Heisman Watch: Week 14

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The Heisman Trophy is one of the strangest awards in the sports world. There’s no objective way to win…by default, people vote on the award. So, for the most part, it’s all about perception. Numbers don’t matter as much as winning and having those signature “Heisman” moments. We’re talking about the big time players from the big time teams in the big time conferences.

Which is unfortunate, in my opinion. I’m a strong proponent of everyone at least getting a shot, but that’s just not the way the world works. So, with that in mind, I’m taking a look at who’s who in the 2017 Heisman race so far based on who fits the seemingly arbitrary criteria laid forth by the Heisman Trust. But, if you think I’m wrong to do so, feel free to hit up the comments.

HEISMAN WATCH: FINAL STANDINGS

18. South Florida quarterback Quinton Flowers – the Bulls quarterback kicks off our countdown as recognition for that monstrous game he had against UCF. It may have been the best single game performance in college football this season.

17. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen – The Bruins quarterback had the benefit of preseason hype helping him. But, as the season progressed, Rosen did not. He’s likely to be a first round pick in the NFL draft next Spring, but that’s what he’ll have to hang his hat on. He simply did not live up to expectations.

16. Notre Dame running back Josh Adams – If it wasn’t such a strong year for running backs, Adams may have gotten more credit. Much like the Fighting Irish, he cooled off late in the season.

15. USC quarterback Sam Darnold – I was never as high on Darnold as everyone else. He may be the top overall pick in next Spring’s NFL Draft. But, he simply didn’t have stats throughout the season. He got way too much credit for USC winning games.

14. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts – The Crimson Tide is such a complete team that it’s hard to pinpoint one guy. But, if we’re talking offense, Hurts is its conscience. His stats aren’t eye-popping, which is what kept him off of a lot of Heisman radars.

13. Missouri quarterback Drew Lock – Raise your hand if you realized no one in the FBS threw more touchdowns this season than the Tigers quarterback. Yep – what I thought. Lock’s 43 touchdowns leads the FBS. Plus, his stellar play helped get Mizzou to six straight wins and a bowl game.

12. Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor – the Badgers running back had 1,847 rushing yards this season (good for third in the FBS), but he didn’t have the touchdowns to go with it. Sprinkle in some games with low yardage totals, and he slips out of the top 10.

11. Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick – It’s incredibly hard to quantify defensive stats in a way that compares to offensive players. But, if you simply watch the games, you will understand the rare talent that Fitzpatrick is.

10. Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate – “Mr. October” had an incredibly stretch of games during the middle of the season. But, it didn’t quite hold up. The Wildcats were ranked at one point this season, but really petered out as their Pac-12 schedule got heavier.

9. USC running back Ronald Jones – It’s highway robbery for the Trojans running back not to be in Heisman discussions all over the country. His 2017 season was incredibly underrated, and he should’ve been the legitimate dark horse in the race. He won’t be, though, despite have 1,486 rushing yards for a major conference champion. By the way, his 18 touchdowns are fifth in the nation.

8. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett – It feels like Barrett has played for the Buckeyes for nine years. His passing yards don’t measure up with a lot of the Heisman contenders (2,939), but man 35 touchdowns looks good. Plus, he just plays well in the moment. He’s got that Heisman gene.

7. Washington State quarterback Luke Falk – much like his Cougars, Falk played ‘hot and cold’ all season long. Still, I say it’s him, not Sam Darnold, who proved to be the best quarterback in the Pac-12 this season. Washington State was in play for one of the New Year’s Six bowls all the way up until the Apple Cup.

6. Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph – The Cowboys were a real dark horse in the Big 12, but they ultimately disappointed. Rudolph finishes atop the passing yards list with 4,553. 35 touchdowns ain’t too shabby either.

5. San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny – The Aztecs running back finishes with an astonishing 2,027 yards this season. I get his team didn’t run the table like they needed to to gain recognition for such awards, but Penny’s individual performance this season was remarkable.

4. Stanford running back Bryce Love – Love’s 1,973 rushing yards is good for second in the nation, as the Cardinal running back surged up Heisman watch lists late in the season. I think he’s a lock for New York as the West Coast representative.

3. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson – I mentioned last week that Jackson’s 2017 isn’t so different from his 2016 Heisman-winning campaign. 3,489 passing yards, with 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions. More impressive, he has 1,443 yards on the ground with 17 rushing touchdowns to boot. That’s 42 total touchdowns.

2. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley – This is a prime illustration of why it’s important to finish strong. All of Barkley’s Heisman points (per our scoring system) came in the first half of the season. But, he didn’t finish. As the season wore on, he cooled off and teams found a way to bottle him up. Still, I think he’s worth discussing for his entire body of work.

1. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield – 4,340 yards (second in the nation) for 41 touchdowns (good for second in the nation) to just five interceptions, and a Big 12 Championship to boot. The case for Mayfield makes itself. What’s more is he dominated in key moments of the season. Mayfield’s 2017 is the quintessential Heisman campaign – clutch performances, monster stats, and a championship.

 

FINAL HEISMAN PREDICTIONS

I wish they would go back to the days of inviting five guys to New York, because I think there are at least five guys this year that really are worthy of at least getting that honor. That said, they won’t. If you put a gun to my head, I’d say Mayfield, Jackson, and Love are the three that end up in the Big Apple. But, it doesn’t really matter because Mayfield clinched this award weeks ago. I will be outright stunned if the Sooners quarterback doesn’t win this award.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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