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College Football: 10 Under the Radar Heisman Trophy Candidates

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Dec 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the 1968 Heisman Trophy of Southern California Trojans tailback O.J. Simpson (not pictured) at Heritage Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the 1968 Heisman Trophy of Southern California Trojans tailback O.J. Simpson (not pictured) at Heritage Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 22, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) signals to sidelines during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) signals to sidelines during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /

Jared Goff may be under the radar, but he’s not off the radar. In Bovada’s most recent Heisman odds, the Cal quarterback is listed at 50-to-1, tied with NC State QB Jacoby Brissett, Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd, and North Carolina signal caller Marquise Williams for 26th on the list.

The biggest reason the odds makers like Goff is his career production. In his first two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Golden Bears, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Novato, California native has accumulated 7,481 passing yards and 53 touchdowns.

Goff improved in nearly every facet from 2013 to last year. He threw for more yards in fewer attempts, had more touchdowns, fewer interceptions and had a higher rating. As a result, Cal improved from 1-11 to 5-7. Heading into his junior season and the third year in head coach Sonny Dykes’ high-flying Air Raid offense, Goff and the Bears could be even better in 2015.

As for his Heisman Trophy candidacy, Goff must take full advantage of a September 19 road trip to Austin to play the Texas Longhorns as well as back-to-back-to-back matchups with Pac-12 heavyweights UCLA, USC and Oregon in late October and early November.

If Dykes and Goff can find a way to pull off an upset or two against that tough slate and take care of the other winnable games on the schedule, the Bears could be a surprise team in 2015 and their headline player could find himself in the Heisman conversation.

Next: Corey Clement

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