Tag: 2020 Heisman Trophy

Heisman Trophy: Why I Voted For Kyle Trask (And The Impossible Attempt To Justify It)

DeVonta Smith won the 2020 Heisman Trophy. Here’s why Pete Fiutak voted for Kyle Trask, along with explaining the rest of his ballot.

DeVonta Smith won the 2020 Heisman Trophy. Here’s why Pete Fiutak voted for Kyle Trask, along with explaining the rest of his ballot.

Why My Heisman Vote Went To Kyle Trask …

– Contact/Follow @PeteFiutak

Look, I’m the We Need To Vote AFTER The Bowls guy, so remember, we submitted our ballots before the bowl season happened.

All my Heisman votes since I’ve been doing this are at the bottom. This one was the hardest yet.

PLEASE, remember … the Heisman isn’t predictive. Again, it’s done BEFORE the bowls. BEFORE …

My ballot? 1) Kyle Trask, 2) Najee Harris, 3) Mac Jones.

Yeah, I voted for Kyle Trask. In 11 games – the time frame we had to go on to vote – he threw 43 touchdown passes and 4,125 yards with just five picks against all SEC teams. No, he wasn’t Joe Burrow, but Burrow after 11 games? 41 touchdown passes and 4,014 yards and six interceptions.

Yeah, I voted for the guy who was on a 2019 Joe Burrow pace, the best running back in college football who scored 27 touchdowns, and a guy who had the most efficient passing season in the history of college football. It wasn’t THAT wacky.

Trask was coming off the amazing performance against Alabama in the SEC Championship, and while he threw a bad pick against LSU, he more than made up for it with 474 yards – it wasn’t his fault the D was awful.

There’s no arguing against DeVonta Smith. He’s a wonderful player who had an all-timer of a year, stepping up his play as the season went on and especially after Jaylen Waddle went down. If we could vote after the bowls – you know, the biggest games of the season – I’d have changed my ballot. Seven catches for 130 yards and three touchdowns in one of the two most important games of the season … yeah, of course.

If we could vote right now before the national championship I would still be a bit torn with Smith, Harris or Mac Jones at 1/2/3 in some way, and because that one performance mattered SO much, Justin Fields would be on the radar depending on the national championship.

It’s my ongoing argument – bowl games matter here. Trask was great, but even though it wasn’t his fault with all the missing pieces, that Oklahoma game mattered.

Trevor Lawrence missed the first Notre Dame game. It’s totally not fair and totally not his fault, but we’re splitting hairs here with five guys – at least for me, it was Lawrence, Smith, Jones, Harris and Trask – for three spots and two guys had to be left off the list.

Trevor Lawrence is the most talented player in college football and an all-time NFL franchise quarterback prospect, but again two guys had to be left off. Missing the biggest pre-championship game of the regular season mattered here, and the numbers just weren’t as strong as the other quarterbacks.

Okay, Devonta … I wrote his name in, then out, then in, then out, then left him out. At the end of the day, yeah, quarterbacks are more important than wide receivers. Sorry, but they just are – you see Davante Adams getting MVP votes over Aaron Rodgers? Again, after the bowls he’d get the vote, but at the time ….

Okay … Kyle Trask. First, the guy was on a pace to beat Joe Burrow’s touchdown and yardage mark up until the bowl debacle. Considering Burrow came up with the be-all-end-all Heisman season, that never got as much respect as it deserved.

Remember how amazing he was in the SEC Championship. It got totally memory dumped by everyone, but this supposedly unbeatable Alabama team got pushed to the brink in that 52-46 game when Trask threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns with a rushing score.

And, again, we vote BEFORE the bowls, and for me, I always wait until right after the conference championship games are over.

Mac Jones was too good, too efficient, and too under-appreciated. No I don’t think he’s a better talent than Trevor Lawrence, but he had a better season. Again, to split hairs, I had to put in the guy who had the most efficient passing season in college football history in my top three.

Najee Harris was the best running back in football. There are plenty of amazing receivers. Not diminishing DeVonta in ANY way, but the massive receiving seasons are becoming a bit of the norm. Elijah Smith of Ole Miss actually averaged more yards and catches per game than DeVonta.

