SN 140: Sporting News College Football 1970s All-America team led by Earl Campbell, Lee Roy Selmon

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The Golden Age of Running Backs was in the 1970s. 

It was an era of wishbone and flexbone offenses, and ground-and-pound was the preferred offense of the era. 

Our 1970s all-decade All-America team reflects this. It was a decade where running backs won the Heisman Trophy in seven of those 10 seasons. That includes the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in Ohio State's Archie Griffin and Texas legend Earl Campbell. Our defense features seven players who finished in the top 10 in the Heisman voting, including Oklahoma legend Lee Roy Selmon. 

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SN 140 1970s All-America Team (1970-79) 

Offense

QB: Marc Wilson, BYU 

RB: Archie Griffin, Ohio State

RB: Tony Dorsett, Pitt 

WR: Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska 

WR: Terry Beasley, Auburn 

TE: Ken MacAfee, Notre Dame

T: Jerry Sisemore, Texas

G: John Hannah, Alabama 

C: Chip Kell, Tennessee 

G: Brad Budde, USC 

T: John Hicks, Ohio State

AP: Earl Campbell, Texas 

K: Tony Franklin, Texas A&M 

Star power

Wilson beat out two Heisman Trophy winners in Stanford's Jim Plunkett and Auburn's Pat Sullivan for a spot on the list. Wilson – who led the NCAA in passing yards and TDs in 1977 and 1979 – represents the LaVell Edwards line of quarterbacks from BYU that took passing offense in college football to an unseen level. Hannah is widely considered Bear Bryant's best offensive linemen at Alabama. The receiver position is thin – but Rodgers – whose 72-yard punt return for a touchdown sparked a 35-31 victory in the 1971 "Game of the Century" against No. 2 Oklahoma – is among the playmakers on this list. McAfee finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1977. 

Best position group

Running back. This is an absurd collection of running back talent, and we used the athlete spot to put a third running back on the team – which fits the era given the prevalence of the Wishbone formation at the time. Five running backs in the 1970s – Griffin, USC's Ricky Bell and Charles White and Oklahoma's Greg Pruitt and Billy Sims were two-time Unanimous All-Americans. Should Sims or White be on that first team? Ultimately, we went with Dorsett, Griffin and Campbell – all players who easily could be considered the greatest players in their schools' respective histories. The argument over Griffin and White was heated. 

Great running backs in the 1970s

Toughest debate

Leaving Anthony Munoz off the team. Munoz is widely considered as one of the best offensive linemen of all time, but he was a second-team All-America selection in 1978 and suffered a knee injury his senior season. In 1976, Budde – a four-year starter – became the first USC freshman starter since World War II. He was the more-decorated college football offensive lineman – and he also had a solid pro career. It's not like  Sisemore and Hicks are bad selections at tackle.  

Defense 

DL: Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma

DL: Rich Glover, Nebraska 

DL: Randy White, Maryland 

DL: Ross Browner, Notre Dame 

LB: Jerry Robinson, UCLA

LB: Bob Golic, Notre Dame 

LB: Randy Gradishar, Ohio State

CB: Johnnie Johnson, Texas 

CB: Dave Brown, Michigan 

S: Jack Tatum, Ohio State 

S: Dennis Thurman, USC 

P: Steve Cox, Arkansas 

Star power

Tatum and Gradishar were two of Woody Hayes' favorite players during the Buckeyes' dominant run in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Golic and Robinson were dominant linebackers in this era. 

Best position group

Defensive line. It's the same as the 1960s. Our four selections all finished in the top 10 in the Heisman Trophy voting – and they swept the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award.  Glover had the highest finish at third in 1972, which made it tough to leave him off this list. Selmon,  White and Browner – a two-time Unanimous All-American – completed that group. Texas' Brad Shearer and Ohio State's Jim Stillwagon were among our toughest omissions. 

Toughest debate

Dennis Thurman vs. Brad Van Pelt vs. Kenny Easley. Aside from sorting out the defensive line, Michigan State's Brad Van Pelt and UCLA's Kenny Easley also were to leave off, but we stuck with Thurman at safety. Easley and Van Pelt had more interceptions, but Thurman got the edge as part of a national championship team as a freshman in 1974. Michigan cornerback Dave Brown – who was teammates with Easley with the Seattle Seahawks – also made the list. 

Fun fact 

Only seven quarterbacks passed for more than 3,000 yards in the 1970s. Wilson led all those quarterbacks in single-season yardage with 3,720 passing yards in 1979. 

Best single-season passing yards in 1970s

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