If you’re expecting someone other quarterbacks to rain on the 2014-15 Heisman Trophy parade, you might be disappointed. As per usual, the signal callers will dominate the show. The only question is which passer from which potent offense will end up making the pose?
Here’s a breakdown of the best Heisman Trophy candidates right now:
1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon Ducks
It’s true that the Stanford Cardinal have been able to contain him each of the past two seasons, but this year, a lot of the veterans on the Stanford defense have moved on to the NFL. The reconstituted nature of the Stanford defense might give Mariota the chance to play well against the Cardinal. Since that game on Oregon’s schedule is a home game, the Ducks might be able to play well on offense and turn back their foremost competitor in the Pac-12 at the moment. If Oregon is able to beat Stanford and win the Pac-12 title, there’s a very good chance that Mariota will finish in the top three of the Heisman race, and he could very well win it if he gets a few breaks from other parts of the country, particularly in the Southeast and the Southwest.
2. Nick Marshall, Auburn Tigers
The quarterback of an explosive Auburn offense will be in the middle of the national spotlight, so if he does well, plenty of Heisman voters are going to notice. Auburn faces a tough schedule, so the Tigers are probably not going to go undefeated. If Marshall is excellent and his team doesn’t lose more than twice during the season, you’re going to see him with a lot of Heisman votes in early December. One point to magnify here is that with last year’s great running back, Tre Mason, now in the NFL, Marshall is likely to carry the ball even more often than he did last season. If he can be just slightly better as a passer and add that to his rushing stats, Marshall could easily turn in a Heisman season.
3. Jameis Winston, Florida State Seminoles
The defending Heisman Trophy winner will face a certain degree of scrutiny due to his brushes with the law last season. You will see a number of voters shy away from picking him again if the race is reasonably close. Winston might have to demolish the rest of the field in order to repeat as the Heisman winner. He might be held to a different set of standards than anyone else who enters the race and becomes a factor late in the season. However, Winston is good enough to make himself that much better than his competitors. He’s probably going to make the national championship game again, since Florida State is loaded one year after winning the crystal trophy over Auburn in Pasadena, California.
4. Bryce Petty, Baylor Bears
The surprise of the 2013 Heisman voting concerned the inability of Petty to finish higher than he did. Petty wasn’t one of the five Heisman finalists. He finished seventh, even though he presided over a record-breaking season for Baylor and its offense. The Bears won an outright conference championship for the first time in 33 years. Baylor’s offense ran roughshod over the rest of the Big 12 Conference. Petty did a lot of great things, but didn’t seem to get the recognition he truly deserved. If he can come back with a similar season in 2014, though, he might win the award.
