Bold Predictions for Top College Football Awards
Award season is almost upon us in college football, with a slew of trophies getting handed out next month to the nation's top players and coaches. This process began back in the summer, when the various award-giving organizations announced their overflowing "watch lists" of potential winners.
Several of these awards have started announcing their semifinalists, paring down those initial lists (while also adding some breakout stars into the mix) to give us a better idea of who will be taking home some hardware in December.
Finalists will be announced for each award later this month, but we've gone ahead and jumped the gun and made our own choices. These might not be the ones who win, but they're certainly worthy of recognition and would make for some great debate.
Ray Guy Award (Top Punter)
1 of 14
JK Scott, P, Alabama
Since Nick Saban came to Alabama, the school has been a regular recipient of individual postseason awards. That trend will continue this season—but from the most unlikely of people.
In a year where quarterback Blake Sims has been a breakout star, receiver Amari Cooper is breaking records and several other players are having big years, it's freshman punter JK Scott. More or less an afterthought of the Crimson Tide's top-rated recruiting class in 247Sports' rankings, Scott has arguably had a bigger impact than any other newcomer.
He is averaging 47.1 yards per punt, third-best in the country. Half of his 36 kicks have been downed inside the 20-yard line, and only four went for touchbacks.
"I think he's done a really good job all year long," Saban told Andrew Gribble of AL.com. "He's changed field position on numerous occasions."
With as many issues as Alabama has had this season on special teams, with poor field-goal kicking and sketchy play in the return game, the consistency that Scott has provided has been immensely valuable.
Lou Groza Award (Top Kicker)
2 of 14
Josh Lambert, K, West Virginia
While reigning Lou Groza winner Roberto Aguayo of Florida State is having another big year, he's yet to have to make a kick that was considered critical to the Seminoles' chances.
The same can't be said for sophomore Josh Lambert, who twice has given West Virginia a victory with long, last-second field goals. And both came on the road, with his 47-yard kick as time expired, beating Maryland, 40-37, in September, and then in October, his 55-yarder at Texas Tech on the final play capped a 17-0 run in the final six minutes of a 37-34 victory.
That last make earned Lambert praise from all over, even from coach Dana Holgorsen.
Overall, Lambert's numbers aren't that great, as he's missed seven of his 29 field-goal attempts. But when the game has been on the line, he's been true.
Jim Thorpe Award (Top Defensive Back)
3 of 14
Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville
These are meant to be bold picks—ones that might not happen but would definitely get people talking. But how can you choose anyone other than the runaway leader in interceptions for the award given to the country's top defensive back?
Sophomore Gerod Holliman has picked off 13 passes this season, one shy of the FBS record set nearly 50 years ago, and this is before Louisville plays Notre Dame and turnover machine Everett Golson (that's on Nov. 22). He has four more than any other player in the country and has six in his last three games.
Holliman intercepted Florida State's Jameis Winston twice, contributing to the Heisman winner's first career three-interception game. A week later, he picked off Boston College's Tyler Murphy three times in a 38-19 road win.
After getting injured in 2012 early in his true freshman season and then playing sparingly last year, Holliman has burst onto the scene this year and has prompted Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller to make some ambitious comparisons.
"It may be sacrilegious to compare anyone to Ed Reed, but Holliman is getting close to that look from me," Miller wrote.
Holliman has more picks himself than 111 other FBS teams.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Butkus Award (Top Linebacker)
4 of 14
Hau'oli Kikaha, LB, Washington
The national leader in sacks, with 16.5, Washington senior Hau'oli Kikaha would be getting far more national attention if fellow Huskies linebacker Shaq Thompson wasn't doing his best to be a star at every position on the field.
Even with Thompson scoring numerous touchdowns on defense and pumping out back-to-back 100-yard games as a running back, it's Kikaha that is a key reason Washington's defense has been the best part of the team. There hasn't been a bad game for the 6'3", 246-pounder Kikaha, who has at least one sack in every game this season, and his streak of 14 straight games with a sack dates back to mid-November of last year.
Bednarik Award (Top Defensive Player)
5 of 14
Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
According to Arizona's media relations office, sophomore Scooby Wright is the only player in the country in the top 20 in four different key defensive categories: tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles. Not bad for a guy whose Twitter handle, @TwoStarScoob, reflects what recruiting services thought of him coming out of high school.
