The college football season is winding down and that means the Heisman race is heating up. Last week Melvin Gordon and Marcus Mariota were neck and neck in the polling with Jameis Winston getting the bronze. Wisconsin and FSU escaped their games while Oregon demolished Colorado. Let’s take a look at how this past weekend affected our Heisman Poll:
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What you’ll see each week in the Bloguin Heisman Poll:
* The top five total vote getters, with quotes from the voters in support of their candidate
* A list of all players receiving votes
* Poll notes that look at some interesting facts, figures and trends of the poll
* The BHP Roll Call of voters, with links to their respective blogs and twitter accounts
Here’s the newest Bloguin Heisman Poll:
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1) Melvin Gordon (RB – Wisconsin): 23 points, 38.98% of votes, 3 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 1
Last week: Beat Iowa, 26-24
Game Stats: 31 carries for 200 yards (6.45 ypc) with 2 TD, 4 receptions for 64 yards
Season: 254 rushes for 2,109 yards (8.30 ypc) and 25 rushing TD, 15 receptions, 2 receiving TD
This week: vs No. 25 Minnesota (8-3)
COMMENTS
Sure, his single-game rushing record lasted only a week, but Gordon decided to tie another record this past weekend – the single-season rushing record in the Big Ten (and Wisconsin). He’s at 2,109 and with potentially three games left, he could be challenging Barry Sanders’ record. That said, he also showcased a huge ability in the passing game this weekend. Just another wrinkle for opposing defenses to account for out of Gordon.
– Andrew Coppens – Madtown Badgers
This was a bit of a tough one for me. I went back to Mariota when I started this initially, but couldn’t convince myself that Mariota was the vote. Gordon put up 264 yards of total offense and 2 more TDs on the board. He’s up to 25 touchdowns rushing with 2 receiving. Gordon blew past the 2,000-yard mark. The Barry Sanders record is in play, the record many thought wouldn’t be broken. Gordon picking up 750 yards or so is absolutely doable. He’s run for over 250 yards three times this season. He would have to average that to close the year, but would anyone doubt him?
– Scott King – Bearcats Blog
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2) Marcus Mariota (QB – Oregon): 22 points, 37.29% of votes, 5 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 2
Last week: Beat Colorado, 44-10
Game stats: 24 of 32 passing (75%) for 323 yards with 3 TD and 0 INT, 73 yards rushing with 1 rushing TD
Season stats: 210 of 309 passing (68.0%) for 3,103 yards with 32 TD and 2 INT, 597 yards rushing, 9 rushing TD, 1 reception
This week: at Oregon State (5-6)
COMMENTS
If you wanted to vote Melvin Gordon, I wouldn’t strongly object. The plays he made on Saturday when Wisconsin was clinging to a two-point lead and needed to change the flow of the game against Iowa were Heisman-level plays. “Heisman moment” is such an overused term, but Gordon’s crunch-time cojones certainly represented what a Heisman winner ought to look like.
I’m still putting Marcus Mariota at the top of my ballot, however. He has not done anything to make himself less of a player in recent weeks. This is an award which will likely go down to the conference championship games… assuming Gordon and Wisconsin fend off Minnesota for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the Big Ten West title.
– Matt Zemek, The Student Section
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was at it again on Saturday, accounting for over 400 yards of offense and four touchdowns in a win over Colorado. At this point, the Heisman looks like Mariota’s to lose. The nation’s top-rated passer, Mariota has 41 total touchdowns and just two picks.
– Mike Ferguson, Noled Out
To me Mariota has been the most dependable player week in and week out in the country. He may not be a runaway leader in the Heisman race, but he continues to be the best player in the country.
– Kevin McGuire, The Student Section
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3) Jameis Winston (QB – Florida State): 7 points, 11.86% of votes, 2 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 3
Last week: Beat Boston College, 20-17
Game stats: 22 of 32 passing for 281 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT
Season: 243 of 368 passing (66.0%) for 3,125 yards, 19 TD vs 13 INT, 3 rushing TD
This week: vs Florida (6-4)
COMMENTS
Once again, Winston delivered under pressure, going 3 of 3 for 33 yards on the final drive to set up the game-winning field goal. This ability to get the job done when the game is on the line separates him from the other top contenders.
– Terry Johnson, The Student Section
The weekly superlatives are the same after another razor thin FSU win, but I’ll say this … if you keep breaking into the liquor cabinet when no one’s looking, eventually, someone will see you filling the whiskey bottles with apple juice.
– Bart Doan, The Student Section
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4) Amari Cooper (WR – Alabama): 3 points, 5.08% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 5
Last week: Beat Western Carolina, 48-14
Game Stats: 3 receptions for 46 yards
Season: 90 receptions for 1,349 yards and 11 TD
This week: vs No. 14 Auburn (8-3)
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5) J.T. Barrett (QB – Ohio State): 2 points, 3.39% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 4
Last week: Beat Indiana, 42-27
Game Stats: 25 of 35 passing for 302 yards with 4 TD and 2 INT, 20 carries for 78 yards rushing
Season: 190 of 293 passing (64.8%) for 2,658 yards, 33 TD vs 10 INT, 156 carries for 849 yards and 9 rushing TD
This week: vs Michigan (5-6)
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Also receiving votes: Trevone Boykin (QB – TCU), 1 point; Tevin Coleman (RB – Indiana), 1 point
Dropped Out: Bryce Petty (QB- Baylor)
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Poll Notes:
– At this point in the 2011 season, Trent Richardson took the lead from Robert Griffin III after a dominant performance against rival Auburn; in 2012, Manti Te’o saw his second straight week at the top of the poll; in the 2013 poll, Jameis Winston held on to the lead for the third straight week.
– How close were the other races at this point in past seasons? In 2011, Richardson had a 5.6% lead over RG3. In 2012, Te’o had Johnny Manziel by just 4.13%. In 2013, Winston had a commanding 25% lead over AJ McCarron.
– This weeks poll saw little movement. The voters are locked in on their candidates and it’s going to take a great or bad performance from Gordon, Mariota and/or Winston to see movement in the standings.
– Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett should be able to put some numbers on the board this week against rival Michigan, although the Wolverines have one of the better defenses in the Big Ten (allowing 301.8 yards per game). Will he be impressive enough to break the big three?
– Amari Cooper and Alabama will have a top 15 matchup against Auburn, so Cooper will be in the spotlight as he tries to improve his standing.
– With everything Jameis Winston has gone through this season, it’s going to be tough for him to garner more support. He must play lights out and hope that Gordon and Mariota slip.
– Funny things happen in the Civil War, but Oregon has a six-game win streak heading into this year’s game. Mariota must have a win to keep pace with Gordon.
– The Badgers play a surprising Minnesota team which is middle of the pack in defending the run. The Gophers gave up 298 yards rushing to Purdue and 289 to Ohio State. If that’s any indication, Gordon could cement his status with a big game this weekend.
Bloguin Heisman Poll Roll Call
Andrew Coppens – Madtown Badgers (@andyonfootball)
Bart Doan – The Student Section (@TheCoachBart)
Dale Newton – The Duck Stops Here (@DSH_Newton)
Kevin Causey – The Student Section (@CFBZ)
Kevin McGuire – Nittany Lions Den/The Student Section (@kevinoncfb)
Matt Zemek – The Student Section (@SectionMZ)
Mike Ferguson – Noled Out (@Noled_Out)
Scott King – Bearcats Blog/The Student Section (@bearcatsblog)
Scott Halasz – Buckeye Battle Cry (@ohiostatescott)
Terry Johnson – The Student Section (@SectionTPJ)