All year long I thought Harris was as much of the glue to what that the Bama offense did than anyone else. Obviously Smith-to-DeVonta was devastating, but Harris was massive game in and game out. The guy was the ultimate closer with 24 rushing scores, five touchdowns in the SEC Championship, and enough catches to matter.

Harris was my 1. I had even more of an argument to make for his cause, but after that SEC Championship, I thought that if I’m having a hard time deciding between three guys on one team, that probably means something. Not like Trask didn’t have a ton talent to work with, but again, he almost pulled out an SEC Championship with an amazing performance in a giant game. Add that to the raw numbers, and …

Rip on my vote all you want. Kyle Trask was pretty good. So were Najee Harris, Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence and DeVonta Smith.

My all-time Heisman votes …

2020 QB Kyle Trask, Florida (DeVonta Smith won)
2019 QB Joe Burrow, LSU
2018 QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
2017 QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
2016 QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Lamar Jackson won)
2015 RB Derrick Henry, Alabama
2014 QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon
2013 QB Jameis Winston, Florida State
2012 LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame (Johnny Manziel won)
2011 QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor
2010 QB Cam Newton, Auburn
2009 DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (Mark Ingram won)
2008 QB Tim Tebow, Florida (Sam Bradford won)
2007 QB Tim Tebow, Florida
2006 QB Troy Smith, Ohio State
2005 RB Reggie Bush, USC

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BREAKING: Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith wins Heisman Trophy

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith was awarded the 2020 Heisman Trophy on Tuesday evening in the first-ever virtual Heisman ceremony.

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith was awarded the 2020 Heisman Trophy on Tuesday evening in the first-ever virtual Heisman ceremony.

Smith won the award over other finalists, teammate Mac Jones, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Smith is the first wide receiver since 1991 to win the Heisman Trophy when Michigan’s Desmond Howard won the award.

The Heisman is the latest award for the senior receiver from Amite, Louisiana. Smith was named SEC offensive player of the year, CBS sports player of the year, first-team All-SEC and a first-team All-American.

Smith caught 98 passes for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns. Smith finished with 19 total touchdowns as he scored one rushing touchdown and took one punt return to the house.

Lawrence finished second in the voting, Jones came in third, Trask was fourth and another teammate, running back Najee Harris, came in fifth in the voting.

Smith finished his college career with 223 receptions for 3,750 yards and 43 receiving touchdowns. Smith and the Crimson Tide still have one game remaining as a date with Ohio State in the national championship is just one week away.

Smith is expected to be a first-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft.

DeVonta Smith Wins 2020 Heisman Trophy: A Historic Winner In A Great Field

DeVonta Smith won the 2020 Heisman Trophy. In a crazy year, and with a great field of candidates, the Alabama WR had a historic season.

DeVonta Smith won the 2020 Heisman Trophy. In a crazy year, and with a great field of candidates, the Alabama wide receiver put together a historic year.

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DeVonta Smith Won The Heisman Trophy …

– Contact/Follow @PeteFiutak

Leave it to the smoothest player in the game to take home the Heisman Trophy in the roughest college football season of all-time.

DeVonta Smith won the 2019 Heisman Trophy as the first wide receiver since Michigan’s Desmond Howard got it in 1991.

Mac Jones put together the most efficient season in the history of college football. He threw for close to 4,000 yards before the College Football Playoff bowl win over Notre Dame with 32 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Florida’s Kyle Trask was on the same touchdown and yardage pace as 2019 winner Joe Burrow, and remember, the voting was done before the bowl game. He threw for 42 touchdowns and five picks before the bowl, and he pushed Alabama to the brink in a classic SEC Championship.

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Trevor Lawrence missed a few key games for Clemson, but he came back roaring as he led the Tigers to the ACC Championship and another appearance in the College Football Playoff. One of the best college quarterbacks of all-time, he’s a special talent closing out an amazing career.

And DeVonta Smith had to get past all of them.

When Howard won in 1991, he beat out Florida State QB Casey Weldon and BYU QB Ty Detmer. Both had great seasons, but neither one was going to make a big push. This year, Smith was able to beat three guys who could’ve taken home the Heisman without anyone blinking.

All Smith did was catch 98 passes before the bowl game for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns with a punt return for a score. He hit the 100-yard mark seven times, he was a dominant force in game after game, and when Jaylen Waddle went down for the year with an ankle injury, Smith stepped up.

