College Football Rivalry Games with Biggest Heisman Implications

Welcome to crunch time.

With just two weeks remaining in the 2014 college football regular season, we’ve reached the point where awards are won and postseason berths are earned. From now until Dec. 6, every FBS program gets one last chance to make the most of its season, and players get a final shot at impressing voters.

The nation’s focus will be trained on the chase for the four College Football Playoff berths, which will be awarded Dec. 7. The Heisman Trophy race is also tightly contested: Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon lead the field in the race to pick up the stiff-arm trophy on Dec. 13. Final votes are due Dec. 9, but this week, the final full week of the regular season, will be important, too.

Rivalry games abound across the map, with teams who just plain don’t like each other facing off for bragging rights and playoff positioning. They also have the potential to affect the Heisman race. Here’s a look at this weekend’s games which could impact the chase for the Heisman Trophy. The players spotlighted are all included in ESPN's Heisman Watch and will play big roles in their rivalry games.

Alabama-Auburn

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Amari Cooper burned Auburn last fall. Could it happen again this week?

There’s already plenty on the line in the Iron Bowl. No. 1 Alabama can win the SEC West and take a huge step toward punching its College Football Playoff ticket by dispatching archrival Auburn in Tuscaloosa.

Oh, and there’s the not-so-small matter of the Crimson Tide gaining revenge for 2013’s devastating “Kick-Six” loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium, which ended ‘Bama’s pursuit of a third consecutive national title.

If Alabama’s offense is to thrive, junior wide receiver Amari Cooper will play a huge role. Cooper has had an All-America caliber season this fall. He has 90 receptions for 1,349 yards and 11 touchdowns, all career bests. He has six 100-yard receiving games and a pair of 200-yard receiving games.

Last November, Cooper had a gigantic game against Auburn with six catches for 178 yards, including a 99-yard fourth-quarter score that looked like one of the biggest plays of the college football season until, well, you know.

Auburn’s defense is allowing 232.5 passing yards per game, No. 77 nationally. Cooper has to be licking his chops. He is on the outside of the Heisman Trophy race, but a big game could, at the very least, punch his ticket to New York.

Florida-Florida State

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Jameis Winston could have one final showcase against rival Florida.

A year ago, Florida State looked like one of the most dominant teams in recent memory in rolling to the BCS National Championship. Only two teams (Boston College and Auburn in the national title game) got closer than 27 points to the Seminoles, and freshman quarterback Jameis Winston claimed the Heisman Trophy, throwing for 4,057 yards with 40 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

2014 has been different for both Winston and his teammates. FSU is nowhere near as dominant. The Seminoles have turned into escape artists, winning five games by six points or fewer and erasing a trio of double-digit road deficits.

Winston’s stats have suffered, too. He has thrown for 3,125 yards with 19 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, and his completion percentage and yards per pass attempt are both down from a year ago. However, the sophomore has played a huge role in the Seminoles’ comebacks and has been a key leader for his team.

Saturday could be his final game at Doak Campbell Stadium, as the redshirt sophomore is eligible for the NFL draft following this season. He’ll get one final showcase against rival Florida, which has already fired coach Will Muschamp (although Muschamp will coach the Gators Saturday). Florida has a nasty defense led by All-America cornerback candidate Vernon Hargreaves III.

Winston isn’t expected to repeat his Heisman win, but he could cement a ticket to New York for the ceremony with a dominant effort against a Florida defense playing only for pride.

Michigan-Ohio State

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J.T. Barrett has been one of the nation's top quarterbacks this fall.

The fact that Michigan-Ohio State is a Heisman Trophy showcase isn’t necessarily a surprise.

The surprise is the player who finds himself in the spotlight. Entering this season, it would’ve been natural to think the game would be a key moment in Braxton Miller’s Heisman campaign. After all, the Buckeyes’ senior quarterback was one of the nation’s top returning players, one of the most athletic dual-threat quarterbacks in the game.

But August shoulder surgery forced Miller’s redshirt and pushed his backup, redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, into the spotlight.

Barrett has overcome a slow start to develop into one of the nation’s most exciting players. He has 2,658 passing yards with 33 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and 849 rushing yards with nine touchdowns on the ground. When Miller returns, he won’t be handed his job back; the two will battle.

Miller could be battling a Heisman finalist. At 5-6, Michigan is fighting for bowl eligibility and any hope of saving Brady Hoke’s job. The Wolverines have a solid defense that yields 20.6 points per game, No. 21 nationally. Barrett isn’t a leading Heisman candidate, but he could certainly earn a trip to New York with a huge rivalry game against Michigan.

Minnesota-Wisconsin

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Over the last month, Melvin Gordon has emerged as a top Heisman Trophy candidate.

