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: Week 3
5. San Diego State RB, Rashaad Penny (Last Week: NR, Peak: 5) – It’s rare you see ‘Group of Five’ players get much steam in the Heisman race, but after watching San Diego State upset Stanford this weekend, it’s fair to start talking about Penny. He’s currently leading the NCAA with 588 rushing yards, and has four touchdowns to boot. Factor in 69 receiving yards and an additional touchdown receiving, and Penny is averaging a staggering 219 total yards per game.
4. USC RB, Ronald Jones II (Last Week: NR, Peak: 4) – For all of the talk of Sam Darnold coming into the season, he sure hasn’t played at the expected Heisman level. Instead, Jones could be the biggest playmaker on that Trojan offense. He’s averaging over 135 total yards and two touchdowns per game so far, and deserves a little more recognition for USC’s 3-0 start.
3. Penn State RB, Saquon Barkley (Last Week: 5, Peak: 3) – Barkley showed he can get involved in the passing game for the Nittany Lions against Georgia State. He tallied four catches for 142 yards and a touchdown, despite a relatively quiet day on the ground (10 carries, 47 yards). I still want to see it against real competition before he becomes a serious contender. Akron, Pittsburgh, and Georgia State just aren’t going to cut it.
2. Oklahoma State QB, Mason Rudolph (Last Week: 4, Peak: 2) – Rudolph had his best game of the season so far, though it was against Pittsburgh (feels like this post has taken a strong anti-Pitt stance – apologies, that was unintended…but seriously, the Panthers suck this year). He threw for nearly 500 yards (497, to be exact) and five touchdowns. He’s now fifth in the nation with 1,135 passing yards on the season. He’s thrown 11 touchdowns to just one interception. If he keeps this up against better competition, he could very well take home the hardware this year.
1. Oklahoma QB, Baker Mayfield (Last Week: 1, Peak: 1) – Mayfield continued his streak of flawless games on Saturday when the Sooners defeated Tulane 56-14. He posted 331 passing yards and four touchdowns, though he planted no flags on the field this week. An abysmal Baylor is up next, so he should get a chance to further pad those stats, and continue as the current favorite to win the Heisman.
Dropped from rankings: Whatever Heisman moment we thought Josh Rosen (Last Week: 2, Peak: 2) created with the comeback against Texas A&M, the exact opposite happened against Memphis. For Lamar Jackson (Last Week: 3, Peak: 3), he had a chance to solidify himself as the favorite for this award against Clemson, but he failed to do so.
Updated SoBros Heisman Points Standings
1. Baker Mayfield – 10
2. Mason Rudolph – 6
3. Saquon Barkley, Josh Rosen – 4
5. Lamar Jackson – 3
6. Ronald Jones II – 2
7. Rashaad Penny – 1
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
Buy our shirt. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube. Shop our store on Redbubble.
