2017 Heisman Watch: Week 3
Two weeks of the college football season are in the books, and some players around the country are starting to emerge as Heisman Trophy contenders.
Here are our analysts picks for who has taken a step forward heading into Week 3:
Baker Mayfield: QB, Oklahoma
Entering the season, Baker Mayfield was one of the favorites to win the award and a sure thing to make a return trip to New York. After his dominant three touchdown performance against Ohio State on the road, Mayfield is now possibly the favorite to win the award.
His 386 yards and three touchdowns on 27-35 passing makes it the second game in a row that he has accounted for over 300 yards passing with three scores, while completing over 75 percent of his passes. His poise in the pocket against Ohio State should continue as No. 2 Oklahoma plays lowly Tulane at home, extending his impressive streak to three.
-Joe Esquivel-Murphy
Derrius Guice: RB, LSU
After Leonard Fournette sat out the Citrus Bowl last December, he essentially handed the reigns of the LSU backfield over to Derrius Guice. Guice took them in stride, posting an MVP performance in the Citrus Bowl against a strong Louisville team, racking up over 130 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns.
In his first game of 2017 under new head coach Ed Orgeron, Guice was the feature of the offense, with 27 carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns against BYU. In Week 2, Guice posted another 100 yards and two scores on 15 carries against Chattanooga.
With his heavy workload, Guice will have every opportunity to preserve and improve upon his Heisman worthy résumé. However, Guice has not yet lined up against an SEC-caliber defense. His first SEC test comes this week as LSU travels to Mississippi State for its first conference game of 2017.
Only time will tell if Derrius Guice can build on his hot start and keep his name in the Heisman conversation.
-Josh Starr
Shea Patterson: QB, Ole Miss
This name may sound very unfamiliar, but trust me when I say that the Ole Miss Rebels quarterback is a true dark horse candidate for the Heisman. Just starting his sophomore season, many of the top analysts were leaving Ole Miss out of the conversation as a potential threat in the SEC. However, Patterson has the capability to prove all the doubters wrong and lead the Rebels to a bowl game this season. There are many talented teams in the SEC, but don’t be surprised if Ole Miss ends up towards the top.
Even though the Rebels have faced lackluster competition so far this season, their offense has been able to put points on the board and light up all their opponents. Ole Miss scored 47 points against South Alabama and 45 facing UT Martin en route to dominant victories. In those two games, Patterson has put up a remarkable 918 passing yards and nine touchdowns, while throwing only one interception.
Ever since being a five star recruit out of high school, college football fans have been waiting a long time for Shea Patterson to boast his skills. Now they will get to witness him lead his team to many victories down the road, as well as possibly seeing him make his case to win the Heisman trophy.
-Hunter Pitcoff
Joe Esquivel-Murphy is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact him, email jje5139@psu.edu.
Josh Starr is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jqs6428@psu.edu.
Hunter Pitcoff is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email hxp80@psu.edu.