When national rivalries are discussed, Wisconsin-Minnesota typically doesn’t make the first tier, or sometimes, even the first page. But the Big Ten rivals and neighbors have a fierce rivalry centered around Paul Bunyan’s Axe, which has been passed between the teams since 1948. This week, Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen announced that the Badgers would keep the axe in the locker room rather than on the field in hopes of avoiding a postgame confrontation between the teams.

This week, there’s meaning beyond Bunyan. The game will serve as the Big Ten West Division title game, with the winner advancing to Indianapolis to face East Division winner Ohio State. It’ll also serve as a major showcase for Wisconsin junior tailback Melvin Gordon. OregonLive.com's Gary Laney says Gordon might have to beat Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season rushing record to win the Heisman Trophy.

Over the last month, Gordon has used his speed and power to emerge as a leading Heisman candidate. He has rushed for at least 200 yards in three consecutive games. His 408-yard effort against Nebraska stood as the FBS single-game rushing record for seven days, until Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine topped it with a 427-yard day against Kansas.

Regardless, Gordon leads the FBS with 2,109 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. This could be his final game at Camp Randall Stadium and he’ll be motivated for a big game against the Minnesota defense, especially since it could serve as another key argument for his Heisman candidacy.

Mississippi State-Ole Miss

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Dak Prescott will have a key showcase against Ole Miss' defense.

While the stakes aren’t as high as they were, say, a month ago, this remains the most eagerly anticipated Egg Bowl in recent memory. At 8-3, Ole Miss has faded from SEC and College Football Playoff contention, but the Rebels would like nothing more than to deal No. 4 Mississippi State’s hopes of a league title and playoff berth a death blow.

The Bulldogs are 10-1 and need a marquee victory to hold on to the fourth playoff spot, and they could still win the SEC West with a victory and an Auburn upset over Alabama.

The game will also be a showcase for junior quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott has blossomed this fall as an excellent dual-threat passer. He has thrown for 2,705 yards with 23 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and added 891 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns as the team’s No. 2 rusher.

A year ago, Prescott shook off a shoulder injury to enter the Egg Bowl in the fourth quarter, leading the Bulldogs to the game-tying score and scoring the game-winner in overtime on a three-yard touchdown run. That win sealed bowl eligibility, and the stakes are much higher this time around for both Prescott and MSU.

He is a top Heisman candidate, but a big game against the Rebs’ stout defense could give his campaign an extra boost in what might be his final argument for voters.

Oregon-Oregon State

Oregon junior quarterback Marcus Mariota is a top Heisman Trophy candidate, with good reason. The Ducks’ star signal-caller has enjoyed an excellent 2014 as one of the nation’s most versatile players. He can hurt opposing defenses with his arm and also with his legs, rushing for yards or moving in the pocket and passing on the move. Mariota has 32 touchdowns against two interceptions with 3,103 yards passing and is also the Ducks’ No. 2 rusher with 597 yards and nine touchdowns.

He told The Oregonian's Tyson Alger that he made the right call in returning for his junior season. He could be the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick if he declares following this season.

"

It's been worth every second of it. It's been an awesome, awesome year for me. It's one of those things a lot of people take for granted but you can't really understand until you really do it. For me, it's been such an awesome experience, such an awesome journey and I'm thankful for it.

"

Oregon has already qualified for the Pac-12 title game, but Mariota will have a key opportunity to showcase himself in the Civil War at rival Oregon State. A year ago, he threw for 285 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions in the Ducks’ 36-35 win.

The Beavers have one of the nation’s most porous defenses, allowing 30.2 points per game, No. 91 nationally. With a national prime time showcase on ABC, Mariota can give voters a good long look at his skills while tearing apart a rival’s defense.

TCU-Texas

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Trevone Boykin will have a key Thanksgiving showcase against Texas.

Thanks to Texas A&M’s departure to the SEC, the college football world no longer has one of its best rivalries in Texas-Texas A&M. Texas has attempted to fill the void by scheduling in-state rivals on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, that honor falls to new Big 12 rival TCU.

The Horned Frogs visit Austin with plenty to play for. They’re ranked No. 5 in this week’s College Football Playoff Top 25 and need all the style points they can get. Texas has improved as the season has worn on under first-year coach Charlie Strong and is riding a three-game win streak. The Longhorns are coming off a 28-7 win over Oklahoma State’s fast-paced passing offense.

TCU junior quarterback Trevone Boykin has emerged as one of college football’s top playmakers this fall. He has thrown for 3,021 yards with 24 touchdowns against five interceptions, adding 565 rushing yards and seven ground scores.

While the Frogs have one more regular season game remaining against Iowa State Dec. 6, this will be a showcase for Boykin and any hopes he has of making it to New York as a Heisman Trophy candidate. A big game on national TV could give his candidacy a big boost.