College Football Awards 2015: Start Time, Date, TV Info and More
The Home Depot College Football Awards ceremony embarks on a new chapter Thursday in the confines of its new home at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta.
It’s the first year the event has shifted to the state-of-the-art facility that opened in August 2014, shifting from Walt Disney World in Orlando, where it had been held the last two-plus decades.
“The Hall of Fame was designed to provide visitors with an interactive experience which allows guests to explore the rich history of college football in a way never before possible,” NCFAA president Mark Wolpert said in a statement, "and the new facility will allow a whole new approach to the production of the show."
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Sans the Heisman Trophy, most of the sport’s major college awards will be bestowed at Thursday’s ceremony. Here is a look at a few of the candidates.
What: 2015 Home Depot College Football Awards
When: Thursday, December 10 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: College Football Hall of Fame (Atlanta, Ga.)
TV: ESPN
Complete List of Finalists
| Derrick Henry | Alabama |
| Christian McCaffrey | Stanford |
| Deshaun Watson | Clemson |
| Tyler Matakevich | Temple |
| Carl Nassib | Penn State |
| Reggie Ragland | Alabama |
| Corey Coleman | Baylor |
| Josh Doctson | TCU |
| Laquon Treadwell | Ole Miss |
| Daniel Carlson | Auburn |
| Jake Elliott | Memphis |
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | UCLA |
| Michael Carrizosa | San Jose State |
| Tom Hackett | Utah |
| Hayden Hunt | Colorado State |
| Trevone Boykin | TCU |
| Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma |
| Deshaun Watson | Clemson |
| Spencer Drago | Baylor |
| Joshua Garnett | Stanford |
| A'Shawn Robinson | Alabama |
| Jeremy Cash | Duke |
| Vernon Hargreaves III | Florida |
| Desmond King | Iowa |
| Leonard Fournette | LSU |
| Derrick Henry | Alabama |
| Christian McCaffrey | Stanford |
| Hunter Henry | Arkansas |
| Austin Hooper | Stanford |
| Jordan Leggett | Clemson |
Davey O’Brien Award: Quarterback of the Year
This race is arguably the most interesting, particularly given two of the three candidates will meet in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield will duel for a spot in the national title game on New Year’s Eve, after leading their teams to their respective conference championships.
Watson's 69.5 completion percentage ranks first among Power Five quarterbacks, and entering Saturday’s ACC Championship Game, Watson was the nation’s only player to eclipse 3,000 yards passing and 750 yards rushing, according to Chris Low of ESPN.com.
His dual-threat poise has marched Clemson to the postseason as college football’s lone unbeaten. However, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney likened Watson’s opponent for the award, Mayfield, to one of the sport’s great scrambling signal-callers.
"Their quarterback looks like Johnny Manziel running around out there,” Swinney said of Mayfield, per Matt Connolly of The State. "He’s a nightmare. He’s an absolute nightmare. We’ll have our hands full with that guy.”
Mayfield, however, has made his mark more through the air than on the ground. The junior transfer from Texas Tech posted a 178.9 quarterback rating, which ranks first among quarterbacks that started the entire season.
Fellow Big 12 quarterback Trevone Boykin of TCU has had a great season as well—3,575 pass yards, 612 rush yards, 40 total touchdowns while leading the Horned Frogs to a 10-2 record—but probably not enough to catch his competition for the O’Brien Award.
Chuck Bednarik Award: Defensive Player of the Year
The Bednarik Award for the nation’s top defensive player will go to either a member of the nation’s second-best defense or a player from Pennsylvania.
Though without any impact on the winner, Mark Wogenrich of the Allentown Morning Call reported legendary Philadelphia Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil will be presenting the award:
"Per ESPN, Dick Vermeil will present the Chuck Bednarik Award at Thursday's College Football Awards show. #PennState's Carl Nassib a finalist
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) December 7, 2015"
Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich and Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib are the three finalists.
Nassib, a senior, played just two snaps in each of the Nittany Lions’ final two games, yet led the nation with 15.5 sacks; that's a remarkable culmination of a four-year career for a former walk-on.
Matakevich had a similar path to the national spotlight. Temple was the only FBS school that offered the junior a scholarship, and he anchored an Owls defense that took the nation by storm, finishing 18th overall (329.5 yards per game) and 16th in scoring (19.2 points).
Ragland is considered “the heartbeat of the Alabama defense”—the pulse that has catapulted the Crimson Tide into the playoff. He finished with 90 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
This Bednarik Award seems a toss-up between three very worthy finalists.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