But Wright is the hardest-working player on the field, with 10 sacks in his last six games while forcing three fumbles in one game and making a game-saving strip of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the Wildcats' upset win at Oregon in October.
Lombardi Award (Top Lineman)
6 of 14
Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
A top-tier lineman does whatever he can to get his job done, whether that be blocking the defense or fighting his way past a big offensive tackle to get to the quarterback. For Nate Orchard, his rise to one of the nation's top pass-rushers required him to transition himself from a high school wide receiver into a speedy 6'4", 255-pound terror in his senior year.
Orchard is the anchor of a Utah defense that leads the FBS with 43 sacks. He has 13 of those, which is second-most in the country, and he's been a very disruptive force even when he doesn't take the quarterback down.
Unlike Clemson's Vic Beasley, who is more of a pass-rushing specialist who lines up way outside, Orchard is in there nearly every down and has 63 tackles compared to 21 for Beasley.
Mackey Award (Top Tight End)
7 of 14Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
The tight end isn't a big part of most college teams' passing game, but that's probably because most of them don't have anyone with nearly the skill and talent as Minnesota sophomore Maxx Williams.
A sizable target at 6'4" and 250 pounds, Williams is much more than a big body with soft hands. He's got speed and can run a great route, and as Iowa saw last weekend, his footwork is amazing. Three of his five receptions went for touchdowns, but the most impressive catch (above) had to register on the radars of every NFL scout.
Though he only has 22 receptions for 326 yards and seven TDs, all three of those are far and away tops for the Golden Gophers, who only throw the ball 9.4 times per game for 140.2 yards.
Biletnikoff Award (Top Receiver)
8 of 14
Rashard Higgins, WR, Colorado State
The initial watch list for the top wide receiver in the country had 55 people on it back in July, and it has since added another 28 to the roster before making a semifinal cut pretty soon.
Rashard Higgins was on there from the start, and he should make it all the way down to the final group and is deserving of getting the award in December. If he doesn't, though, it might be hard for anyone to stop him from grabbing the trophy and running away with it based on how unguardable he's been this season.
Higgins leads the FBS in receiving yards (1,280) and touchdowns (13) as Colorado State's No. 1 offensive weapon. But it's not a matter of the sophomore getting every pass thrown his way, though. He has 67 receptions, and according to RotoGrinders.com, he's only been targeted 77 times for an 87 percent success rate.
That means Higgins has been the target on 23.3 percent of the Rams' pass plays, while accounting for 31 percent of their completions for 40.7 percent of the team's yardage and 48.2 percent of the 27 TDs thrown by Garrett Grayson and backup Nick Stevens.
Doak Walker Award (Top Running Back)
9 of 14
Jarvion Franklin, RB, Western Michigan
Much of the attention given to college running backs this season has been focused on the Big Ten, where the likes of Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska), David Cobb (Minnesota), Tevin Coleman (Indiana) and Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) have provided the most significant portion of their teams' offensive output.
Yet it's a player from Big Ten country, but didn't get a sniff from those teams, who has been the most productive rusher in the nation.
Freshman Jarvion Franklin, who 247Sports rated as a 2-star prospect and the 115th-best running back recruit in the 2014 class, has run for an FBS-best 22 touchdowns to go with 1,330 yards for Western Michigan. The Illinois native had offers from the Broncos as well as fellow Mid-American Conference teams Ball State, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois and Toledo.
Franklin is the main reason Western Michigan is 6-3 and fighting for a MAC division title. Last season, it was 1-11.
Sure, most of Franklin's work has come against lesser teams, but he run for 163 yards and three TDs at Purdue and scored twice against Virginia Tech. That means he personally scored as many times against the Hokies as Ohio State's entire team did.
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (Top Senior Quarterback)
10 of 14
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
This isn't so much a lifetime achievement award, but it could be considered that since it's only given to seniors or fourth-year juniors. The five finalists were announced Nov. 10, and of those who made the cut, the one that's most deserving is Bryce Petty.
He spent two seasons backing up other standout quarterbacks at Baylor, first Heisman winner Robert Griffin III and then Nick Florence. Finally getting his shot in 2013, Petty led the Bears to their first Big 12 title and only BCS bowl appearance.
