Laskey and Days were not an example of a committee approach leading to a star back because for 11 games there was nothing even resembling a star back and by the short time we did do something closer to that Days had already established himself as a star back.
Laskey was not the more consistent short yardage back. In the three games before and after his injury, he had 2- yard runs as often as Days did. Those aren't late season stats either. Those were the three games on either side of the change. With comparable competition and the time span limits the impact of the development over the season.
The justification that teams were playing us later in the year different doesn't really hold. Days and Laskey combined for 66 carries the 3 games before the injury, and Days accounted for 66 in the 3 after. Even looking at it as a percentage of total runs, not including the carries accrued in the late minutes of blow outs, only shows a 5% increase in that regard. Of course when you have a guy rushing for 1.5 more ypc from a position you're more likely to give him the ball. Furthermore a constant staple of our offense has been when we get a decent lead, before it turns into garbage time, we often go to the bback more because it's more safe than pitching and prevents our QB from getting hit more. That same effect was present in the Miami game where Laskey accounted for 44.6% of the total carries, and Laskey and Days accounted for 49% with 63.6% of the last 2 real drives were Laskey runs when we were nursing a 4 and then 11 point lead. With an increase in ypc by 28% and more time spent with a comfortable lead, a 5% increase in % of runs coming from the bback doesn't really justify the idea that teams were playing us any different in regards to focusing any less on the bback.
Of course you didn't say one was better than the other. You said that Days might have been slightly favored, and strongly implied that the two backs were more or less equal and that they were just different types of backs whose production couldn't be compared because of mental gymnastics. That doesn't hold up because not only did Days have a significant edge in production, he also got 2 or fewer yards on carries no more frequently than Laskey did, so I have no idea where the idea that Laskey was the better short yardage back comes from.
Hell even late in the year, against FSU and MSU, Days still had a 2-1 carry advantage over Laskey so that was less a committee approach and more of a clear #1 but with a #2 that still played. In UGA, the game most by committee as I believe Days had the 16-12 carry advantage or something similar before going out, Days had 5 runs of 2 yards or less so 31.25% of the time. Laskey had 8 out of 26 for 30.8%. Not including a one yard TD run it was 7/25 for 28%. Laskey had a marginal advantage but he also picked up 13 of his 26 carries late in the 4th/OT against a tired defense after Days went out with a tweaked leg. Prior to Days going out Laskey had 4/12 carries of 2 yards or less for 33.3%. Either way there is no real argument for either back being more consistent at getting 3+ yards. Both got 2- yards at about an equal rate.
Lastly, the last two games, against FSU and MSU, Days still had a 40-20 advantage in attempts. That's not really a by committee approach, especially when you look at when each guy got the carries. Against FSU, Days had 10 carries before Laskey had one. Against MSU Days took 11 of the first 12 carries between the two. The yard count was 129 yards to 3 in favor of Days at that point. During these games there was a clear number one and a clear backup.
So to sum up the points....
2014 was not an example year of a buy committee approach. 11/14 games there was nothing resembling that. And 2 of the other 3 there was still a clear #1.
2014 was not an example year for should have been a by committee approach. One back clearly out performed the other by a significant margin, and both were about equally consistent with getting at least 3 yards. I've yet to see a reasonable argument why they should have been getting even in the neighborhood of equal carries.
All of this goes back to my original point that we should make it a point to have a true featured back, because our best years have almost all had a featured back up.