Running backs Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette capped historic freshman seasons with otherworldly bowl games.
What happened next was all too predictable: a string of reporters, fans and analysts unleashed a flurry of headlines and tweets linking their names to the Heisman Trophy.
Not only is that unrealistic, it’s unfair to measure the two prodigies by that standard.
Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon ran for 2,587 yards this season, falling just short of Barry Sanders’ all-time single-season record many hold up as the most impressive feat in college football. Alabama’s Amari Cooper produced the greatest season by a receiver in Alabama history, almost singlehandedly cultivating the best Crimson Tide offense of the Nick Saban era for the SEC champions.
Neither of them came close to winning this season’s Heisman. In fact, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota collected 788 first-place votes compared to 37 for Gordon and 49 for Cooper.
Quarterbacks have won 13 of the last 14 Heisman Trophies. With such powerful passing offenses driving college football’s elite — check out Oregon, Florida State, Ohio State, TCU and Baylor — next season again should serve up more than one deserving signal-caller on a Top 5 team.
Fournette himself got caught in the country’s Heisman obsession early in his freshman season, flashing the famous pose after a touchdown against Sam Houston State.
I’ll save you the drama: neither player is going to win the Heisman Trophy in 2015, and that’s OK. It’s possible one of them could merit an invite to the ceremony, but that’s not the benchmark by which we should measure these extraordinary backs.
I don’t expect the Georgia and LSU fan bases to express disappointment if Chubb and Fournette produce 1,500-yard seasons next year without claiming national hardware. But the mere implication that either back needs to win the award that increasingly goes to the best quarterback on a national championship contender in order to wow us is misplaced.
Chubb entered the season as Georgia’s third option at running back, but due to injuries and a high-profile Todd Gurley suspension, he claimed eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Chubb punctuated his spectacular season by rushing for 266 yards against Louisville’s third-ranked run defense.
It would’ve been hard to believe three months ago, but Bulldogs fans may anticipate Chubb’s sophomore season more than they did Gurley’s. The team’s hiring of run-first offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer coupled with continued health could lead to some silly numbers next season. Chubb averaged 165.4 rushing yards as a starter this season, which translates to 2,150 yards over a full schedule, assuming a bowl game.
But Sony Michel and Keith Marshall also are five-star talents, and there’s a great chance Chubb doesn’t surpass the 219 carries he shouldered this season. If Chubb puts up anything close to 7.1 yards per carry and 16 total touchdowns again in 2015, he should be applauded and appreciated.
Expectations for Fournette are even higher. The dude ran for 143 yards and added a 100-yard kickoff return in the Music City Bowl against Notre Dame, pushing his season rushing total North of 1,000. His muscle-speed combination has drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson.
After some bull-in-a-china-shop moments early in the season, Fournette settled down and showed out. He churned to 100 rushing yards in five of the team’s final nine games and appears to be just beginning to tap into his physical abilities. As a true sophomore, he may rival a healthy ’14 Gurley in terms watchability. Bathroom trips or food runs seem out of the question this coming fall with Fournette during SEC play.
But just like at Georgia, LSU’s roster features other capable and talented backs. And the Tigers almost certainly will emphasize building a more effective passing game this offseason, especially if the team nets a high-profile transfer quarterback. It’s unlikely Les Miles and Cam Cameron simply hand Fournette the ball 30 times per game.
Both players will generate another wave of Heisman articles, message board posts and talk-show discussion between now and the final week of August, particularly as SEC Media Days crank up again this summer.
Regardless of where they rank all season in the Heisman Watch media polls, let’s appreciate them for what they are: world-class athletes and tremendous football players sure to delight us Saturday after Saturday.
Both players should help their teams move the ball, score points and win football games, even against the country’s best defenses. And that should be enough.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