This season, although his numbers aren't as prolific, he's still the guy who Baylor's potent offense moves around. The senior has even battled back from a potentially devastating injury, missing a game because of broken vertebrae, yet a week later, he threw for 416 yards and four touchdowns.
Petty has put in his time, has taken his lumps and has done his job. He gets our vote.
Davey O'Brien Award (Top Quarterback)
11 of 14
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
A bridesmaid of sorts the past two years, junior Marcus Mariota is a semifinalist for the top quarterback award for a third straight year. This is his first season leading Oregon to a Pac-12 North title, and he's done so despite limited experience to work with at the skill positions and an injury-plagued line.
And despite those hurdles, Mariota is on pace for better passing and rushing numbers than in previous years. He's thrown a touchdown in every game he's ever played, accounted for 116 total touchdowns and thrown only 14 career interceptions (and just two this season, on 277 attempts).
The modern model of a college quarterback is one who makes decisions on the fly, on the field, being as much a coach as a player. That's Mariota, who—despite getting labeled by Sports Illustrated as possibly "too nice" to be an NFL leader—is the best at his position in college.
Maxwell Award (Player of the Year)
12 of 14
Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
A player who couldn't find a position to stick with a season ago is now the catalyst of one of the most exciting teams in the country.
Trevone Boykin spent time at quarterback, running back and wide receiver in 2013, when TCU went 4-8 for its worst record in 16 years, and now the Horned Frogs are on the cusp of playing in the national semifinals with the No. 3 offense in the country.
Coach Gary Patterson's hiring of Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham to run his offense is a big part of why Boykin has become so good, but Boykin's dedication to improvement weighs even more heavily.
Last season, he averaged one interception per 25.1 attempts, while in 2014 he has four picks in 350 throws, and despite putting more emphasis on finding an open man instead of taking off, Boykin has run for more yardage and is averaging a better tally per carry.
Last week, Boykin essentially played both tailback and quarterback, filling in for injured B.J. Catalon to run for 123 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing for 219 yards.
This isn't a Most Improved Player award, but considering the improvement Boykin has made in his junior year and how it's lifted him and his team toward the top of the heap, it makes him the choice for the Maxwell.
Home Depot Award (Coach of the Year)
13 of 14
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
At this point last season, Mississippi State had top-ranked and unbeaten Alabama coming into town, a game the Bulldogs needed to avoid a three-game losing streak that put their season in jeopardy. They lost, 20-7, and were 4-6.
A year later, MSU hasn't lost again, running off 11 straight wins with essentially the same players. Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson were on that 2013 team, as was standout linebacker Benardrick McKinney. So why the turnaround?
That credit goes to Dan Mullen, who has gotten this collection of unheralded players to buy into his approach and are now playing with the utmost confidence. He navigated that group through three straight wins over teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time, and he has the Bulldogs atop the playoff rankings with less than a month left in the season.
MSU may not win the national title, or even its own division depending on what happens the next three weeks, but no coach has done a better job with what he has this season than Mullen.
Heisman Trophy
14 of 14
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Considering all that has happened with Jameis Winston since he won the Heisman a year ago, particularly the many off-field incidents that have sullied his reputation, his chance of being the first repeat winner since Archie Griffin in 1974-75 seems slim.
But if the award is based on football performance, and only that, then Winston still warrants plenty of consideration.
Despite currently ranking defending champion and undefeated Florida State seventh in his first of the playoff rankings, ESPN analyst Trevor Matich believes Jameis Winston is more deserving of winning the Heisman in his sophomore year than during his wonderful season in 2013.
"Last year, he was driving the party bus, and it was awesome and they blew everybody away," Matich said. "This year, Jameis has had to step out of the bus, put it on his back and trudge up the hill.
Though he's thrown more interceptions this season (11) than all of last year, Winston is averaging more yards per game and working with far less experience around him. Outside of running back Karlos Williams and receiver Rashad Greene, both seniors, most of the rest of his offensive cohorts are freshmen.
FSU may not be as good as last season, but it wouldn't be taking a 25-game win streak into Saturday's game at Miami without Winston.
Statistical information provided by CFBStats.com, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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