He was the focus of every game plan by every secondary, and it didn’t matter as he scored multiple touchdowns in five of his last six regular season games – he wasn’t needed when he caught just three passes in the 52-3 win over Arkansas.

A quarterback won nine of the previous ten Heismans with Derrick Henry breaking it up in 2015, and now a wide receiver has broken through.

A national championship-winning touchdown catch over Georgia in overtime, a Heisman, and now another shot at a national championship.

Everything about DeVonta Smith’s college career has been historic.

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Alabama WR DeVonta Smith wins 2020 Heisman Trophy

Alabama WR Devonta Smith has won the 2020 Heisman Trophy

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith was announced as the winner of the 2020 Heisman Trophy in a virtual ceremony on Tuesday.

Smith beat out Tide teammate, QB Mac Jones, Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, and Florida QB Kyle Trask.

The order of the top four: Smith by 700 or so votes over Lawrence with Jones third and Trask fourth.

Smith becomes the first wide receiver to win the prestigious award since Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991.

Wide receivers who have won the Heisman Trophy:

  • Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska Cornhuskers (1972)
  • Tim Brown, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1987)
  • Desmond Howard, Michigan Wolverines (1991)
  • DeVonta Smith, Alabama Crimson Tide (1991)

Surprisingly, Smith becomes only the third Heisman winner from Alabama. Running backs Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015) were the previous players for the Crimson Tide to win the Heisman.

Smith put up astounding numbers in 2020. In 12 games, he has 105 receptions for 1,641 yards and 20 touchdowns. He added a rushing TD for good measure.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder had 223 catches for 3,750 yards and 43 receiving touchdowns in college.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGXTOF0BOkw

It broke a three-year stretch that saw quarterbacks who transferred schools win the award. Those were Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Joe Burrow.

The SEC Heisman winners:

  • 1942: Frank Sinkwich, Georgia. The SEC’s first winner was an old-school triple-threat back. …
  • 1959: Billy Cannon, LSU. …
  • 1966: Steve Spurrier, Florida. …
  • 1971: Pat Sullivan, Auburn. …
  • 1982: Herschel Walker, Georgia. …
  • 1985: Bo Jackson, Auburn. …
  • 1996: Danny Wuerffel, Florida. …
  • 2007: Tim Tebow, Florida.
  • 2009: Mark Ingram, Alabama
  • 2010: Cam Newton, Auburn
  • 2012: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
  • 2015: Derrick Henry, Alabama
  • 2019: Joe Burrow, LSU

Heisman Trophy: Final Thoughts On Who Will Win, How The Vote Will Go

Who’s going to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy? How will the vote go? Here are the Final Thoughts before tonight’s ceremony.

Who’s going to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy? How will the vote go, and why does each finalist deserve to win – or not? Here are the Final Thoughts before tonight’s ceremony.

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2020 Heisman Trophy Broadcast

Date: Tuesday, January 5
Time: 7:00 ET
Network: ESPN

– 2020 Heisman Prediction: The Top 6 Will Be …

– Before we get going, I have a Heisman vote. Under penalty of being forced to have a discussion about The Bachelor, I’m not allowed to reveal anything about my ballot until after this thing is done.

– I do, however, think it’s okay to reveal that I didn’t put RB Reggie Bush, USC in the third slot – as I’ve always sort of wanted to do – as a protest over his 2005 honor being vacated for silly reasons.

– I wouldn’t actually do that 1) because in hindsight, I wish I had voted for Vince Young, and 2) I would never dishonor the Heisman ballot process.

– No one is more cynical and less squishy about stuff than I am, but voting for the Heisman is one of those things I still totally geek out over.

– This year was the hardest voting process ever. I changed my mind and my order four different times before hitting submit. However, I will say this – my top three guys never changed.

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– With that said, I SO wish we could do the voting after the bowls are done. This is for another time and another article, but the line still works – it’s like assigning a grade for a class before the final exam.

– To all those “it’s a regular season award” types – who I don’t for the life of me understand – would awarding the national championship before the bowl games seem insane? Of course it would, but that’s what happened with the AP national champion before 1968 and the UPI/Coaches before 1974 until they realized how wacky that was.

