College football duos: Ranking the 32 best dynamic duos in modern history

12. Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram, Alabama

Running back duos are hard to rank, but Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram were a duo that could not be stopped. Ingram was insane in his second year with the Crimson Tide. He ran for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns. That makes it astounding that as a freshman Richardson found his way to gain 751 yards and score eight touchdowns himself.

The next season, Alabama added Eddie Lacy to the mix, so their numbers might not have looked phenomenal. However, when looking at the averages, they were still unstoppable. Richardson was averaging 6.3 yards per carry and Ingram was averaging 5.5. They combined for 24 touchdowns. It ended up being one of the weirder Alabama seasons likely because of how Nick Saban decided to use his running backs.

Still, there isn’t much one can take away from Ingram and Richardson. Ingram won the Heisman Trophy with Richardson on his heels. They won the National Championship in their first year together. They were both supremely strong. Ingram could crush a team between the tackles and Richardson could break off a 50-yard run at any time.

They were thunder and lightning. During the 2009 season, teams could not beat them. In the SEC Championship against Florida, Ingram had 113 yards on the ground, 78 yards through the air and three touchdowns. Richardson added 80 yards on just 11 carries. In the National Championship Game against Texas, Ingram had 116 yards and two touchdowns. Richardson had 109 yards and two touchdowns himself. It was a microcosm of their dominance. Even on the biggest stage.