Top 7 Big Ten Heisman Candidates

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In a way, these Heisman lists are unfair click bait titles that are more a way of saying, “here are the best quarterbacks in the conference with a running back or two mixed in … and if you want to go real hipster, a wide receiver.” In another sense, even though the Heisman is basically a quarterback award with running backs holding an outside chance at winning the thing, it’s become a list of “really good quarterbacks on successful teams.”

The challenge therein becomes thinking outside the box as to maybe how you would vote if you had a vote and not do it like everyone else. Sometimes, the best player in the nation is a defensive player. Sometimes, the real Heisman finalist should be a guy on a 7 win team. At any rate, we’ll try and make this all-encompassing from all ends and see what we throw out in the Heisman stew.

Are the potential four most likely Heisman candidates really on the same team? Maybe. What other teams figure to make enough national noise to allow a Heisman candidate to be from their program? One man’s opinion below.

No. 7: Wes Lunt, QB, Illinois

Lunt needs to stay on the field, but when he’s healthy, he’s very, very good. Injuries derailed his season and Illinois didn’t have any significant wins during his time starting so he was mostly overlooked. This one falls in the category of “stats so good you cannot ignore them even though the team isn’t a title contender.” Though the Big 10 West is a little more reasonably open for surprises than the East. If Lunt gets hot and they’re in the divisional race, stranger things have happened.

No. 6: Jabrill Peppers, DB, Michigan

If you’re looking for a good, solid and utter complete reach in every sense of the word, nothing says that like a defensive player who could moonlight on offense. Peppers gets compared all the time to the hype of the only primarily defensive player ever to win the Heisman … Charles Woodson. Word out of Ann Arbor is that D.J. Durkin likes the fact that Peppers can do just about anything on defense anywhere, and we already know he can return punts. If he can catch and Michigan makes some national noise, someone will be the individual benefactor. Peppers has the panache to be that guy.

No. 5: Corey Clement, RB, Wisconsin

At some point, maybe Wisconsin’s offensive line should win a lifetime achievement Heisman for all the running back candidates they’ve helped thrust into this race, but OL’s get no love, so that will never happen. Clement churned for nearly 6.5 yards per carry … which was actually two yards per carry fewer nearly than the season prior. He has serious ability once he finds and hits the hole. Basically, if you thought Melvin Gordon leaving meant Wisconsin won’t be rumbling through you anymore, you haven’t watched Wisconsin over the last 20 some odd years. He’ll be up near 2,000 yards next year if healthy.

No. 4: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

Cook probably should get more notice than he does. Michigan State has been a player on the national scene now for the past two seasons and he was generally outstanding last year, 24 touchdowns to 8 interceptions. He probably needs his completion percentage to spike a bit. It actually dipped from 2013 last season. Michigan State will need to be on the national scene again, because as good as Cook is, MSU would be just fine bashing your teeth in with the running game. It can be done, though.

No. 3: Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State

Probably should have saved this one for a Shark Week post based on how darn far this is jumping over said sharks, but if you would have said Johnny Manziel a few years ago, people would have looked at you like you had a few too many. Hackenberg needs better offensive line play, to up that completion percentage out of the 50 percentile, and to throw more touchdowns than picks unlike last year (12 to 15). I think this year is the leap year for him, second year in James Franklin’s offense.

No. 2: Ohio State’s Quarterback

It wouldn’t be fair to put both of them on a seven person list, because realistically only the guy that gets the starting job (pending injury) is going to have a real shot. That said, the guy that wins it might have the best shot of any quarterback in the country as Ohio State … be it with Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett under center taking snaps … is going to be the clear number one team going into the season and could put up some staggering offensive numbers. Don’t buy smoke that some of the talent around them might take votes from them. When you compete for a championship and you’re the quarterback, you’re getting your Heisman pub. But speaking of some of that talent …

No. 1: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

Elliott exploded onto the scene during the CFB Playoff title run, but he was chopping wood and defensive lines all year. In the end, the freshman rattled off nearly 1,900 yards rushing and in Urban Meyer’s offensively friendly system for any general individual who puts on a uniform and sees the field, that shouldn’t change much next year. Elliott has blazing speed and is such a highlight reel runner, even the heavy odds of a quarterback winning the award can’t keep him from being the favorite in the conference. Which means a whole lot of contradictions in this article.

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