CANDYMAN PICKS
The name for this column was inspired by brothers in my fraternity who called me the “Candy Man” due to how much candy I not only ate but would hand out like it was Halloween 24/7. The nickname stuck and here we are.
Twitter: @CandyPicks
Author’s note: All statistics and information come from OddsShark, ESPN, Sports Reference and ActionNetwork.
College Football Review
In 2019, we saw quarterback Joe Burrow of Louisiana State University come out of nowhere to dominate the college football scene. He ended up winning the Heisman Trophy. Kids of all generations dream of hoisting the Heisman Trophy over their heads while being honored as one of the best college football players ever.
The other dream is to lead your team to a national championship. The LSU Tigers out of Baton Rouge beat the top tier teams to claim that national championship. Every year there are three to four teams that have a standout player who leads them year in and year out. There are always three to four players that seem like shoe-ins to win the Heisman. The preseason odds on Burrow were 200/1 odds to win the Heisman, and there are many others like him in college football.
The Dark Horse
There is always a long shot to win the Heisman that comes from almost out of nowhere known as a “Dark Horse.” These are players who are looked past and nearly forgotten until they start turning heads. They’re not bad players but may play for a team that is less likely to make it to the playoffs. In today’s college football world, you not only have to be the best player to win the Heisman but also have to be on a superior team. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles, which is not entirely fair.
So, who are the likely candidates to come out of the shadows this coming season to light the college football world on fire while parlaying a trip to New York for the ceremony of the next Heisman Trophy?
Heisman Dark Horses – Top 3 (All stats come from ESPN)
- Sam Howell – The No. 1 player on the list comes from North Carolina. He was a true freshman last year who threw for 38 touchdowns with 3,641 passing yards and only 7 interceptions. He has many of his returning offense coming back with him next year, so don’t be surprised if he throws for over 4,500 yards with more touchdowns. He’s only going to get bigger and gain more knowledge this coming season.
- Chubba Hubbard – The second player on this list comes from Oklahoma State. The last time a running back won the Heisman was in 2015. If there is a running back in 2020 to win, it’s Chubba. He had an incredible season rushing with 2,094 yards and an astonishing 21 touchdowns. Hubbard was a workhorse for the Cowboys with a total of 328 carries. Look out for this stud in the upcoming season.
- Spencer Rattler – The last player on the list is from Oklahoma. The highly-recruited player out of Arizona was the No. 1 quarterback and 2019 signee to OU. He had some struggles in high school with missing a good portion of his senior year but don’t let that look over his talents. OU head coach Lincoln Riley has produced so many great quarterbacks such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts. Rattler has a cannon of an arm, and you can expect him to chuck it all day long in Riley’s air raid offense.
