NCAA Football Heisman Predictions
This past week had some crazy results in the college football world, as we inch closer to the NCAA’s revamped postseason. Let’s look at who the movers and shakers were in the Heisman race, as there aren’t many more weeks to leave an impression with voters.
2014-15 Heisman Trophy Favorites
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Let’s look at the top candidates for this year’s Heisman Trophy in Week 14.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Throughout the season, the Ducks pivot has been virtually flawless, and so has his team. The 9-1 Ducks are poised for a spot in the final four of the FBS Playoff and it has much to do with Mariota’s 3,103 pass yards, ridiculous 32-2 TD/INT ratio, 597 rush yards and nine TDs on the ground.
Oregon crushed Colorado last weekend (44-10) and have Oregon State and a Pac-12 championship left on the slate.
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So long as the Ducks don’t run aground versus a Pac-12 South team like UCLA, it could be a year full of hardware for Mariota and everyone in Eugene.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
Something crazy happened a few days ago. If Gordon’s record-breaking performance against Indiana two weeks back wasn’t insane enough, Samaje Perine broke Gordon‘s record of 408 yards rushing in a game this past week for Oklahoma.
Not that it should take the shine off the apple. The Wisconsin junior has been going off consistently, putting up 2,109 yards rushing, 25 TDs and an 8.3 yards per carry average. I still believe those are Heisman-winning numbers, and Gordon has a chance to really shine when the Badgers play Minnesota and probably Ohio State at the end of the campaign.
Could it be enough to leap-frog Mariota?
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Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
In this past off-season, many experts thought transfer Matt Joeckel would get the nod under center under Boykin. How wrong they turned out to be. The junior from Dallas has gone off for 3,569 total yards and 31 total TDs.
He’s led the Horned Frogs to a season perhaps no one outside of Fort Worth anticipated for them, as TCU still has a real shot to crash the FBS Playoff party. The Frogs still have a Thursday-nighter this week at Texas and then close the season versus Iowa State. Those stats should be beefed up further, in what should be two more victories for Texas Christian University.
J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
Barrett is almost single-handedly dragging the Buckeyes up the college football mountain lately. Ohio State don’t currently have a spot in the top four, but it is probably the team best-positioned to grab Mississippi State’s fourth spot.
Barrett is also a freshman, which for years didn’t draw water with voters, but in this day and age in the sport, is just impressive more than anything. He has set the school’s career mark for TD passes in a season, with 33. Adding 849 yards on the ground and nine rushing scores is also really nice; Barrett has racked up what is a good season for most RBs, with his scrambling ability.
In the future, even likely not winning in 2014, I don’t see Barrett going anywhere in the Heisman Trophy race – a la Jameis Winston.
Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
The multi-faceted Bulldogs pivot collected a bushel of TDs en route to a 51-0 blanking of Vanderbilt, which happened to be MSU’s largest ever margin of victory over an SEC opponent. It’s been an incredible year in Starkville, to be sure.
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The fact that Prescott has been a little up-and-down compared to a rock like Mariota and the fact that the Bulldogs finally sustained a loss means that Starkville’s cherished hero is likely on the outside looking in on the Heisman race.
Still, a great performance against rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl certainly couldn’t hurt Prescott’s candidacy.
DARKHORSE: Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
The Indiana Hoosiers have a miserable record in a miserable conference in 2014. Those two realities might make this look like a strange selection, but Coleman has put up a season for the ages in the Hoosiers’ backfield.
Coleman has eclipsed 1,900 yards rushing to go with 15 TDs and 23 receptions. He is the Hoosiers offense, literally. It would be a nice story for the junior from Tinley Park, IL.
Check out our Updated College Football Week 14 Odds.
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