Leonard Fournette has dominated the Heisman Trophy conversation in 2015. Last week, the LSU Tigers were idle. With TCU’s Trevone Boykin and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in the spotlight, will they be able to creep up in the standings?
In the recent past, the Heisman Trophy has been very unpredictable during the course of the season. In previous years, we’ve seen many leaders at the top of the polls. The player who has led during the beginning and middle of the season usually has ended up without the trophy.
After two weeks of our poll, Fournette is clearly entrenched on top of the poll with his most important game of the season on the horizon. Let’s take a look at this week’s poll:
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What you’ll see each week in the TSS Heisman Poll:
* The top 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 TSSHP Roll Call of voters, with links to their respective blogs and twitter accounts
Without any further ado, the third 2015 installment of the TSS Heisman Poll:
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1) Leonard Fournette (RB – LSU): 22 points, 40.74% of votes, 7 first-place votes
Last week ranking: No. 1
Last week: Idle
Season stats: 176 carries for 1,352 yards, 7.68 ypc, 15 rushing TD, 7 receptions
This week: at Alabama (7-1)
COMMENTS
The feeling of Fournette’s inevitible ride to the stiff-arm trophy has seemingly died as of late. I guess that’s what happens when you put up three straight 200-yard games and only follow that up with three games of 150 yards or more. LSU had a bye this week, and college football certainly missed what this crazy cat would do to an unsuspecting defender or three. Simply put, as long as he doesn’t get hurt, Fournette will be in New York City to collect his trophy the second weekend in December.
– Andrew Coppens, Madtown Badgers
– Kevin McGuire, The Student Section
Over his bye week, none of the competition did anything to take the top spot away from Fournette. He could possibly wrap up the award with a huge game against the stout Alabama run defense. The back is averaging 194.7 yards and over two touchdowns per game. It has been a special season for Fournette, who is pacing the offense for the unbeaten Tigers.
– Ryan Palencer, The Student Section
Bye weeks do not apply to this man. He is so far ahead of the rest of the group, it is silly. That said, Fournette can literally lock up the Heisman if he destroys Alabama on Saturday.
– Joseph Nardone, The Student Section
An idle week does nothing to Fournette’s status. In my mind he will wrap it up against Alabama if he continues to do what he does.
– Scott Halasz, Buckeye Battle Cry
2) Trevone Boykin (QB – TCU): 13 points, 24.07% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week ranking: No. 3
Last week: Beat West Virginia 40-10
Game stats: 32 of 47 passing (68.1%) for 388 yards, 3 passing TD, 84 rushing yds, 1 rushing TD
Season stats:198 of 297 passing (66.7%) for 2,927 yards, 28 TD vs 5 INT, 88 carries for 524 yards and 6 rushing TD
This week: at Oklahoma State (8-0)
3) Paxton Lynch (QB – Memphis): 6 points, 11.11% of votes, 2 first-place votes
Last week ranking: No. 2
Last week: Beat Tulane 41-13
Game stats: 26 of 42 passing (61.9%) for 343 yards, 1 passing TD, 43 yds rushing
Season stats: 200 of 286 passing (69.9%) for 2,709 yards, 18 TD vs INT, 2 rushing TD
This week: vs Navy (6-1)
COMMENTS
The dude didn’t put up his Mona Lisa against Tulane, but Memphis blew out the Green Wave in the second half and Lynch made about zero big mistakes as per usual. NFL teams are starting to get wise to Lynch, and this may be it for him in college.
– Bart Doan, The Student Section
Make no mistake about it: Lynch should be the frontrunner on everyone’s Heisman Trophy ballot. He ranks in the top 10 in passing yards per game, completion percentage, total offense, and yards per play. That includes a 384-yard effort against Ole Miss, which is 11th in the nation in interceptions and 14th in fewest yards per attempt.
– Terry Johnson, The Student Section
4) Ezekiel Elliott (RB – Ohio State): 4 points, 7.4% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week ranking: No. 4
Last week: Idle
Season stats: 167 rushes for 1,130 yards with 13 TD, 6.68 ypc, 23 receptions
This week: vs Minnesota (4-4)
5) Deshaun Watson (QB – Clemson): 3 points, 5.5% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week ranking: tied for No. 5
Last week: Beat North Carolina State 56-41
Game stats: 23 of 30 passing (76.7%) for 383 yards and 5 TD vs 0 INT, 54 yds rushing, 1 rushing TD
Season stats: 154 of 219 passing (70.3%) for 1,936 yards with 20 TD vs 7 INT, 386 yds rushing, 4 rushing TD
This week: vs Florida State (7-1)
Also receiving votes: Greg Ward Jr. (QB – Houston), 2 points; Connor Cook (QB – Michigan State), 2 points; Christian McCaffrey (RB – Stanford), 1 point
Dropped Out: Seth Russell (QB – Baylor), C.J. Prosise (RB – Notre Dame); Shock Linwood (RB – Baylor)
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Poll Notes:
– Leaders from the past: At this point in the 2011 season, Andrew Luck continued his dominance at the top of the poll. In 2012, Collin Klein remained in first place for the second straight week. In 2013, Jameis Winston broke his tie with Marcus Mariota and took sole possession of first place. Last season, Dak Prescott remained on top of the poll after Mississippi State’s win over Kentucky.
– Despite having a bye week, Fournette remained exactly where he stood last week. He still has 42% of the vote and he still has seven first-place votes.
– Last Thursday, Trevone Boykin got a chance to go in front of the nation and show what he could do. Our voters were impressed and moved him up a spot and nearly doubled his percentage of votes. This week he has another big chance, as TCU travels to face undefeated Oklahoma State. A big showing could move him up even higher in the voting.
– Paxton Lynch dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 this week. It wasn’t so much about what he didn’t do but what others did. This week Memphis has a critically important game against one-loss Navy. A loss could endanger Lynch’s chance, while a win and impressive showing could punch him back up the chain, depending on what happens in Tuscaloosa and Stillwater.
– Deshaun Watson is starting to pick up some steam. This weekend Watson and Clemson will face their biggest opponent of the season as they host Florida State. An impressive showing against the Seminoles will bring him to the forefront of the Heisman discussion.
– Keep an eye on: Alabama’s Derrick Henry. He is currently second in the SEC in rushing. If he outshines Fournette this Saturday, he will likely be the beneficiary of a surge in Heisman-focused chatter.
– Keep an eye on (part 2): Florida State’s Dalvin Cook. He missed a game last week, but his stats are still good enough for consideration if he has a monster game against undefeated Clemson.
– The Student Section‘s managing editor, Matt Zemek, has chosen to abstain from voting until the second poll of November.
TSS Heisman Poll Roll Call
Andrew Coppens – Madtown Badgers (@andyonfootball)
Bart Doan – The Student Section (@TheCoachBart)
Joseph Nardone- The Student Section (@JosephNardone)
Kevin Causey – The Student Section (@CFBZ)
Kevin McGuire – Nittany Lions Den/The Student Section (@kevinoncfb)
Matt Zemek – The Student Section (@SectionMZ)
Ryan Palencer- The Student Section (@RyanPalencer)
Scott King – Bearcats Blog/The Student Section (@bearcatsblog)
Scott Halasz – Buckeye Battle Cry (@ohiostatescott)
Terry Johnson – The Student Section (@SectionTPJ)
