The Conspiracy Theory

Everybody on the face of this planet is infatuated with a conspiracy theory or some sort of controversy.

There's no reason to try to deny it or make up excuses, everybody loves conspiracy whether it's in your favorite sitcom or overly budgeted movie, and it's everywhere.

However, there is a new wave of conspiracy and controversy taking America by storm, and it's getting more publicity than last week's Real World-Road Rules Challenge. Speaking of which, I really wish Katie would have lost in the Inferno and out of the blue Rachel would've appeared. I know, wishful thinking.

Although this new sort of conspiracy has been around for quite some time, it's now starting to really take shape. This very city was a hot spot for controversy and conspiracy when the light-hearted Doug Flutie and Robbie "Sunshine" Johnson clashed for one of the most memorable quarterback controversies in recent years.

Sure Flutie propelled Buffalo into the playoffs with his mobility and quick thinking, but it was Johnson's thrashing of the Colts that made him the starter against the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Johnson would have and should have won the game if it wasn't for the boneheaded play by the special teams that let the Titans execute the "Music City Miracle". What ensued showed that Flutie was just another whiny washed up QB.

Johnson served his time, proved to be worthless but also ran away with $25 million; AKA the greatest heist in Buffalo history.

It's funny how the media classifies battles between QB's to be controversial and battles between running backs to be rather non-controversial.

For example: Denver produces better running backs in one season than the NFC does all together, maybe its because of their line, maybe it's just the running backs are that good. Whatever the reason might be, you never hear of controversy between the running backs. They like to call it running back by committee (prior Clinton Portis). How can this be you might ask?

Maybe it's because the two-quarterback scheme doesn't work and a two-running back scheme does? I'm going to use the Buffalo Bulls for this theory.

Last season the Bulls raced to a repulsive 1-11 season with both Randall Secky and P.J. Piskorik starting six games apiece. There was some controversy in the off-season and through the majority of the season between the two QB's. You know the usual stuff like who should start, why this QB should sit, yatta yatta. Put that aside, and take a look at Buffalo's running game.

Led by Dave Dawson and Aaron Leeper, Buffalo's ground attack rushed for over 2000 yards, which includes quarterback rushing yards. Between Dawson and Leeper, they amassed over 1,200 yards - that's just plain whack. It'd be fair to say that Buffalo does not have a number one halfback but rather a running back by committee (Dawson, Leeper, and Chris McDuffie).

The only negative thing I could come up with for the running game was the lack of touchdowns between Dawson (1) and Leeper (2). However, sophomore Jared Patterson accounted for four scores, so I guess that makes up for it. Um, no.

There is no reason that a school's two best running backs, possibly athletes, only account for three touchdowns. It's absurd and what's even more ridiculous is that Dawson's lone touchdown came only because he torched Rutgers for a 76 yard score.

Don't get me wrong; Buffalo is very fortunate to have two, possibly three great running backs in the mix. But at the same time it could be unfortunate. Both Leeper and Dawson have the capabilities to be 1,000-yard rushers or tally up 10 TD's. Heck they could do that easily but we'll never see either one come close. Why, because Hofher gives the pigskin to Patterson or Piskorik in the redzone. It's almost like Hofher is running the exact same script in Varsity Blues, except for the whole winning part.

But then again, there is no "I" in team, touchdowns are touchdowns and winning is winning - football is a team sport - at least that's what my midget football coach told me.

However that's hard to stomach when a team has two premier running backs that could lead in the MAC in rushing statistics and deserve scoring in the redzone. Buffalo has something that not too many colleges have. They have the luxury like I said before of a very talented backfield. A backfield in my mind that has the opportunity to gain well over 2,500 yards and this is just between Leeper, Dawson, whoever the starting QB is going to be and Patterson.

So is there really any controversy or conspiracy when it comes to the running backs of Buffalo? Is this just another running back by committee? As much as I wanted to see one running back become the starter and take 25 handoffs a game this past year, it soon became very evident that this would not happen. Now when I think about it, I'm glad that it was a mixture of backs.

With spring practices over, there will be a lot of talk about who should start at running back but there won't be a number one starter. There doesn't need to be a number one starting running back for Buffalo. The Bulls proved that last year.

As for the quarterback situation, that's a whole other story.