College football is finally upon us and with that comes the annual search for the next Heisman trophy winner. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen will not be the winner come December.
Rosen is the top candidate to watch according to ESPN, but the early competition has been lackluster. Rosen led a late fourth quarter comeback win against Texas A&M in week one and a decisive win over Hawaii in week two. Texas A&M last year ranked fourth in the nation in total passing yards allowed and Hawaii ranked outside the top 100 in total defense, according to ncaa.com.
Numbers do not lie, and Rosen has not faced any solid competition to have him be the top amongst the candidates. He will have to win in a tough PAC-12 conference and form a New Year’s Six bowl berth to prove that he can be a Heisman finalist.
Every year, the hype of a player consumes college football fandom and fans latch on to the early favorites. Three Heisman winners in the past five years were not mentioned as preseason candidates.
Rosen is a candidate who should be watched, but many other candidates are worthy of praise. Last year’s winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville has been almost perfect through his first two games, yet he has thus far been left out of the conversation.
Oklahoma Sooner quarterback Baker Mayfield led an 18-point victory over second ranked Ohio State on Saturday. Mayfield could also be another top contender for the 2017-2018 Heisman trophy.
It is too early in the 2017 season to pick a clear favorite for a Heisman winner, but the most important thing is to enjoy the ride.
This year might end up as one of the tightest races amongst players that we have seen in a while, which proves talent of players has increased greatly. Cheer for the underdog, pick a dark horse, and enjoy the best of what college football has to offer.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected]