The Buzz: Heisman news and views
We’ve rounded up the latest news and updates from around the media world to help keep you posted on what’s happening with current Heisman contenders and past winners.
The Buzz…
Heisman voting has begun! Ballots have been emailed to 928 Heisman voters from around the country — including 58 former winners. The 2014 Heisman Finalists will be announced on Monday, December 8, 2014 via a live announcement on ESPN tentatively scheduled for 6:00PM EST.
Worried that voters might pull the trigger on their selections before the final games are played? Fear not. That used to be an issue back in the days of snail mail, as some voters sent in their ballots a little bit early in order to meet the voting deadline. Among the historic games and performances rendered irrelevant to the final Heisman tally due to this deadline were Doug Flutie’s miracle bomb against Miami in 1984 and Anthony Davis’ four-touchdown outburst against Notre Dame in 1974.
But the electronic age has effectively put that issue to rest. All ballots are now submitted online, which means the vast majority of voters can and will wait until the last games are played before making up their minds.
Here’s a breakdown of when voters sent in ballots the last couple seasons:
| Percentage of ballots received each week | 2013 | 2012 |
| Week 1 | 1% | 1% |
| Week 2* | 18% | 22% |
| Week 3 | 81% | 77% |
* – represents all ballots received before games started on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013
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Marcus Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and added 73 rushing yards (with a score) as Oregon defeated Colorado, 44-10. The junior quarterback continues to lead the nation in passing efficiency and now has 3,700 yards of offense with a combined 42 touchdowns passing, running and receiving. His final two games are at Oregon State and against an as-yet-to-be-determined foe in the Pac-12 title game. After Mariota’s performance against the Buffaloes, Ducks coach Mark Helfrich had a rather amusing back and forth about Mariota with a student reporter.
We get the feeling the slogan “Jesus, Girls and Marcus Mariota” will live on for a while.
Meanwhile, Wisconin running back Melvin Gordon keeps churning out the yardage. The junior rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries as the Badgers beat Iowa, 26-24. He now has 2,109 yards on the season, making him the 17th player in FBS history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season. Gordon did it faster than anyone before him, too, topping the mark in his 241st carry of the season. Gordon also leads the FBS in scoring thanks to his 27 touchdowns. Amazingly enough, his FBS record 408 yards rushing last week was surpassed by Oklahoma freshman running back Samaje Perine, who tallied 427 against Kansas.
“The guy is just so exceptional in everything that he does,” OU coach Bob Stoops said of Perine. “We were thinking about resting him, and then someone said he only needs 35 more yards, and you know, that’s just too close not to do it, and there’s too much time left in the game.”
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score as the Bulldogs beat Vanderbilt, 51-0. Prescott now has a combined 36 touchdowns and 3,605 yards of offense heading into MSU’s rivalry game with Ole Miss.
J.T. Barrett continued his assault on Ohio State’s record books while leading his team to a 42-27 victory over Indiana. Barrett threw for 300 yards and four touchdown passes and added another 78 yards on the ground to increase his total offense for the season to a Buckeye-best 3,507 yards. His 42 combined touchdowns is tied with Mariota for the national lead.
Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper suffered an injury that limited his time in the Tide’s 48-14 win over Western Carolina. Cooper, who is third nationally with 1,349 receiving yards, ended up with three catches for 46 yards.
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Eddie George, the 1995 Heisman winner, will square off against Orlando Pace to determine who is the second-most revered Buckeye in Ohio State history.
Some friends from Alabama are out to stop Mark Ingram’s recent success.
Another Buckeye winner, Troy Smith, will have his No. 10 jersey retired on Saturday when Ohio State hosts Michigan. Cleveland.com writes the inside storyof how Smith ended up in Columbus.
Here’s a touching story on one former football player’s quest to get Barry Sanders’ autograph.
Speaking of the aforementioned Hail Mary pass from Doug Flutie, it just turned 30. But it will never really get old, right?
