Heisman Trophy Watch: 10 Reasons the Award Already Belongs to Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck's name has been synonymous with Heisman over the span of the season, and he looks to take the crown after coming in second last year.

Unfortunately he took a major hit because of his poor play against the Oregon Ducks last week.

The good thing for him is that he had such a commanding lead in the Heisman race that he still remains the top dog, the bad thing is that the race has tightened significantly.

Luck is the best player in college football and honoring him with the Heisman Trophy is just a matter of when. 

Here are some reasons why he already has the trophy locked up.

Lack of Competition for Heisman

The Heisman race has indeed gotten tighter in the past week due to Luck’s quite unlucky play.

However, this race was blown out throughout the whole season with Luck stealing the show and even though one game can dictate your presence among the voters, it will only take another great performance to gain back trust.

This year, besides Luck, there is no standout to win the Heisman.

In the race right now it seems like the only players that have a remote chance of knocking Luck off his throne are Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden.

Besides those two, the race has literally no other players that will have a shot at the trophy.

The lack of competition in this year’s Heisman race plays in the favor of Luck because he will be allowed to have a bad game and still win the hearts of the voters.

Numbers

There is no doubt amongst the college ranks that Andrew Luck is a machine.

Luck has consistently performed as the best quarterback in the NCAA and though Brandon Weeden comes as a close second, he cannot match up to the skill set of Luck.

Luck has thrown for 2,695 yards and 29 touchdowns so far this season and with only 7 interceptions (two in last week’s game). He completes an impressive 71 percent of his throws and does not have much talent around him which shows exactly how dominant he is.

Weeden may also put up beastly numbers, but imagine how much better the Cardinal would be if Luck had a receiver like Justin Blackmon to throw to, just saying.

His numbers are as solid as any and if he continues to perform at the rate he is, he will have Heisman type numbers.

NFL Prospect

The hype surrounding Andrew Luck is like no other college player.

Luck is projected to be the next Peyton Manning in the NFL, so why would he not be the next Heisman winner.

Luck is on the top tier of athletes in the media and that does not happen often. His name is all over the news and has spread throughout America giving all the fans recognition of who he is.

His performance obviously shows the NFL scouts his exponential potential in the NFL, so winning the Heisman would just continue his story book road to the big show.

Team's Dependency on Him

If the Stanford Cardinal did not have Andrew Luck, they would not be looking at the very good record they have now.

Stanford’s reliance on Luck is like none other in college football and every Heisman voter can see this.

Last week versus Oregon it was most noticeable how bad the Cardinal actually is.

Luck had a bad game against Oregon and Stanford could not find a way to compete against the Ducks.

The offensive line gave Luck no protection and the passes that Luck could get off and on target, his receivers did not put ample effort into reeling them in.

If the Heisman proves to show who the most valuable player to their team is, Luck should be the only candidate to come to mind.

Remaining Schedule

Now that they lost to Oregon, they can no longer look in the rear view at what could have been.

It is time for both Luck and the Cardinal to try to win out and get into a good bowl game.

Luck has a favorable last two games of the season. He faces California then Notre Dame, which should both prove to be interesting games.

Because the competition is exactly where he needs it, Luck will have two excellent games versus worthy opponents that will increase his chances of being selected as Heisman.

If he forgets his hiccup of last week, he will use the last two weeks to determine his standing as the Heisman favorite.

Perseverance

If anyone could look back past the terrible Oregon game, they would see his amazingly determined game against the Trojans.

In a triple-overtime game, Luck showcased his perseverance, determination, and ability to overcome difficulty.

Also, Luck has proven that he can bounce back after facing a loss.

Last year, Luck and the Cardinal fell to the Ducks and after that loss he ended up knocking off USC 38-35, showcasing his tremendous ability and skill, racking up 285 yards and three touchdowns.

Luck will bounce back from the loss to the Ducks and be in a more favorable situation this year against California than he was facing USC last season.

Last Year's Heisman Finish

Last year, Luck left the Heisman Trophy presentation with a sour taste in his mouth.

After finishing second to then-Auburn superstar Cam Newton, Luck was poised for redemption coming into this year.

He has been on the top of the Heisman throne for a while and has no intent on coming down.

Luck has performed extraordinarily well in three consecutive seasons for Stanford and will try to prove that three times really is a charm and come home with the trophy.

Intangibles

Andrew Luck has everything he needs to make it in the next level and he showcases that factor of his game in each and every week.

Luck dismantles defenses with his offensive ability and the fact that he plays on a team that doesn't have many explosive players just makes his candidacy for Heisman even stronger.

He has arm strength, accuracy, vision, and everything anyone would want in a quarterback.

Seeing as he fits the mold for not only an elite college quarterback but also an elite pro quarterback, Luck should be able to swing some votes in his favor.

One Game Doesn't Dictate the Whole Race

Even though one game can be a pretty big factor for a Heisman candidate, it is not the end of the world for Luck.

Last week he admittedly said he played the worst game of his college career and if he didn’t have a tipped ball go intercepted and one poor decision later in the game, he would not be under such criticism.

Luck was having a normal day by his standards throughout the Oregon game but made some costly errors that are dropping his Heisman stock tremendously.

The fact is one game will not decide Luck’s Heisman finish. He will get another shot at taking the title just because he is as good as he is and also because many have already etched him in their book as the winner.

Exposure

Yes Luck did have a poor game last week, but look at what he faces next.

He will play California and Notre Dame in his last two appearances as a college player.

Why is this so significant?

Both will be nationally broadcast.

This national broadcast stage will be heavily favorable for Luck’s projection to win the Heisman. He can finally shut the critics up by playing “Andrew Luck” football for the rest of the season. The two nationally broadcast games will bring him even more hype and even more spotlight which coincides directly with his Heisman status.

It looks like the race is tighter than it ever was this season, but with the help of some television crews, Luck should create some distance between himself and the other competitors in the Heisman race.