Why There Won't Be a RB from the SEC as a Heisman Trophy Finalist
One look at the updated Heisman Trophy odds from Bovada (via Odds Shark), and you'll notice where the power in the SEC rests—at least according to the public—heading into the 2015 season.
Despite only two running backs winning the award this century, three of the SEC's top five contenders for the most prestigious individual award in college football are running backs—Georgia's Nick Chubb, LSU's Leonard Fournette and Alabama's Derrick Henry.
Could this be the year that a running back bucks the trend and takes home the stiff-arm trophy?
TOP NEWS
Mendoza Turning Heads at GT 👀
Skydiver Crashes Into Scoreboard 😧
Filling Top Positions Left by NFL Draftees 🏈
Nope.
In fact, none of the SEC stars will even make the trip to New York City as a finalist in 2015.
It's no secret it's a quarterback-driven award, and the number of top-tier quarterbacks around the country on teams that are expected to contend for the national title will overshadow any running back from the SEC who has made a legitimate case.
Take a look around.
TCU is everybody's darling and is led by superstar Trevone Boykin. Ohio State's starting quarterback—whether it's J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones or Braxton Miller—will not only put up video game statistics but is playing for the defending national champs and one of the highest-profile programs in the country. If Ohio State doesn't take home the Big Ten championship in 2015, it'll likely be due to Michigan State and senior signal-caller Connor Cook.
Deshaun Watson is leading Clemson, one of the trendy picks to make a playoff run. USC's Cody Kessler really should have been in the discussion more last year, Vernon Adams or Jeff Lockie will lead a high-octane Oregon offense, and whoever wins the job at UCLA will have a ton of talent to work with.
That doesn't even include the lesser-known signal-callers like Arizona's Anu Solomon, Baylor's Seth Russell and others who could explode onto the Heisman scene if they lead their team into playoff contention.
There's far too much quarterback talent from too many different geographical areas for the SEC running backs to contend with for an award that is driven by quarterback success.
Besides, the SEC will be known as a quarterback-driven conference in 2015.
Wait, what?
Isn't the SEC "down" and its quarterback play, aside from Mississippi State's Dak Prescott, "laughable"?
Don't fall into that trap.
The running back narrative has and will continue to dominate the SEC's offseason, the conference will be known as a quarterback-driven conference by the time the calendar hits October thanks to top-tier quarterbacks working on teams and in systems that are ready-made for Heisman Trophy success.
Jeremy Johnson is leading a title contender at Auburn with a ton of weapons around him. As Athlon Sports noted in June, he could be as successful as another Heisman Trophy winner in head coach Gus Malzahn's offense.
Kyle Allen came on strong late last year and has received first-team snaps for a full offseason in an offense at Texas A&M that has proved to produce quarterbacks with video game statistics. Joshua Dobbs is leading a veteran Tennessee offense that should make noise in the SEC East and perhaps on the national scene.
On top of that, whoever wins the job at Alabama will have the ultimate ace in the hole—offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin—calling the shots. While he is always going to have his critics, Kiffin did set the program record with 484.5 yards per game last year with a quarterback in Blake Sims who once played running back at the Capstone.
That should earn him the benefit of the doubt.
There simply won't be room for SEC running backs in New York City. Quarterbacks from around the country and in their own backyard will dominate that debate in 2015 despite the conference boasting some of the best running backs in the nation.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
