Every 2016 Heisman Contender's Most Important Remaining Game
We're halfway through the 2016 college football regular season, and the Heisman Trophy race has taken shape rather nicely and in surprising fashion. With four of the top six vote-getters from 2015 returning, reasonable observers thought that the race would unfold much as it did a year ago, with the likes of Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, LSU's Leonard Fournette, Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield competing for the stiff-arm trophy.
However, as we get ready for 2016's stretch run, only Watson is truly on the radar for the trophy again, and he is behind a quarterback in his own division in the Heisman race. Nothing has been decided, though. At this time last fall, Fournette was considered a lock for the Heisman and wound up not even being invited to New York for the ceremony.
A lot can happen over the final seven weeks of the regular season before the trophy is awarded on Dec. 10. Here's a look at the most important game each contender will face over the rest of the regular season, with players listed alphabetically, not representing their places in the race.
Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett
1 of 8
There was no doubt who Ohio State's starting quarterback would be this fall. After a year of quarterback controversy, junior J.T. Barrett was head coach Urban Meyer's obvious choice. At the halfway point of the Buckeyes season, we're seeing why. Ohio State is 6-0 and No. 2 nationally, and Barrett has played a large role in leading and holding together a young, talented roster.
Barrett has thrown for 1,207 yards with 16 touchdowns against four interceptions and has 434 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He has been big when the pressure has been high, too. At then-No. 8 Wisconsin Saturday, he rallied the Buckeyes from a 16-6 halftime deficit and forced overtime en route to a 30-23 victory.
The toughest game left on his slate is the same as the one facing his team. No. 3 Michigan visits Ohio Stadium on Nov. 26 in what will likely be a showdown for the Big Ten East title and a College Football Playoff berth. The Wolverines are the nation's best defense, allowing 10.3 points and 212.8 yards per game (both No. 1 nationally). Points and yardage will be at a premium in this game, but it could be an excellent spotlight for Barrett to make his case for the Heisman Trophy.
Washington QB Jake Browning
2 of 8
After piling up 15 wins in head coach Chris Petersen's first two seasons, Washington has broken out as the best team in the Pac-12 and a strong College Football Playoff contender. The Huskies are getting excellent efforts on both sides of the ball, and sophomore quarterback Jake Browning has emerged as one of the nation's top passers.
Browning has thrown for 1,418 yards with an amazing 23 touchdowns against two interceptions, completing 72.2 percent of his passes (up from 63.1 percent as a freshman). He'll play a prominent role in Washington's push for the playoff, and he should receive plenty of attention as a result.
Brock Huard of 710 ESPN Seattle said Browning is a clear Heisman candidate.
"It is just absurd, what he is doing," Huard said. "He has had the best first half of any quarterback in Husky history, and statistically speaking, it's really not even close right now."
The most difficult test will come in what could be the Pac-12's best remaining game of the season when Washington visits No. 19 Utah on Oct. 29. The Utes have one of the best defenses in the league, allowing 342 total yards per game (No. 26 nationally) and 18.3 points per game (No. 16 nationally). Expect Utah to give Browning and the Huskies offense a physical challenge.
Florida State RB Dalvin Cook
3 of 8
2016 hasn't exactly unfolded the way Florida State had hoped. At 5-2 with an open date before No. 4 Clemson's visit on Oct. 29, the Seminoles are already all but out of the ACC Atlantic Division and College Football Playoff races. That said, there are still goals to play for, including an outside shot at an ACC title and a New Year's Six bowl bid.
One reason for hope? Junior tailback Dalvin Cook. Following a sophomore season that saw him pile up 1,691 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, Cook got off to a bit of a slow start, failing to reach the 100-yard mark in each of Florida State's first three games. But the big-play back has found his groove, rushing for at least 115 yards in four consecutive games, including a 267-yard day against South Florida.
If Florida State has any outside hope of winning the ACC Atlantic, it'll have to beat Clemson on Oct. 29. The Tigers have a nasty, talented front seven that keys a defense allowing 298.6 total yards per game, No. 9 nationally. Cook will need to break big plays to keep the Tigers on their toes and fuel any chances of an upset.
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Louisville QB Lamar Jackson
4 of 8
Lamar Jackson is a secret no more. After torching Texas A&M for 453 yards and four total touchdowns in the Music City Bowl, the Louisville quarterback entered his sophomore season as one of the top under-the-radar players in college football. Jackson's thrilling blend of pass and run skills rocketed him to the top of the Heisman Trophy race (he leads ESPN's expert poll) and landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Jackson has thrown for 1,806 yards with 15 touchdowns against four interceptions and also has rushed for 832 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. He has rushed for at least 119 yards in five of six games. He was at his best against Clemson's talented defense, throwing for 295 yards and a touchdown and adding 162 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
His toughest test remaining is Nov. 17, when Louisville visits Houston. The Cougars are the only currently ranked team remaining on the schedule. If the Cardinals have any hope of making a case for the College Football Playoff as a one-loss team, they need to run the table and win at Houston. Jackson will need to be at his best against the Cougars.
