College Football Superlatives from Kramer's Korner: End-of-Year Awards
It was just August; how exactly did we arrive here?
Each year, we tell ourselves to relish each and every moment of the college football season, knowing the silent void ahead. We sign this contract, re-upping yearly, and despite our best efforts to soak it all in—from the marquee Saturday night no-brainers to the midweek MACtion—it still speeds by entirely too quickly.
Army and Navy tied a magnificent bow on college football’s regular season this past Saturday, which means all regular-season games, sadly, have been completed. This also means that we can officially hand out the necessary hardware to celebrate yet another successful year before bowls kick into action.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
While familiar awards will be handed out—starting with an obvious and deserving Offensive Player of the Year—this is a slightly different College Football Oscars from the ones you’ve come across.
This is about the people, the box-score oddities, the coaches, the teams and, most importantly, the moments.
Who came away with the most impressive catch this season? How about most impressive run? Which individual weighing over 300 pounds scored the most impressive touchdown? And why would anyone deliberately (and unsuccessfully) fake fainting during an actual live play?
Those questions and so much more will be answered below as we honor and celebrate the magnificence of another glorious college football season.
Offensive Player of the Year: Marcus Mariota, Oregon
Marcus Mariota won the Heisman on Saturday night, as anticipated. In fact, the Oregon quarterback thoroughly rid college football’s most prestigious award of any drama by doing ridiculous things to box scores all year, as anticipated.
It still seems odd to see 53 touchdowns and only two interceptions staring back at you, like there must be a misprint somehow. I’ve double-checked it a few dozen times since Oregon’s last game and, surprisingly, it has not changed. The numbers are as absurd as they are real, and Mariota was as good as (if not better than) advertised.
Through the air, on the ground and even as a receiver, Mariota was the most spectacular offensive player of a spectacular bunch this year. Of course he’s the Offensive Player of the Year. Never has a difficult decision been so incredibly easy to make.
Dominant Defender: Scooby Wright, Arizona
Scooby Wright, Arizona’s star linebacker, finished the season with 153 tackles, good for No. 2 in the nation. He finished with 14 sacks, which clocked in at No. 3 nationally. And he capped this all off with a screen-altering 27 tackles for loss, which was tops in the country.
This was one of the more dominant defensive seasons in recent memory, one that warranted the Chuck Bednarik Award (check) and Heisman consideration (check).
He was everywhere, and his individual performance helped Arizona soar past all expectations in 2014. For his efforts, Wright finished No. 9 overall in the Heisman voting, which was warranted. (He probably could have and should have finished higher, although it was fabulous to see a defensive player in an anti-defensive-player era crack the Top 10.)
Video-Game Box Score: Season Edition
— Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday finished the season No. 4 in the nation in overall passing yards. His 3,873 yards through the air were a full season in terms of production, although Halliday accomplished this in far less time. Even after missing the final three games and only throwing nine passes against USC on Nov. 1—the game in which he suffered a season-ending injury early—Halliday still managed to crack the Top Five. Now that is production.
— Louisville defensive back Gerod Holliman finished the season with 14 interceptions, tying an NCAA record in this category. There were only three games this year in which Holliman did not pick off a pass, and he never went back-to-back weeks without forcing a turnover. To put this figure in perspective, no one else in all of college football even recorded double-digit interceptions this season.
Anti-Video-Game Box Score: Season Edition
— If you root for Wake Forest in football, run away from this section. Go now. You do not want to hear that your team ran the ball 383 times for 479 yards in 2014, good for an average of 1.25 yards per carry. You don’t want to hear that you averaged only 39.92 rushing yards per game. You also don’t want to hear that you ran for only one more yard than Washington State—the nation's worst rushing offense—despite logging 140 more carries. Why didn't you run?
— It was a solid rebound for Cal and head coach Sonny Dykes despite having one of the worst defenses in the country. The pass defense, in particular, really struggled. The Bears allowed an average of 367.2 passing yards per game, good for worst in the nation. Even more startling, the nation’s second-worst pass defense statistically, Washington State, gave up 296.6 yards through the air per game. That’s not exactly a small gap.
Biggest Surprise
When you consider that TCU’s best player, defensive end Devonte Fields, was booted from the team before the season began, you gain further appreciation for the most surprising rise in 2014. The Horned Frogs didn’t just surpass expectations; they broke through barriers and quickly became a power to be reckoned with.
Gary Patterson couldn't have asked for more out of this team, which is perhaps why the Horned Frogs haven’t gotten the appropriate recognition for their run. It’s easy to be consumed with the College Football Playoff and nothing more, but TCU’s surge was the most significant storyline this year.
A surprise no more, the Horned Frogs will likely return the majority of their team next season, including quarterback Trevone Boykin. Expectations are in place for yet another run at the playoff, which means they won’t be sneaking up on anyone next season.
Best Moment
The Ole Miss masses carried the goal posts out of the stadium, around campus and eventually into someone’s apartment. The aftermath of a program-shifting victory was a celebration that could be felt well beyond the state of Mississippi.
I wrote about the events that unfolded in the wake of the Rebels’ 23-17 upset victory over Alabama on Oct. 4 and, more specifically, the voyage of what is now cherished memorabilia through the Ole Miss campus.
The dream season eventually unraveled for Hugh Freeze’s team due to a variety of factors, although that shouldn’t—and won’t—undo 24 hours of madness in The Grove that will live on for generations.
Perhaps your moment—courtesy of your own perspective—is different. This particular category is dependent on where you hail from and individual rooting interests. It's also why they love this sport oh so very much.
Quote of the Year
We have spent countless hours and endless paragraphs trying to interpret the student-athlete's current standing with the NCAA in a new revenue-driven era.
Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty summed up the discussion in roughly three seconds as Baylor's regular season came to a close.