– Sorry. That’s not why you called. Who’s going to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy? (The final prediction is at the bottom of all this.)

– Again, not to reveal anything on my ballot, and this is obviously anecdotal, but I know one person who voted for odds-on favorite DeVonta Smith in the top spot. I know around ten other people who didn’t.

– It’ll be fascinating to see how this all turns out. I get the sense that Smith is more of a broadcaster shoo-in pick than a real world sure-thing No. 1, but no matter what, this should be extremely tight. More on this later.

– In Smith’s favor, though, the Heisman quarterback fatigue is absolutely real. That’s not to dismiss or disrespect Smith if he wins it, but there isn’t a Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield who’s a totally obvious pick this time around.

– For the record, I voted for Ndamukong Suh in 2009 and Manti Te’o in 2012. To me, it’s about 1) who the signature player is in a college football season – who’s THE guy, and 2) who’s the best combination of MVP and MOP, and …

– Sorry. The 2020 Heisman …

– Remember, and this is going to be totally forgotten in the final tally, the voting was all done before the bowl games. So throw out any preconceived notions from Kyle Trask’s disastrous day against Oklahoma, and the Trevor Lawrence’s night – even though he wasn’t bad – in the loss to Ohio State.

[lawrence-related id=525992]

– Again, here’s the problem. If Justin Fields throws six touchdown passes and Ohio State obliterates Alabama in the national championship, historically, the 2020 Heisman tally will look weird.

– The whole career honor thing never really works. It’s a talking point, and it’s enough to get some great players on a ballot, but it’s never enough to get a player over the top, at least not anymore. That used to be how this worked back in the day – it went to the top upperclassmen – and then Tim Tebow in 2007 shattered that as the first sophomore to win it. Which means …

– I’ll be shocked if Trevor Lawrence finishes in the top three. I’m going to guess he wasn’t higher than three on most of the ballots that put him in the mix.

– Kyle Trask will be the most fascinating finisher. It’s been memory dumped after the bowl season, but his last argument came on the Saturday night just before most voters submitted their ballots. Remember, he lit up Alabama for 408 yards and three touchdowns with a rushing score and no picks in a heroic effort in the loss. However …

– DeVonta Smith was pretty good against the Gators – 15 catches for 184 yards and two scores. Mac Jones completed 77% of his passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns and one pick – and won.

– The other guy no one talks about could screw this up – Alabama RB Najee Harris. The Heisman used to be a running back award, and he was a rock all season long. The mass numbers aren’t there, but he ran 31 times for 178 yards and two scores with three touchdown catches and 67 yards against Florida. He’s not a finalist, so why does he matter?

– It’s possible he splits the Alabama vote that much more. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t finish fifth, and there’s a chance that everyone watching Alabama games had different opinions on who the main man for that team really was.

– If 45ish% of the Bama voters like DeVonta, and 45ish% like Mac, that 10% who liked Najee – but not enough to make him a finalist – might be enough to squeak in Trask if the vote is split.

– If you want to see, hear, read what college football hair-on-fire reactions look like, watch what happens if the Bama guys cancel each other out and Trask gets this.

– Remember, Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Aaron Rodgers, Tommie Frazier, and legendary college player after legendary player never won the Heisman. It’s really, really hard to get this thing. How hard? No Alabama quarterback has ever won it, and Desmond Howard in 1991 was the last wide receiver to get it.

– However, when Howard won, there really wasn’t another option. Florida State’s Casey Weldon was fine, BYU’s Ty Detmer wasn’t going to win it twice, and Washington DT Steve Emtman didn’t have a shot. There are a few amazing options this year, so if DeVonta Smith gets it, it’ll be a fantastic win.

– So after all of that blather, here’s what’s going to happen …

– 2020 Heisman Prediction: The Top 6 Will Be …

NEXT: 2020 Heisman Trophy Prediction

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

College Football Expert Picks, Predictions: Heisman Trophy. Predicted Finish, Top 3 Choices

Heisman Prediction: Who will win the 2020 trophy, and what would the picks be from each of the CFN college football experts?

2020 Heisman Prediction: Who will win the trophy and what would the picks be from each of the CFN college football experts?

Heisman Prediction: Who Will Win and What Would Your Vote Be?

