College Football: 5 reasons LSU wins 2017 National Championship
1. Derrius Guice
No Fournette? No problem.
After all, it is the belief of some LSU fans that Guice may be better than Fournette. That’s a bold claim, but he is certainly one of the best running backs in the country. Guice burst onto the scene in Fournette’s absence last season after rarely getting play time his freshman year.
Despite splitting starting time with Fournette in 2016, Guice managed to pull off something remarkable. He led the SEC in rushing and only started eight games. The 5-foot-11, 218-pound junior rushed for 1387 yards on 183 attempts. For a second consecutive season, he averaged more than seven and a half yards per carry (7.6 in 2016; 8.5 in 2015). Additionally, he found the end zone 16 times (15 rushing; one passing).
Although many worry about the legitimacy of LSU’s young offensive line this season, fear not. Unlike Fournette, Guice is an incredibly patient runner. Fournette tends to hit the first hole he sees and attempt to power through defenders filling the gap. Against most teams, that would work to perfection. But, not against Alabama or Florida. Therefore, Fournette was relatively easy to contain for the country’s best. Well, as easy as containing Leonard Fournette can be.
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Guice, on the other hand, poses more issues to opposing squads. His quick feet and patient running style give him the ability to dance around in the backfield while he waits for a gap to open. If there’s no gap? He can make one. The perfect example of Guice’s patient play-style is his 2016 96-yard touchdown run against Arkansas.
Throughout history, LSU players have struggled when heavily mentioned in the Heisman conversation. Despite a rich history of incredible talent, the Tigers have only produced one Heisman winner. That was in 1959 (Billy Cannon). With Guice, the potential is certainly there. The Tigers have their eyes on the College Football Playoff this season and they’re hoping Heisman candidate Guice can lead them to the promise land and bring a title back to Baton Rouge for the first time since 2007.