5 on 22 Aug 2012 - 2:16pm #

Ron Dayne is college footballs all time leading rusher...not sure how much weight that carries but against some great runners, I felt he needed to be mentioned.

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johnblairgobucks on 22 Aug 2012 - 2:33pm #

Hodge, 4 me, I'd say Vince Young was better than Reggie Bu$h. I know different positions and different teams/roles. I wuld have loved to see how OSU's defense in 2005 would have faired against Bu$h and the Trojans.

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hodge on 22 Aug 2012 - 2:47pm #

@JOHNBLAIR - It's close, but Bush was an athlete unlike any that college football's seen in its modern era. Judging him by the standards of modern RBs (largely single-purpose runners who dabble in receiving), he was a multitalented specialist who dominated everything in his path, who was a legitimate scoring threat every time he touched the ball. I mean, these stats are stupid: per Wikipedia:

Bush started only fourteen times in 39 games at USC. However, he finished tenth in NCAA Division I-A history with 6,541 all-purpose yards, racking up 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns on 433 carries (7.3 avg) and 1,301 yards with thirteen scores on 95 catches (13.7 avg). Bush returned 67 kickoffs for 1,522 yards and a touchdown, adding 559 yards and three scores on 44 punt returns (12.7 avg). He also completed one of three pass attempts for a 52-yard touchdown.

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johnblairgobucks on 22 Aug 2012 - 3:00pm #

Bush on a top 5 team to me is basically Marshal Faulk who played on a below average team. The two were the same, to me. Counter argument to this is- What would Bush have done playing the opponents that San Diego State played?

Can't imagine how stressed I would have gotten, if I had to watch OSU's defense play against that USC offense. Every time Bush touched the ball,, it would have been hold your breath time.

Can't wait to watch the 2012 Buckeyes offense, and the players try to achieve greatness.

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Squirrel Master on 22 Aug 2012 - 3:06pm #

Hodge, my list has 3 criteria: Heisman, stats and NC. Tebow met all 3 of those. Reggie Bush only had 2. Not to mention he actually won 2 NC even though he did not start in the first one. I am not a fan of him but credit is due with what he did during his college career.

I couldn't put Reggie Bush over Griffin, Sanders or Walker.

If you look at some of the top players lists, the 3 concensus players in the top ten that played after 1960 are Hershel Walker, Tim Tebow and Archie Griffin. Most have Earl Campbell, Woodson and Butkus in the top 15. It is hard not to include the guys before 1960. Red Grange, Jim Thorpe.

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OSUBias on 22 Aug 2012 - 3:11pm #

Doesn't Bush technically have 0 of those since they vacated all of the wins during his time and he had to give back his Heisman? If you vacate a game do you get to keep the stats?

When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."

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BrewstersMillions on 22 Aug 2012 - 4:08pm #

62 years...man that's tough. I'll give it a go...

1) Archie Griffin-Though he isn't even the top OSU RB in my book, the dude won two Heisman trophies and no one else ever has.

2) Herschel Walker-The first (and biggest) threat to Archie's two Heismans. At 18 he played like a grown ass man and only got better.

3) Reggie Bush-Hands down the most explosive player I've ever seen. One of the true "Oh Shit!" players in college football (guys who illicit those exact words from both sets of fans each time he touched the ball)

4) Lawrence Taylor-Best collegiate pass rusher ever. Best NFL pass Rusher ever to boot. LT was the goods.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

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OSUBias on 22 Aug 2012 - 4:23pm #

But then Reggie would have to give back CFB Mount Rushmore, too.

When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."

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BrewstersMillions on 22 Aug 2012 - 4:27pm #

Yeah, he was the only guy in college football history that ever got paid for his services.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

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OSUBias on 22 Aug 2012 - 4:36pm #

Didn't say anything of the sort. He is, however, the only one on your hypothetical list that did (at least that got busted for it).

Just think it's odd putting a guy in the top 4 monument who had his whole career asterisk-ed and/or vacated (maybe it wasn't the whole career, but the last two years I think).

I also agree he's the most explosive player I've ever seen. But playing while ineligible and getting busted for it, causing your school to be forced to vacate two of the greatest teams in 30 years should be held against him. Just my opinion. We obviously disagree on this.

