5 emblematic college football plays from the 2015 regular season

Nov 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Braxton Miller (5) congratulates running back Jalin Marshall (7) after his touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Braxton Miller (5) congratulates running back Jalin Marshall (7) after his touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 24, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Florida State 22-16. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Florida State 22-16. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Florida State running back Dalvin Cook

FSU running back Dalvin Cook spent the first part of the regular season in the shadows of LSU standout Leonard Fournette, whose athleticism and phenomenal strength and agility entranced analysts and fans alike. (He also spent part of the offseason suspended.) While Cook may not have been the flashiest player of the 2015 college season, the Sophomore out of Miami, Florida racked up an impressive 1,658 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per carry.

Check out seventy-four of those yards here:

There were certainly other running backs with impressive plays this year, but Cook’s was not a fluke. That clip pretty much sums up the Dalvin Cook Phenomenon. His combination of power, strength, speed, and super-hero level vision and instincts are reminiscent of Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Le’Veon Bell. So, it is not hyperbole when Cook compares himself to Bell and Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs. He said via Campus Insiders “In my eyes, yes, I am… Jamaal Charles, Le’Veon Bell them guys that run with patience, and, you know, just know when to do things at the right time– just know the knowledge of the game.”

The season-endings injuries to Charles and Bell aside, Cook does have the potential to perform at that level in the NFL. And, with the spidey-sense he claims to have (“Just know when to do things at the right time”), he certainly has a special skill set.

Next: 2. LSU running back Leonard Fournette