[jwplayer DyBY1JnU]

Tuesday, January 5

HEISMAN FINALISTS

QB Mac Jones, Alabama

QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama

QB Kyle Trask, Florida

Gill Alexander: @beatingthebook, VSIN
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 10-15

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Kyle Trask

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. Mac Jones
2. Najee Harris
3. Kyle Trask

Patrick Conn:@PatSportsGuy, LonghornsWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 11-14, ATS 13-12

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Trevor Lawrence

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Trevor Lawrence

Jeff Feyerer: @JeffFeyerer, FightingIrishWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 15-10, ATS 13-12

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Kyle Trask

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Najee Harris
3. Kyle Trask

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Pete Fiutak: @PeteFiutak, CFN
Bowl Picks: SU 18-7, ATS 13-12

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Kyle Trask
(NOTE: I’m a Heisman voter. This is my prediction and not necessarily my order)

MY VOTE WOULD BE
Coming after the announcement … not allowed to discuss my Heisman vote under penalty of being benched for Nate Sudfeld.

Phil Harrison: @PhilHarrisonBW, BuckeyesWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 8-17

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Trevor Lawrence

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. Kyle Trask
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Trevor Lawrence

Jeremy Mauss: @MWCWire, MWwire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 16-9, ATS 15-10

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. Trevor Lawrence
3. Kyle Trask

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. Kyle Trask
2. Mac Jones
3. DeVonta Smith

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Big Game Ben Niewoehner: CFN
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 17-8

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. Kyle Trask
3. DeVonta Smith

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. Mac Jones
2. Kyle Trask
3. DeVonta Smith

Johnny Rosenstein: @JohnnyParlay11, SportsBookWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 15-10, ATS 14-11

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Trevor Lawrence
3. Mac Jones

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Trevor Lawrence

Nick Shepkowski: @Shep670, FightingIrishWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 15-10, ATS 10-15

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Trevor Lawrence
3. Kyle Trask

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Trevor Lawrence
3. Kyle Trask

Keith Stewart: WinnersandWhiners.com
Bowl Picks: SU 13-12, ATS 13-12

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Trevor Lawrence

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Trevor Lawrence

Brian Stultz: @BrianJStultz, AuburnWire.com
Bowl Picks: SU 17-8, ATS 16-9

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Kyle Trask

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Kyle Trask

Clucko The Chicken (a coin flip)
Bowl Picks: SU 12-13, ATS 15-10

(put the four names in a hat and pulled them out, once for each one)

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Kyle Trask
2. Trevor Lawrence
3. Mac Jones

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Kyle Trask

CONSENSUS PICK
Bowl Picks: SU 14-11, ATS 13-12

TOP 3 WILL BE
1. Mac Jones
2. DeVonta Smith
3. Trevor Lawrence

MY VOTE WOULD BE
1. DeVonta Smith
2. Mac Jones
3. Kyle Trask

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Heisman Trophy Finalists Prediction: Why Each Possible Candidate Should and Shouldn’t Win

Who are the likely finalists for the 2020 Heisman Trophy? Here’s the best projection along with why each should and shouldn’t win.

Who are the likely finalists for the 2020 Heisman Trophy? Here’s the best projection along with why each should and shouldn’t win.

2020 Heisman Finalist Prediction

– Contact/Follow @PeteFiutak

Joe Burrow made this easy last season, and Kyler Murray was a bit of a no-brainer in 2018. This year’s Heisman race, though, is as wide-open as it gets.

There’s no obvious signature star who made the 2020 season all his.

In a perfect world we get to vote on the Heisman after the season is over – the Heisman race might be vastly different depending on who wins the national championship and how – but that’s not how this works.

Notre Dame QB Ian Book will get on a few ballots, as will Ohio State QB Justin Fields along with a few other random players, and yeah, someone will put Vanderbilt (now North Texas graduate student) PK Sarah Fuller on a ballot.