When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."

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BrewstersMillions on 22 Aug 2012 - 4:56pm #

You can vacate wins, you can asterisk seasons, you can take back Heisman trophies but nothing Reggie did off the field gave him an advantage on it. I'm looking for the four best guys that ever played and didn't cheat to do it. You can't vacate what we all saw. Bush was 'ineligible' because the NCAA said he was, but they openly embraced the way Tony Mandrich and Brian Bosworth played...and those guys ACTUALLY cheated.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

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johnblairgobucks on 22 Aug 2012 - 5:05pm #

if you had 1 game to play for all the marbles, who would you pick for your team:

Vince Young, Tim Tebow, Reggie Bu$h or Herschel Walker

Vince Young for me, and if he had stayed for his senior year, OSU wouldn't have lost to Florida in the BCS NC Game. Texas would have won 2 straight.

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BrewstersMillions on 22 Aug 2012 - 5:19pm #

You are basing it off of his one year. VY platooned a ton his Freshman\Sophmore years and by the end of his Sophmore year was being labeled a bust by some staunch Horns fans. The same could be said about Reggie sticking around.

I get it, he's unpopular, but if I need a big play and my team has the football in its hands or on its way to them, Reggie Bush could beat you.

Calling him Reggie Bu$h doesn't help it either. Just makes it seem like you dislike him as a player because you dislike him as a person.

From a performance standpoint, Tebow is miles and miles and miles ahead of Vince Young as well. 88 Passing TD's to 16 INT's. VY had 44\28. Timmy rushed for 57 TD's, VY rushed for 37. Tebow completed %66 of his passes, VY %61. Tebow was literally double the player Young was and did it in only about a season more.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

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OSUBias on 22 Aug 2012 - 5:16pm #

But Bush did cheat to do it. He just didn't cheat by breaking a rule that you care about. It may be a stupid rule, but he knew "them's the rules" and did it anyway. That makes him ineligible. We don't get to pick which rules matter and which don't.

Bosworth got caught and suspended at the time (for a rivalry game maybe? Bowl game? I forget). If Bush had been caught at the time, suspended for 5 games, and then reinstated, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I agree with your sentiment that he's one of the all time greats in term of talent. I just view conversations about a Mt. Rushmore as en elevated version of the Hall of Fame. The highest honor you could possibly get. And just like for real awards, you have to be eligible for it. different strokes for different folks; we can agree to disagree

When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."

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johnblairgobucks on 22 Aug 2012 - 5:17pm #

Ha. You couldn't say that if Bush returned for his senior year he would have been 2-time National Champ, because Vince Young beat him head to head.... Young could not be denied, Bush couldn't hold onto the ball.

Young had 6,000+ yards passing and 3,000 + yards rushing (37 TD's)

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BrewstersMillions on 22 Aug 2012 - 5:27pm #

My point is that Bush's ability to score every time he touched the ball had nothing to do with taking money. He didn't enhance his playing ability. He let cash sway his collegiate decision. On the field, what Bush did was unaffected by what he did off of it.

JohnBlair....

Head to head? Vince Young's Longhorns beat Bush's Trojans. Yes. But What Young did doesn't take away what Reggie did. And my point was multiple national championships, not back to back. I should have clarified.

So if VY's stats give you such a good feeling, what on earth do Tebow's do for you? For the record, Tim threw 12 fewer INT's on 277 more passes. Tebow's Career>>>>>>>>>>>Young's Career.

That is besides the point. I get that you like Vince. He had one great season at the helm of a very loaded Texas team. Bush had two great years on a very loaded USC team. In a matter of 'head to head' conversations, who won the Heisman that year...you know, 'head to head'? And again, I'm aware Reggie gave it back.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

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johnblairgobucks on 22 Aug 2012 - 6:04pm #

Tebow was stupendous and I would take him over Bush.

Ricky Williams has better stats than Archie but I'd still take Archie.

It's all opinion. This happens to be mine. Vince Young is the best offensive football player I have ever seen. You knew what was coming (fake handoff and around the right end) and couldn't stop it.

Any how: Go Bucks!