While McCaffrey may not have the types of numbers and records that Derrick Henry of Alabama does, his performance alone in Stanford’s 41-22 Pac-12 Championship game win over USC (8-5) made him a top Heisman candidate.
Advertisement
McCaffrey is attempting to do what runners-up John Elway (1982), Toby Gerhart (2009) and Andrew Luck (2010-11) could not: Become Stanford’s first Heisman victor since Jim Plunkett in 1970.
He had 189 yards and a touchdown in the SEC Championship Game, a 29-15 win over Florida.
Deshaun Watson is Clemson’s first Heisman finalist and thus would be the school’s first Heisman victor. This wasn’t a flashy, glamorous, or heavily talked about race, but in the end it’s probably as close as it’s been in a few years.
I have a personal connection by association to McCaffrey. He’s also third among quarterbacks in rushing yards (887) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (11). The players that are invited to NY are the ones who have separated themselves from the rest of the field by collecting the most votes.
Watson has quarterbacked Clemson to a flawless 13-0 record and No. 1 national ranking in the College Football Playoff poll, the AP Poll and the USA Today rankings.
Henry, who just broke Herschel Walker’s single-season SEC rushing record this past Saturday, is the likely favorite, as he has carried his Crimson Tide into the College Football Playoff.
Bourret said Watson is the first Clemson player to ever be named a finalist for the prestigious award. Yet many pundits feel that Henry isn’t the best running back in the country. Considering he is not even a year removed from ACL surgery, Watson’s perseverance and strength that he displayed all season will likely be factors that voters take into consideration. He ranks eighth nationally in passer rating, completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Some consider Reggie Bush’s 2005 campaign, with its 2,611 all-purpose yards, to be the gold standard for running backs in the modern age of college football.
BEST GAME: Criticized for not throwing long much the first half of the season, Watson answered with a 34-17 victory over Boston College on October 17.
Advertisement
Henry led the nation in rushing (1,986) and scored 23 touchdowns despite playing in an offense with an inconsistent passing attack. For what it is worth, in October, Fournette auctioned off one of his game-worn jerseys to support flood relief in SC. He has 3,496 all-purpose yards, breaking the record of 3,250 set by Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. He had 207 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards, was outstanding on kick returns, and threw for a touchdown as well.
