Heisman Hopes

The 2015 Heisman Trophy will be announced today in New York. It will go to one of these three players:

Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Unlike most years I could understand any of the three winning the trophy. Each had a Heisman-worthy season. If I had a vote, and I should, my ballot would have them in this order:

McCaffrey
Watson
Henry

I've seen much more of Christian McCaffrey than the other two finalists. That's probably the reason for his presence at the top of this list which isn't entirely fair. McCaffrey's play has been ridiculous all year. He does a lot of everything. Running, receiving, and returns. He even throws the ball on occasion. Perhaps better than his own quarterback. He has fantastic feet. Always moving, always working through the trash until he finds a hole and then he's through it. He's a great football player.

As for reality, I think the voting that counts will look like this:

DeShaun Watson
Derrick Henry
Christian McCaffrey

Watson would be Clemson's first Heisman winner. If this does come to be it shouldn't be a surprise. He plays quarterback for the top team in the nation. The undefeated, top team in the nation. It's really no stretch to say that he's the reason for the undefeated status and #1 ranking.

It's a shame that Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds isn't part of the proceedings. He's had a remarkable college career. We'll find out today where he finished in the voting. If it's anywhere south of #4 it's ridiculous. The Heisman finalists present for the trophy presentation has been capped at three for years. It would feel patronizing to open it to four simply to accommodate the worthiness of Reynolds.

I wonder if the name on the trophy had to be changed. About a month ago, maybe more, the trophy had pretty much been handed to LSU running back Leonard Fournette. The engravers started filing off his name after his 19-carry 31-yard game against Alabama. Even though it was his only poor game of the season it triggered a three-game losing streak for LSU. His drop from the Heisman race was immediate and permanent.

It sure would be nice to see a defensive player involved in these proceedings. The best football player in the nation has come from that side of the ball on occasion.