Is it too early to name Ezekiel Elliott the front runner to win the 2015 Heisman Trophy? Coming off of the National Championship game, it seems only fair to place him on top of the list. The guy was freakishly good on Monday night. With 246 yards on 36 carries and 4 touchdowns, Elliott may have produced the most dominant rushing performance in the National Championship game ever. Just re-read that stat line and pinch yourself, because it’s real. The guy’s even a record breaker: until yesterday, Vince Young held the record for total rushing yards in a National Championship game when he rushed for 200 yards in the best title game I’ve ever seen against USC. On Monday, Elliot also set the Ohio State rushing record in a single bowl game.
However, it wasn’t just his performance on the big stage that makes him a front runner for the 2015 Heisman. Elliot has rushed for over 220 yards in each of his last three games, and it goes without saying that Elliot’s sheer dominance took a lot of pressure off of third string quarterback Cardale Jones. After his performance in these last few games, Ezekiel Elliott will return to college football next year as the most feared player in the country– and behind him, I see no reason why Ohio State shouldn’t be the first back to back champs since Alabama.
That is, of course, assuming he doesn’t go straight to the NFL. In that case, watch out NFL defenses.