Heisman Watch: Did LSU's Tyrann Mathieu Play His Way to New York?

When the Heisman voting concludes this weekend, there will be a wealth of players who could be voted on to take home the Heisman Trophy from New York. Trent Richardson and Andrew Luck are the two most advertised names this year, but where does Tyrann Mathieu fit into the mix?

For the second week in a row Mathieu has broken the game open for the LSU Tigers with his amazing ability to find holes on punt return. Against Arkansas and again this week against Georgia his ability to take a punt return the distance sparked a movement for his teammates.

Isn’t the Heisman Trophy supposed to go the player who impacts his team the most? At this point I don’t know anyone who can deny that Mathieu is one of the best defensive backs in the country and that he is a major player in their success.

Not only did Mathieu have a fumble recovery in the game and numerous tackles, but he also had the biggest play of the game with his 62-yard touchdown on a punt return midway through the second quarter. He finished with a total of 119 yards on punt returns against Georgia.

Mathieu is one of the most dynamic players in college football today. He brings an energy to the Tigers defense that is electric. Unfortunately for Mathieu, it is impossible to find a recent trophy winner that was a non-offensive player.

It is hard to project anything other than a quarterback or running back earning an invite to New York for the Heisman presentation. Mathieu may not fall into one of those classifications, but he has made an impact that matters every week but one this season. (He was suspended for the matchup with Auburn.)

Mathieu has been one of the most consistent players in all of college football but it is clear. There is no other defensive player that will provide the leadership that this young player does. As Mathieu now prepares for the final game of the season, Mathieu will go about his regular day-to-day business.

The LSU Tigers have only the national title game that will be remaining this season. Mathieu hoped to bring his own piece of hardware added to the trophy case this season, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for Mathieu.

Maybe next season the country will watch his performance and then help gauge whether he deserves a shot at being not only the country's best defender, but the best player in the game.