Heisman Watch 2014: Previewing the Finalists' Bowl Matchups
They're Heisman finalists for a reason. No matter the obstacle (or opposing game plan), the trio of Amari Cooper, Melvin Gordon and Marcus Mariota have proved to be pretty much unstoppable during the 2014 season.
But now each faces one final hurdle, matching up against a defense that will have more than three weeks to prepare for these individual superstars.
Yes, football is a team game, but with players of this caliber, there's no doubt that extra practice time and drills are devoted to limiting what they are able to accomplish in the bowl games. The fact that two of the finalists are involved in playoff games adds to the intrigue of just what their opponents are going to do to try to slow them down.
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Here's a breakdown of the matchups that each Heisman finalist faces in their upcoming bowl games:
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama (Jan. 1 vs. Ohio State)
The junior has proved to be pretty much unguardable this season, leading FBS with 115 receptions and 1,656 yards along with 14 touchdowns. Take away Alabama's game against FCS Western Carolina and an anomalous effort against Arkansas, and Yeldon is averaging 10 catches and 144 yards per game.
"It's arguable that 6-1, 210-pound sure-fire NFL first round pick is the best individual talent Ohio State will face this year," wrote Bill Landis of Cleveland.com.
But Ohio State, Alabama's semifinal opponent in the Sugar Bowl, just showed that it can shut down a superstar, having keyed so heavily on Wisconsin's Gordon that the Badgers were forced to throw far more than they'd like. The Buckeyes are 17th in FBS in pass defense, allowing 188.2 yards per game with 13 touchdown passes against 21 interceptions.
Teams averaged only 5.8 yards per pass attempt against OSU this season, but the Buckeyes have had mixed results stopping top wideouts. They held Michigan State star Tony Lippett to just five catches for 64 yards, but Penn State's DaeSean Hamilton had 14 catches for 126 yards and in September they got torched by Cincinnati's Chris Moore for three touchdown catches of 60 or more yards.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin (Jan. 1 vs. Auburn)
Coming off his worst game of the season against an FBS opponent—76 yards on 26 carries in the 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game—Gordon has a chance for a huge bounce-back game when Wisconsin faces Auburn in the Outback Bowl in Tampa.
The Tigers ranked 46th in rushing defense this season, allowing 149.5 yards per game, but look at the game-by-game results, and you'll see that Auburn got run over by teams that like to rush the ball. Alabama was the most recent one, gaining 227 yards and four touchdowns in the Iron Bowl.
Other poor efforts by Auburn against the run this year include giving up 223 yards and four TDs to Mississippi State and 289 yards with three scores to Georgia. In its four losses, Auburn yielded 228.8 yards per game and 5.55 yards per carry.
Gordon has rushed for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns, with a high of 408 yards against Nebraska that stood for one week as the single-game FBS record. He needs 293 yards to become the single-game rushing record-holder, something that seems possible based on the matchup, but only if Wisconsin doesn't fall behind early and is forced to throw.
Against Ohio State, Gordon had 11 carries in the first 17 minutes but then ran it only twice more in the first half.
Since this will be Gordon's final college game, as he announced Tuesday he was forgoing his senior year to enter the NFL draft, he may just try to go out with a bang.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (Jan. 1 vs. Florida State)
The junior has been as close to unstoppable as any player in the country this season, accounting for 53 touchdowns (38 passing, 14 rushing, one receiving) with 4,452 yards of total offense while tossing only two interceptions. That's what defending national champion Florida State has to deal with in the Rose Bowl semifinal game.
FSU's saving grace, according to coach Jimbo Fisher, might be that Mariota could be worn out from having to do so many public appearances in conjunction with the numerous awards he's expected to haul in this month.
"I think it definitely is [taxing] and sure [Oregon will] have a great plan for that and what goes on, but I don't know if you can ever prepare for it," Fisher told Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel. "Because it's the time away and you feel so obligated because so many people are giving you so many great outstanding awards."
Short of fatigue, what Mariota will have to most concern himself with is a Florida State defense that hasn't particularly shone against the pass this season but still has some playmakers that could cause problems. Sophomore defensive back Jalen Ramsey has developed a reputation of making big plays late in games, when FSU has either been trying to rally or hold off a last-ditch comeback.
Ramsey only has two interceptions, but the last one came as Miami (Florida) was driving for a potential go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter last month.
Mariota has run for 669 yards and 14 TDs, scoring nine times on the ground in his last five games. FSU gives up 160.1 rushing yards per game, but in its last three outings it has fared well against mobile quarterbacks. Georgia Tech's Justin Thomas had 104 yards in the ACC Championship Game, but he was kept out of the end zone, as was Florida's Treon Harris, while Boston College's Tyler Murphy had a TD but his 48 rushing yards was the third-fewest for the season.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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