Realistically, though, the almost-certain five Heisman finalists will be …

1) I’m a Heisman voter, so the projections below are just that – predictions. It’s not my ballot, which I can’t reveal under penalty of being forced to listen to Christmas music non-stop for 24 hours. 2) in alphabetical order …

RB Najee Harris, Alabama

Resumé: 214 carries, 1,262 yards, 24 TDs, 5.9 yards per carry, 32 catches, 316 yards, 3 TDs

Why he should win the Heisman: He’s the guy. Oh sure, there might be a whole lot of gushing about Mac Jones and his amazing season, and DeVonta Smith brings the flash, but Najee Harris is the one who helps make everything go. Don’t ignore just how much he meant to the offense – everyone had to focus on him, and it opened up everything else.

Why he shouldn’t win the Heisman: The Alabama season is about the passing game. He only ran for 43 yards against Texas A&M – but he ran for two scores – and the 5.9 yards per carry, while great, isn’t quite splashy enough.

Will he win the Heisman? No, but he’ll win the Doak Walker as the nation’s best running back.

QB Mac Jones, Alabama

Resumé: 76.5% completion, 3,739 yards, 32 TDs, 4 INTs, 11.4 yards per throw, 202.34 rating, 1 rushing TD

Why he should win the Heisman: He’s the nation’s most efficient passer, he finished as the nation’s most accurate passer among the top quarterbacks, and he was brilliant when he had to be. He threw a pick in the SEC Championship against Florida, but he also threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns, hitting 77% of his throws.

Why he shouldn’t win the Heisman: Is he the nation’s best passer in yards per game? No. Is he even the SEC’s best passer? Not really. Is he the guy who just so happened to be driving the souped-up car that all but drives itself? Yeah. It’s not a knock to call a Heisman-caliber quarterback Gino Torretta – Torretta really was good – but he’s the comp.

Will he win the Heisman? Very, very maybe. At the very least he’s going to finish No. 2 if he doesn’t win it as the GUY who ran the TEAM of the 2020 regular season.

QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

Resumé: 69% completion, 2,753 yards, 22 TDs, 4 INTs, 9.8 yards per attempt, 172.67 rating, 211 rushing yards, 7 TDs

Why he should win the Heisman: He’s the most talented player in college football. He’s the veteran who has seen it all, done it all, and won it all. He threw an interception but also threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns in the easy win over Notre Dame in the ACC Championship. However …

Why he shouldn’t win the Heisman: He missed the big game before the big game. It wasn’t his fault, but he was out for the regular season game that mattered against the Irish and DJ Uiagalelei was brilliant as his replacement. It was a great year for Lawrence, but it wasn’t Heisman-special.

Will he win the Heisman? No, but in a few short months the Jacksonville Jaguars will make him very, very rich.

WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama

Resumé: 98 catches for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 15.42 yards per catch, 8 punt returns for 199 yards and a score.

Why he should win the Heisman: Dynamic, he ripped up Georgia for 167 yards and two scores, hit LSU for 231 yards and three touchdowns, and in the SEC Championship, he caught 15 passes for 184 yards and two scores in the win over Florida. Jaylen Waddle might have gone done early, but Smith still produced no matter who focused on him.

Why he shouldn’t win the Heisman: Wide receiver, schmide receiver. Not to be harsh, but take Smith off of Alabama and who’s the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff? Alabama. Did he lead the SEC in receiving yards per game? No, that was Ole Miss star. Elijah Moore. Did he lead the SEC in catches per game? No, that was Moore, who led both of those categories by a relative mile.

Will he win the Heisman? He’ll be on almost everyone’s ballot and will come really, really, really close, but he’ll likely finish a solid second or close third.

QB Kyle Trask, Florida

Resumé: 70% completion, 4,125 yards, 43 TDs, 5 INTs, 186.55 rating, 50 rushing yards, 3 TDs

Why he should win the Heisman: Who led the SEC in passing? Trask. Who led in TD passes? Trask. Who’s on the same yard and touchdown pass pace as 2019 Joe Burrow, but against an all-SEC schedule? Trask. Who carried the Gators to the brink of an SEC Championship against an Alabama team with three Heisman finalists? Trask.

Why he shouldn’t win the Heisman: Florida didn’t win the SEC Championship and isn’t in the College Football Playoff. It’s not Trask’s fault – blame the Gator defense – but it’s a factor. He only threw five interceptions, but the pick-sixes against Texas A&M and LSU weren’t killers, but they were costly.

Will he win the Heisman? No, but he could slip into the No. 2 spot depending on how voters think of Smith.

