Heisman Watch 2017: Week 2
The 2017 college football season is officially in full-swing, but what do the 2017 Heisman Trophy hopefuls have lying ahead in Week 2.
Week 1 of the 2017 college football season is officially in the books. There were some good things, other bad moments and some instances that were just downright disheartening. And in all, that leaves us with an intriguing overall landscape in the college football world moving into Week 2. Even more curious, though, is the way the Heisman Trophy race is shaping up after one week of action.
Starting with the disheartening moments, though, it was tough to see Florida State Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois leave the game with a knee injury that was ultimately season-ending. Granted, he’d had his struggles up to that point with the Alabama defense. But even then, it was hard to see a talented player with such high hopes go out like that.
As for the rest of the Heisman race, it was largely a mixed bag. Some players dominated competition as they should have, while others came up with performances that were less than what they should’ve been. You should never overreact to one week of action, but it does mean something in a season that spans just three months.
Subsequently, let’s dive into the Heisman Watch heading into Week 2, starting with a young man on the West Coast whose fourth-quarter heroics inserted him into the conversation with abrupt force.
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Based on the first three quarters of play against Texas A&M in Week 1, UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen wouldn’t be sniffing the Heisman Watch. He wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t making plays, completing throws or even really leading his team. Instead, he looked like the captain of a ship that was getting sunk by Kevin Sumlin and company. Then he flipped the switch in the fourth quarter and the rest is history.
Throwing for nearly 300 yards and tossing four touchdowns to complete an insane comeback win in the fourth quarter, Rosen firmly cemented himself as a 2017 Heisman Trophy candidate in the win. He finished the night with 491 yards passing and the aforementioned four touchdown passes. Now the key for him is putting together the consistency necessary to stay in this position moving forward.
Rosen will have a good opportunity to do that in Week 2 as he should be able to put up gaudy stats without the need for any drama against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. When it comes to Rosen, it’s never been a question of skill and talent, but about putting it all together and being a bonafide leader and quarterback. He showed he has that in him in that fourth frame against the Aggies. If he continues that momentum into Week 2 and beyond, the college football world should watch out.