It really must be the year of the running back. No. 4 LSU’s Leonard Fournette continues to turn heads after yet against another 150-yard game in Week 8 of the NCAA Football season. He gets a break with a bye in Week 9, which should highlight his competition for the Heisman Trophy.
Read on as we take a look at the top Heisman Trophy candidates heading into Week 9 of the college football season. Speaking of Week 9, get into a couple of big games on the horizon with our complete previews for No. 11 Florida vs. Georgia and No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Top Five Heisman Trophy Hopefuls
Leonard Fournette, Running Back (LSU)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Leonard Fournette is the best running back in the country. No questions asked. The stellar running back from LSU continues to impress, rushing for 150 yards and a score on 26 carries Saturday against Western Kentucky. He’s not rushing against bad teams either. Fournette’s just one week removed from torching Florida’s strong front seven for 180 yards and two scores.
Fournette leads the nation with 1,352 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s the runaway favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at -280. But an impending matchup against SEC powerhouse, No. 7 Alabama remains in Week 10 of the college football season. Should Fournette once again finish with impressive numbers, then the trophy may be his for the taking.
Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back (Ohio State)
No. 1 Ohio State’s Ezekiell Elliott isn’t one to run away from a challenge. He ranks third in the nation with 1,130 yards rushing. Elliott has also fuelled his team’s offense with 13 rushing scores. The Ohio State running back has kicked into gear recently, rushing for 295 yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries the past two weeks.
Considering Elliott puts up big numbers against a pretty solid Minnesota rushing defense (53rd in the nation), then he could be a nice steal at +750 to win the award.
Trevone Boykin, Quarterback (TCU)
Yes, the past two running backs are very good. But No. 5 TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin could steal their thunder with big plays both on the ground and through the air. Boykin has been spectacular the past two weeks, passing for a total of 737 yards with six touchdowns and just two interceptions, while rushing for 198 yards and three scores.
Considering that the Heisman Trophy has traditionally been a quarterback’s award, then Boykin’s +800 odds to win the award offers plenty of value.
Deshaun Watson, Quarterback (Clemson)
No. 3 Clemson surged into the top three of the AP Polls, and it has quarterback Deshaun Watson to thank for that. Watson has been solid this season, completing 69.3 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns this season. He’s also been able to get some big plays with his scrambling abilities, rushing for 332 yards and three scores on 64 carries this season.
A few highlight reels in the next few games should strengthen Watson’s chances of winning the Heisman Trophy at +900.
Derrick Henry, Running Back (Alabama)
Just when you thought Alabama running back Derrick Henry would fizzle after rushing for just 3.5 yards per carry in Week 6 against Arkansas, he exploded for back-to-back big games. Henry ran for a total of 379 yards and four touchdowns on 60 carries in games against Texas A&M and Tennessee before resting on a bye in Week 9.
Henry is +1,200 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Seth Russell, Quarterback (Baylor)
Seth Russell has been very solid and led No. 2 Baylor into the AP Poll top four. He’s been stellar this season with three games passing for five or more touchdowns. But his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy was put to a stop in Week 8 of the college football season after suffering a neck injury requiring surgery. Prior to his injury, Russell was +2,500 to win the award.
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