2020 Heisman Prediction

Again, not necessarily my ballot – this is a projection and prediction.

1. QB Mac Jones, Alabama
2. WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
3. QB Kyle Trask, Florida
4. QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
5. RB Najee Harris, Alabama

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Justin Fields drops out of favorite spot in BetMGM’s Heisman odds

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy according to BetMGM. He has now slipped to second.

It’s a little curious, but okay. After being tied with the best odds to take home the Heisman Trophy in 2020 according to BetMGM , Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has now fallen into a tie for second place with Florida QB Kyle Trask.

This, after Fields didn’t play last week, and after Trask had himself one whale of a game. So who’s first now? Trevor Lawrence. We haven’t seen the Clemson gunslinger play in nearly three weeks, yet he’s now back on to of the odds. I think it has more with Trask taking away some of the action because of how well he’s done, but it’s a little strange that it affected Fields more than Lawrence.

Welcome to 2020 folks.

BetMGM Sportsbook now has the top five players looking like the following — with a big drop off after the top four:

QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson – +250
QB Justin Fields, Ohio State – +260
QB Kyle Trask, Florida – +260
QB Mac Jones, Alabama – +350
QB Zach Wilson, BYI – +2500

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This year, more than any other, one week can change the perceptions of the oddsmakers, pollsters, and media members. With fewer games to look at with an eye towards a body of work, the swings back and forth can be as nauseating as a cruise through a hurricane.

There’s good news there too though. That means if Fields lights it up against Indiana, don’t be surprised to see the odds climb in his favor again.

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Mac Jones no longer favorite to win 2020 Heisman on BetMGM

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is no longer the favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy acording to BetMGM, he now drops to No. 4.

Alabama has not played a game in over two weeks. Following the win over Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide had their off week, then the next scheduled contest against LSU was canceled due to a COVID outbreak within the LSU program.

Those two weeks without play has seemingly hurt Mac Jones and his chances of being named the 2020 Heisman Trophy recipient, according to oddsmakers at BetMGM.

Jones, who is exceeding expectations and is now projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft, was at one point on top of the leader board with the highest odds.

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Here’es how the top five currently looks:

  1. Trevor Lawrence +200
  2. Justin Fields +260
  3. Kyle Trask +260
  4. Mac Jones +350
  5. Zach Wilson +2500

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Florida’s Kyle Trask passes Justin Fields in USA TODAY’s Heisman Watch

Florida QB Kyle Trask had himself a week and quickly ascended USA TODAY’s Heisman Watch to overtake Ohio State QB Justin Fields for 2nd.

Here we go again.

In a year in which nothing is predictable, it seems you have to play a game to get any kind of clout from the national media. Remember, Ohio State was left in the dust by pollsters while it sat and waited for its season to begin. Then, suddenly, and somewhat remarkably, once the Buckeyes showed they were — you know — the Buckeye program, the ranking began to rise. All of that despite Ohio State being a preseason No. 2 without ever playing a game.

That also seems to be the status quo for voters of the Heisman Trophy. Justin Fields is still Justin Fields, yet some voters for the bronze statue wouldn’t even let him sniff chances at the award while he awaited the Big Ten to get back on the field. Once he did, lo and behold, Fields quickly ascended all the Heisman buzz out there.

But wait. Ohio State’s game against Maryland was canceled last week because of a coronavirus outbreak with the Terrapin program, so Fields couldn’t shoot lightning bolts out of his backside again. And, as a result, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask — who did indeed have one whale of a game — passed him up in the USA TODAY Heisman Watch poll.

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Trask made up so much ground that he’s just one point behind Alabama quarterback Mac Jones now who — wait for it — didn’t play last week.

C’mon voters, get your act together already will you? Justin Fields and Mac Jones are just as good as they were before they had an unofficial bye-week. Trask has been good, but one week shouldn’t result in major fluctuations like we’re seeing. This latest flip was after Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence fell out of the race with a thud because he had to sit out to meet coronavirus protocols.

But back to the Heisman Watch results that go across the USA TODAY Network of actual voters for the award. Jones hangs on to first, followed by Trask, then Fields.

Got it? Don’t worry, it’ll change this week based on what teams are playing, so hang in there.

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