We have been dealt a great 2017-2018 college football season thus far. It seems as if that any team can win on any given weekend any given college football player can shine can shine on a national stage. Those players can all be talked about as the best football players this nation has seen this year. From all of the talk and hype they can go on to be honored as the best college football player; by being awarded the Heisman Trophy at the end of the year in New York.
We have one third of the regular season remaining and there is a close race for he Heisman trophy
Five candidates have a legitimate chance to hoist the Heisman Trophy by seasons end. There are quite a few reasons these five have a great chance at winning the Heisman trophy. There are also reasons that each could lose his chance.
Here are my top five candidates.
5. Quarterback J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
J.T. Barrett has been atop the Heisman favorites before the season ever started. Barrett has remained there despite the loss to the Oklahoma Sooners. He certainly recovered from that loss, after a four touchdown game with no turnovers against Penn State.
Barrett has a tough road game at Iowa to come soon. He also has the annual rivalry game at the end of the against Michigan. With convincing wins against both schools he could potentially find himself in New York for the ceremony; however, it would take a humongous fall from at least one of the other candidates on the watch list.
4. Running Back Bryce Love, Stanford
Bryce Love has been very enjoyable to watch all season long. His 10 yards a carry and 200 yards a game averages have certainly made him a Heisman contender this year.
Love has a couple of downfalls that could possibly keep him out of New York. The first, he is not playing for a school that is competing for a National Championship. The other would be that he missed one game against Oregon State. That absence will affect him unless he has two or three 200+ yard games at the end of the season and gets Stanford into the PAC-12 Title game.
3. Running Back Josh Adams, Notre Dame
Josh Adams has been making defenses look silly all season long by running up and down the field so effortlessly. Adams averaged 159 yards rushing per game going into last weekends game against the NC State Wolfpack. He upped that average by running for 207 yards against one of the best defenses in the country. He is currently averaging 8.9 yards a carry. Those are some impressive stats that will sure get the Heisman voters’ attention.
The Irish are considered to be a title contender, thanks to Adams’ great running style that slightly resembles Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliot.
Adams and the Irish both control their own fates this season.
2. Quarterback Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
The Sooners have been a great team throughout the season and they can certainly thank the outstanding play of QB Baker Mayfield. Mayfield has been the best quarterback in the nation this year. His outstanding play against Ohio State earlier in the season was a great showcase for him to put him on the Heisman ballot.
Despite his 363 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Iowa State, he is still in the race for the Heisman. With wins against Oklahoma State and TCU, those would boost his Heisman chances. But, he certainly has competition from the #1 candidate.
1. Running Back Saquon Barkley, Penn State
One could argue that Saquon Barkley has the Heisman all but sewn up. Barkley has done enough to claim the Heisman trophy now. Yes, he had a pretty bad performance against rival school Ohio State. His stats against Ohio State were 44 yards on 21 carries which included a 36 yard touchdown. The Heisman is Saquon’s to lose at this point.
The only way Saquon loses the Heisman at this point is if he finishes every game the rest of the season with the same performance he had against Ohio State. There is just no way that should happen, considering Penn State is favored to win every game for the rest of he season.