The Buzz: Heisman news and views
Time for our weekly feature that rounds up the latest Heisman news and updates from around the media world.
The Buzz
Week three of the 2016 Heisman race is in the books. Here’s how the pundits saw it shaking out:
— Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson is grabbing headlines after a hot start. Before the FSU game this past Saturday, his coach, Bobby Petrino, was worried the hype might get to him.
“Obviously, you get nervous because he’s so young,” Petrino said, “and you got all these things going around – and more interviews than he should have to do.
But he was able to focus.”
— Indeed. After scoring four touchdowns in a 63-20 romp over No. 2 Florida State, Jackson is now seen by oddsmakers as the Heisman leader. ESPN wants to know if there are any Jackson doubters left.
— Jackson is also atop Stewart Mandel’s Heisman list.
— Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey racked up 260 all-purpose yards in a win over USC. The junior has compiled at least 200 all-purpose yards in 12 of his last 13 games and at least 100 in 17 straight.
— FoxSports says that Michigan cornerback Jabrill Peppers has entered the Heisman discussion following his performance against Colorado.
It’s hard to say what positionJabrill Peppers plays for Michigan. He’s a safety-slash-linebacker on defense and a weapon on offense.No matter what his position is, it’s not debatable thathe’s one of the most electrifying players in college football.
Saturday, in a contest where his team didn’t play all that well, Peppers was outstanding – registeringnine tackles, a sack, a hurry, 3.5 tackles for loss, 208 all-purpose yards and a game-sealing touchdown.
— Ohio State’s 1995 winner Eddie George sees a Heisman opportunity for Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett.
“With a big game against Oklahoma and a victory you would have to consider him a serious contender,” George said.
George, however, cautioned that it’s still way too early. He likes Louisville’s Lamar Jackson so far, but “Heismans are won in November.”
George did that with 314 yards and three total TDs in a November victory against Illinois. That helped pull away from Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier, Florida’s Danny Wuerffel and Northwestern’s Darnell Autry.
— From SaturdayBlitz.com, 5 Heisman candidates not named Lamar Jackson.
—CampusInsiders has compiled highlights from various Heisman contenders from week 3:
Odds and Ends
Tim Tebow has his sights set on a Mets roster spot.
“I would consider success giving everything I have,” he said. “I would consider success putting in the work, and looking back on this opportunity and this journey 10, 15, 20 years from now and saying I did everything I could to be everything I could be.”
Jameis Winston seems to have misplaced his Heisman Trophy.
Did Minnesota’s Sam Bradford just out-play Aaron Rodgers on Monday night?
Pat Sullivan recently visited an Auburn practice.
Robert Griffin III might be done for the year after injuring his shoulder in week one.
The Heisman Trophy was on display in Wilmington, NC, this past weekend.
Tulsa World columnist Guerin Emig had the chance to talk to both Tony Dorsett and Barry Sanders recently, getting their opinion on each other as running backs.
Sanders on Dorsett: “Tony, he was all right. He was all right. No, it’s funny because his Heisman year was my first year playing football. I was taking it all in. They were on TV a lot nationally, and I remember his last two years at Pitt very well. I stole a lot of his material, like I’ve told him before. I’ve always thought very highly of him and how he played the game.”
Dorsett on Sanders: “I mean, he was one of the more fluid, shifty guys that I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen, and I’ll probably never live to see another one run in the manner that he ran. Not only was he elusive, he was strong. And he was fast, he was quick… And then you talk about the intestinal fortitude.
“When I saw him shortly after he retired, I said, ‘Man, I’m mad at you! I enjoy sitting in front of my TV watching you play. I’ve never seen anything like this, man, before in my life. And probably never will.'”
NFL Update
Here’s how the NFL Heisman winners fared in week 2 of the season:
— The Heisman duo of Marcus Mariota and Derrick Henry helped the Titans eke out a win over the Lions, 16-15. Mariota threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns while Henry had 40 yards on nine carries.
— Mark Ingram had 30 yards on 9 carries as the Saints feel to the Giants, 16-13.
— Cam Newton threw for 353 yards and four touchdowns and added 37 rushing yards as the Panthers topped the 49ers, 46-27.
— Carson Palmer was an efficient 18 of 31 for 308 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona whipped Tampa Bay, 40-7.
— Jameis Winston totaled 243 passing yards and one touchdown with four interceptions as the Bucs lost to the Cardinals, 40-7.
— Sam Bradford threw for 286 yards and two scores as the Vikings beat the Packers, 17-14.
— Robert Griffin III did not play due to his aforementioned shoulder injury.
Video of the Week
It’s hard out there for a rookie.
