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It looks like the 2015 Heisman Trophy is Derrick Henry’s to lose. Another 100-yard rushing day and an Alabama victory over Florida in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game will more than likely clinch the award for Henry, who would become the second Crimson Tide player to win it. Mark Ingram struck the victorious pose in 2009.
However, there are some potential candidates who, like Henry, have a conference championship game left to play. And their performances might be the springboard that pushes them ahead of Henry in the final voting.
The Heisman will be presented Dec. 12, and here’s a look at the players who might prevent Alabama’s star running back from winning college football’s most prestigious award:
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: The junior QB has essentially led the Sooners (11-1) to a College Football playoff spot, which he has accomplished with some pretty impressive numbers. The nation’s third-rated passer, Mayfield is also tied for fifth in the FBS with 35 passing TDs. His only remaining game is a potential playoff matchup that won’t take place until after the Heisman is awarded, so his campaign is effectively over, unless all three of the players who appear to be ahead of him falter and lose their next games. Like Mayfield, that scenario is a longshot.
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford: The sophomore needs 216 all-purpose yards in Saturday’s Pac-12 Championship Game against Southern Cal to break the NCAA record of 3,250, which was set in 1988 by Oklahoma State star Barry Sanders, albeit in only 11 games.
McCaffrey’s 3,035 all-purpose yards are a Pac-12 season record, and his per-game average of 252.9 leads the nation by more than 50 yards a game.
He has rushed for 7 touchdowns, caught 3 TD passes and also has thrown a scoring strike. He can basically do everything on a football field, but what he can’t do is change the fact that Stanford (10-2) has two losses and on the outside looking in regarding the College Football Playoff.
He would probably need to gain at least 250 yards in a victory over the Trojans and have Henry and Clemson QB Deshaun Watson struggle mightily in losses to supplant either player in the Heisman race. That’s unlikely, so at the very least McCaffrey will get an invitation to New York, where he could match the Heisman finish of former Stanford star Toby Gerhart, who finished second behind Ingram six years ago.
Deshaun Watson, Clemson: The sophomore QB, who has led the Tigers (12-0) to the nation’s No. 1 ranking and a spot in Saturday night’s ACC Championship Game against North Carolina, leads his league in passing yardage (3,223), touchdown passes (27) and passing efficiency rating (161.95).
His average of 331.6 total yards per game is also tops in the ACC, and he has accounted for 36 total touchdowns. He also has rushed for 756 yards and nine touchdowns, including three 100-yard games in the final four regular-season contests.
Watson, who is from Gainesville, Ga., has history on his side since QBs have taken home five straight Heismans, including last year’s winner, Marcus Mariota of Oregon. But even when LSU and Clemson were both still undefeated, the Bayou Bengals’ Leonard Fournette — and not Watson — was the Heisman frontrunner.
Watson even had a shot to jump to the forefront of the race when Alabama handed LSU its first loss of the season, but Henry rose to the top with his performance in the Crimson Tide’s 30-16 victory and he has kept Watson at bay while remaining the favorite.
For Watson to win the award, he and Clemson would have to crush the Tar Heels while Florida would have to shut Henry and Alabama down.
Only the former scenario seems realistic, so if Henry has another 100-yard game — he’s had eight this season — and the Crimson Tide rolls, the Heisman will be his. But for the time being, Watson remains Henry’s biggest threat for college football’s biggest individual prize.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