"Bryce Petty asked to campaign for playoff: "That's above my pay grade. All I'm not paid to do is play."
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) December 7, 2014"
For the Highlight Reel: Best Catch of the Season
It was over after Week 1. Once Jordan Westerkamp came down with an absurd, Matrix-like grab on the sideline, we could have handed out the hardware for this category right then and there.
Playing against Florida Atlantic, the Nebraska wideout somehow caught a deflected ball behind his back and managed to stay inbounds. This still doesn't seem feasible months later, and yet, there it is.
For the Highlight Reel: Best Run of the Season
A bowling ball with feet was born this past fall, and that bowling ball is Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson.
Robinson, operating with legs that resemble sequoia trees, showcased his ability to make would-be tacklers come away slightly less optimistic throughout the regular season. Against Kentucky, however, he took his efforts up a notch.
Behold, one man running through an entire defense for a 22-yard gain.
For the Highlight Reel: Best Tackle of the Season
Before Ohio State was a College Football Playoff participant, it was a Big Ten program with a terrifying assistant strength coach.
Anthony Schlegel does not seem like the kind of human being you want tackling you. A bold—and likely liquid-infused—Buckeyes fan found this out firsthand during an actual game this season.
You can see the exact moment this fan came to the “I’ve made a huge mistake” realization in slow motion, right before he was corralled and bodyslammed.
Indeed, sir. Indeed.
Coach of the Year
TCU’s Gary Patterson is a deserving selection for Coach of the Year for all of the reasons mentioned above. However, we’re going in a completely different direction with this award. In fact, this is where this entire train goes off the tracks, so be prepared.
Our Coach of the Year isn't technically a coach. He's a sideline phone technician, which is a spectacular title built for a business card.
Dan Lehman, Minnesota’s sideline phone technician, is this year’s recipient thanks to his outstanding ice-cream consumption. Although the Gophers were playing in blizzard-like conditions, Lehman still enjoyed a televised snack coming out of halftime.
This is a reminder that there is never a bad time to eat ice cream, despite what simple people may tell you.
Large Man of the Year
I will spare you the suspense: Arkansas guard Sebastian Tretola is this year’s Large Man of the Year. It really wasn’t much of a contest. He was the supersized Marcus Mariota, and he should never have to pay for another meal again. It's only right.
At 6’5” and 350 pounds, Tretola scored one of the season’s most remarkable touchdowns against UAB in Week 9. Before we get to the actual play itself, here is what head coach Bret Bielema—a pioneer in large-man excellence—had to say at halftime following Tretola's touchdown pass:
"Bielema in halftime interview: "Coming to Arkansas, if you're an o-lineman, we'll make you famous."
— Adam Alter (@Adam_Alter) October 25, 2014"
He's right.
As for the pass itself, here it is in all of its glory. We can only hope that more coaches add this to their playbooks moving forward.
Large Man of the Year (Runner-up)
Jake Cotton, Nebraska’s left guard, didn’t score a touchdown against Michigan State. In fact, all he did to warrant consideration for the award was fall down.
It’s the way he fell, however, that was truly special.
With the helping hand of slow motion along with a tune fit for the moment, Cotton gave us one of the season’s most unexpected efforts while trying to avoid a false-start penalty.
He deserves an “A” for effort and probably a "C-" for execution, but it's the effort that counts.
Fan of the Year
Perhaps your football team of choice didn't live up to expectations this season. In all likelihood, however, it never convinced you to leave in the middle of a game out of pure disgust.
"Vandy fan so upset he just took off his hat and shirt, threw them on the field and walked out. #vandy #olemiss pic.twitter.com/C3tFqFpjfv
— Audra Martin (@Audra_Martin) September 6, 2014"
Given the way the rest of the season went, I hope this gentleman picked up a hobby, or 40.
Official of the Year
Ken Williamson cares so much. That became clear during the Mississippi State-Texas A&M game on Oct. 4.
After facing the wrong direction to deliver a call for the cameras, Williamson didn’t just turn around. Instead of quickly correcting the error without anyone really taking note of the gaffe, Williamson scolded himself in front of the entire football-watching world.
I’m proud to report that this is still hilarious more than two months later.
The Best, Worst Pass of the Year
It’s not necessarily the award Colin Reardon wanted, although the Kent State quarterback authored one of the strangest, replay-prompting moments of 2014. If you’re wondering how Kent State fared against Ohio State at the beginning of the season, here is your answer:
Press Conference of the Year
After a lackluster showing against Vanderbilt in Week 4—a game in which the Gamecocks had to battle back to win—a sweaty Steve Spurrier met with media members.
The Vine that resulted from this glorious day should be celebrated for generations.
Failed Deception of the Year
They practiced this.
That’s critically important to remember before you watch Arkansas State's failed fake punt. The “fainting goat” was indeed put to good use, and wideout Booker Mays executed it to perfection before the pass was thrown.
Seriously, they practiced this.
Unfortunately, the rest of the play did not develop as planned. The pass that followed was intercepted and Mays was drilled by a Miami player shortly after he tried to pick himself up off the turf. Even though it did not work out, give Arkansas State all of the awards for even dabbling with such creative excellence.
ALL OF THEM.
My (Personal) Favorite Moment of 2014
I had a daughter this season, on Oct. 18—a Saturday—to be exact. I’ve enjoyed a lot of wonderful Saturdays writing and shooting videos about college football over the past few seasons, although this was the most rewarding, terrifying and exhilarating day of my life.
When the day had finally reached a normal pace and all visitors had left later that evening, I watched the final few minutes of Notre Dame-Florida State—arguably the year's best game—with a newborn baby on my chest, moving up and down with every new breath of air.
We watched it on a hospital cot, together. Nothing can possibly top this. Nothing ever will.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