Michigan LB Jabrill Peppers
5 of 8
In the Heisman Trophy's long, storied history, only one defensive player has taken the trophy home. Nineteen years ago, Charles Woodson combined defensive skills and offensive/special teams impact to edge Peyton Manning and claim the 1997 Heisman.
Only one defensive player (Notre Dame's Manti Te'o) has even finished as high as runner-up since. But now, a player from Woodson's alma mater (Michigan) is threatening to make a run at the award with a similar stat line.
Sophomore linebacker Jabrill Peppers makes impacts all over the field for the No. 3 Wolverines. He has 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a linebacker, averages 17.8 yards per punt return and 31.7 yards per kick return with a punt return score, and he also has 98 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Can Peppers do enough to win the Heisman? It won't be easy, but he will have a spotlight game when Michigan visits Ohio State Nov. 26 for a game that could decide the Big Ten title and play a huge role in the College Football Playoff selection process. The Buckeyes have the nation's No. 4 scoring offense, putting up 49.3 points per game, and making a key interception of J.T. Barrett or a big punt return score could really impress undecided voters.
San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey
6 of 8
If you don't know about San Diego State senior tailback Donnel Pumphrey, you really aren't paying attention. This week, Pumphrey vaulted into eighth place on the NCAA's all-time career rushing list, moving past Archie Griffin, LaDainian Tomlinson and Herschel Walker. The Aztecs' big-play back is one of college football's best players.
Friday night, he gashed Fresno State for 220 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-3 victory. Pumphrey now has 5,383 rushing yards for his career and five career 200-yard rushing games (three this season).
He is the FBS' leading rusher, and with 1,111 yards and 11 touchdowns, Pumphrey is on pace for 2,222 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns for the season. Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer said Pumphrey is ready for a shot at the NFL.
San Diego State is 5-1, and the second half offers many opportunities for him to improve his stats, as the Aztecs face only one team that currently has a winning record.
Wyoming is a surprising 4-2, and the Cowboys have one of the Mountain West's best run defenses, allowing 140.7 yards per game. That said, Pumphrey could play his way into a Heisman invitation with strong weekly rushing performances given the remaining schedule.
Houston QB Greg Ward Jr.
7 of 8
Saturday night, Houston kept its hopes of an American Athletic Conference title and New Year's Six berth alive with a wild 38-31 win over Tulsa, keeping the Golden Hurricane out of the end zone at the 1-yard line on the game's final play. That meant quarterback Greg Ward Jr.'s final games in a Cougars uniform will remain that much more meaningful.
Ward is the engine that makes Houston's offense go. He has 1,938 passing yards with 11 touchdowns against five interceptions as well as 414 rushing yards with six scores on the ground. Among the final five games, there's one clear spotlight: No. 7 Louisville's visit on Nov. 17.
The Cardinals are the most talented team Houston will face—on both sides of the ball. Moving consistently against them will be difficult. They have the nation's No. 11 total defense, yielding 309.8 yards per game, and the No. 32 rushing defense, allowing 133.2 yards per game. Finding creases against Todd Grantham's defense won't be easy, but if Ward can do it on a Thursday night with the nation watching, he'll grab voters' attention.
Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
8 of 8
Deshaun Watson had a season to remember in 2015. The Clemson sophomore quarterback shook off durability concerns and emerged as a superstar while leading the Tigers to a 14-1 record and a national runner-up finish. In the process, he piled up some impressive stats. Watson threw for 4,104 yards with 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and added 1,105 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground, becoming the first FBS player ever to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season.
He finished third in Heisman voting, and more was expected of him this fall with a solid offensive core returning around him. However, this has been a slightly different season for Watson. Through seven games, Clemson is unbeaten and ranked No. 4 nationally, but the Tigers have been pushed hard by the likes of NC State and Troy.
Watson has 1,950 yards passing with 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions, but he is well off his rushing pace of 2015, averaging only 39.9 rushing yards per game. That said, he still has time to make a push for a Heisman victory.
The toughest game left on Watson's slate? The next one, at No. 13 Florida State on Oct. 29. Clemson hasn't won in Tallahassee since 2006, and while FSU's defense has struggled at times (allowing 28.9 points per game, No. 78 nationally), the Seminoles still have a talented front that could make life difficult for the Tigers' potent offense.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
