What's missing in Mariota's Heisman win; top 10 contenders for 2015
After Johnny Football's antics and Famous Jameis' legal woes, the Heisman Trophy needed a relief. It stood there in a room full of college football icons, no drama, no controversy in tow.
Oregon's Marcus Mariota made history Saturday, becoming the school's first winner and the first born in Hawaii, but the unprecedented achievements the redshirt junior quarterback brought to the proceedings was secondary.
Saint Marcus he's been dubbed, and in an era where police reports and NCAA violations are so commonplace we're numb to them, a major college football figure being called a "Saint" is a quaint thought.
"I've always been quiet, always been reserved," he said. "I've always tended to not use my words when it comes to being a leader. But there are different kinds of leadership styles. Sometimes showing you care about someone is better than just yelling at them. I try to reach people by showing I care."
It was a runaway as Mariota finished with 2,534 points, 1,284 ahead of Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon (1,250) and Alabama's Amari Cooper (1,023)
Mariota won every region in claiming 778 of the 894 first-place votes (87 percent, which is fourth-most all time, and on line with this prediction) and his point total was seven shy of Reggie Bush's since vacated record set in 2005. He received 90.9 percent of all possible points, which puts him behind Bush (91.6) and Troy Smith in '06 (91.6).
Also making the top 10 were TCU's Trevone Boykin (218), Ohio State's J.T. Barrett (78), Winston (51), Indiana's Tevin Coleman (44), Mississippi State's Dak Prescott (42), Arizona's Scooby Wright (21) and Baylor's Bryce Petty (13).
Outside of the finalists, only five other players received first-place votes, with Boykin claiming eight, while Winston had four, Coleman and Prescott two each and Petty had one.
But back to Mariota, who said of his win, "I'm at a loss for words. It's truly amazing. It's hard to explain."
If there's one thing missing in the humble Mariota winning, it's that we won't get to see how voters would have treated his repeat bid.
Of those to try and equal Archie Griffin since he claimed trophy No. 2 in 1975, Billy Sims came the closest, finishing second in his follow-up and Tim Tebow, with two chances to repeat, never got closer than third.
But amid the scandals that followed Manziel and Winston, could Mariota have broken through, even as the expectations rose?
There's been no concrete word on Mariota's future yet, and he told reporters Friday while picking up the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award that he'll wait "a couple of days" after Oregon's final game to make his decision.
The presumptive favorite to be the first QB taken in the draft, a return seems unlikely, which means that in needing another year to crown a challenger, we'll see Griffin's feat go unequaled for at least 41 years.
Granted, the lights have barely dimmed on Mariota's moment, but hype is an undeniable part of the Heisman machine. So, now the question becomes, who's next?
Here's a look at 10 of the top finalists heading into next season, a list made with the assumptions that -- either by expectations or their own declarations -- Mariota, Cooper, Gordon, Coleman, Prescott, Winston, Duke Johnson and Todd Gurley are all leaving for the NFL. Should any return, they'll be sure to have a place on these rankings.
From a debacle of a Sept. 6 start against Virginia Tech to fifth in the voting, Barrett's redshirt freshman season was nothing short of remarkable. He threw three picks in that loss to the Hokies, then threw six more in his next 270 attempts and finished third in the nation in passing efficiency (169.8) and in points responsible for (270). There's the chance that coming off a right ankle fracture he may not be fully healthy for the spring, and if Braxton Miller does return (which we'll get into later) could Barrett wind up losing his job? It's a storyline that typically doesn't surround a Heisman frontrunner, but that's what Barrett should be when things get under way next fall.
He started his Horned Frogs career as a running back, then moved to receiver. But it was settling in at quarterback and the move to a reimagined up-tempo, wide-open offense that made Boykin a star. He sits third in FBS with 4,356 yards of offense a game, which is a school record, as are his 3,714 passing yards and 30 TD passes. None of that could get him to New York this time (he finished 805 points Cooper for fourth) and his leading TCU to an 11-1 record couldn't get it in the College Football Playoff, but if it's any consolation, he's primed to enter next season as the top contender in the Big 12 and will be on everyone's radar.
