Collin Klein has been running away from opponents all seaason long. (Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE)
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has been the talk of college football this week — and rightly so.
He earned it by dipping and darting, running and passing through Alabama’s vaunted defense in a shocking 29-24 win in Tuscaloosa. Like we told you in last week’s Heisman Watch, a redshirt freshman has some barriers to overcome when it comes to winning the Heisman, but he could knock those down with a win over the top-ranked Tide.
Consider them knocked down.
A freshman has never won the Heisman, but why should that be a consideration? In this age of information, voters have all they need to make a smart decision, no matter where a candidate plays, or for what team, or what class he is.
As a sign of the times, Texas A&M is promoting the Twitter hashtag #JohnnyFootball for all discussion about Manziel and pushing information out that way.
Last week, we had Manziel tied for fifth on the Heisman Watch. Let’s see where he is now:
1. Kansas State QB Collin Klein. Yep, sticking with Klein. Although he had modest numbers last week in a win at TCU, he has kept the Wildcats on an unbeaten path. He has thrown for more than 2,000 yards, mixing in 748 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. When you look at the whole picture, he fits the notion of “Most Outstanding Player” in the United States.
2. Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel. He has better numbers that Klein, so he isn’t the wrong choice if you want to make him your Heisman frontrunner. Manziel is completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,780 yards, and is at 1,014 rushing yards with 15 scores. While Klein still has a potential “Heisman moment” by finishing the regular season against Texas, with a berth in the national championship game likely on the line, Manziel only has Sam Houston State and Missouri left to make his case.
3. Oregon QB Marcus Mariota. Maybe this should still be Oregon running back Kenjon Barner here, but we’re going with the Ducks quarterback this week. Mariota is just as good as Manziel, but without as much opportunity. This redshirt freshman is the national leader in passing efficiency (176.96 rating), having thrown for 28 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Ten of his touchdown throws have come in the past two weeks. Earlier in the season, he often played only half a game or so as the Ducks overwhelmed inferior foes. That limited his overall numbers, but with games vs. Stanford and Oregon State left in the regular season, Mariota can make a powerful closing statement.
4. USC WR Marqise Lee. Despite an allergic reaction that caused his face to swell and an eye to shut before last week’s game against Arizona State, Lee caught 10 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. It seems like he can do this in his sleep. Another team loss could very well knock him out of serious consideration (because that’s just the way the Heisman works). On the other hand, big games against UCLA — USC would win the Pac-12 South win a victory — and then against current undefeated Notre Dame would put Lee smack in the middle of the discussion. There’s no non-quarterback who is more fun to watch.
5. Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o. Gotta keep him on the list. As the leader of a fierce Irish defense, he’s one of the five players who should be headed to New York City for the Heisman ceremony.