Despite having more than eight carries once in the first five games, Chubb was an all-SEC first-team pick and enters the bowl game needing 104 yards to have more yards in his first season in Athens than Gurley had in any of his (he topped out at 1,385). Post-Herschel Walker, Georgia has truly challenged for a Heisman just once, when Garrison Hearst was third in finishing 418 points behind Gino Torretta. Can Chubb change all that? He has seven straight 100-yard games, the Bulldogs' longest streak since Walker had 11 in 1982 and, of course, there's the resemblance in their hulking frames.
After his season-ending shoulder injury, Miller vowed that he would return to Ohio State next season and his dad believes he'll be back with the Buckeyes. He may be back, but with the rise of Barrett, does he want to stay in Columbus and either be in a QB battle or be asked to play another position? On course to graduate in the spring, Miller could transfer and be eligible to play immediately. With Oregon and Florida State among the teams likely searching for a new QB, the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year will be the most sought-after recruit of 2015 and a Heisman contender no matter where he lands if he leaves Ohio State.
At 70.7, his completion percentage this season is better than Mariota's (68.3) and leads all QBs who threw for 3,500 or more yards. Kessler has also thrown just four interceptions this year, despite 413 attempts. His total numbers -- 3,505 yards and 36 touchdowns -- are actually better than what Matt Leinart (3,322 yards and 33 scores) had in his Heisman-winning season. That could lead to Kessler leaving early, but if he's back in L.A., USC may have a shot at once again (post Bush's win being vacated) equalling Notre Dame and Ohio State's record of seven Heismans.
The FBS-record 427 yards against Kansas headlines Perine's resume, and for good reason. But he put together a strong true freshman season in Norman, rushing for 1,579 yards and 21 touchdowns, which led the Big 12 and tied for fifth-most in the nation. As detailed here, holding the single-game rushing record hasn't been a precursor to anyone winning the Heisman, but he'll at least enter next season on everyone's radar after a campaign that's seen him have four games of 150 or more yards.
Forget the debacle that was the Pac-12 Championship Game, in which he threw for just 34 yards. Solomon has been one of the year's breakout stars, throwing for 3,458 yards and 27 TDs and doing so with a foot and ankle injury he battled for more than a month. With Solomon, Kessler and Cal's Jared Goff, the Pac-12 stands to have three of the top four returning passers heading into next fall. But if the trend of dual-threat QBs and this award continues, Solomon will be the conference's biggest threat ... that is unless Miller should leave Columbus for Eugene.
Can he stay healthy? It's the main concern with the Tigers' sophomore-to-be, who missed all or parts of six games. When he was on the field, he was spectacular, averaging 358 yards in games in which he played the brunt of, and his 188.6 overall efficiency rating would have led the nation if he'd played in at least 75 percent of the Tigers' games. He's set to undergo surgery to repair a partially torn ACL instead of playing in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 29 against Oklahoma. The procedure requires six-to-nine months of recovery, which on the long end could have Watson ready for the Tigers' Sept. 5 opener against Wofford.
If a defender is going to open next season on voters' short lists, Nkemdiche would seem the most logical choice. He has 33 tackles, including 19 for loss this season, two sacks, a pass breakup and a QB hurry. An ability to get to passers and deliver hits like this will be the foundation of his resume, but what arguably kept the likes of Hugh Green and Manti Te'o -- who tied for the best finish for a strictly defensive player with second -- were they weren't involved in the offensive game plan. Hugh Freeze can at least offer a small dose of Nkemdiche on offense as he did last season. That could turn him into something much more than the latest defense-only player to try and break through.
Conner is averaging 139.6 yards per game this season in running for 1,675 yards -- both figures are fifth-best in FBS -- and should Gordon and Coleman leave, the Pitt junior-to-be will be the leader among Power 5 RBs. Two things that could hold the ACC Offensive Player of the Year back are consistency -- he had seven 100-yard games, but was also held below the century mark five times, including 38 vs. Syracuse and 75 against Miami -- and a revamped offensive line that will have new faces at right tackle and guard, but he should once again remain the focal point of the Panthers offense, no matter who is coaching them.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney
