3 reasons Bryce Love should win the Heisman Trophy

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PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 10: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal breaks away from Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies at Stanford Stadium on November 10, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

1. Stats don’t lie

The Heisman Trophy is given out to the best player in college football for that particular season. Over the years, we have seen players stand up at the podium and accept the award after putting up incredible statistical seasons. In 2017, nobody can argue that Bryce Love did not put up some of the more eye-popping rushing statistics in the history of college football, and for that reason, he should be the one winning the Heisman Trophy this season.

College football was loaded with good running backs this season, including stars like Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, LSU’s Derrius Guice, and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor. Of all these players, Love was the one who led the Power 5 Conferences in rushing yards. Including the Pac-12 Championship Game, the junior rushed for 1,973 yards, scored 17 touchdowns, and finished with a country-best 8.3 yards per carry. Those are the kind of numbers that can win a player the Heisman Trophy.

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Aside from a 69-yard effort against Washington State back on November 4, Love rushed for over 100 yards in every game he played in this season. Had he played in the Oregon State game, which he had to sit out due to injury, he would have definitely eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark, especially with how bad the Beavers were this season. He had nine straight games over 100 yards, and in a two-week span in the middle of the season, he rushed for a combined 564 yards. Those 564 yards included an incredible 301-yard effort against Arizona State, which set the Stanford record for most rushing yards in a game.

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has had an incredible season as well, and he will head to New York City as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. However, the numbers that Love has put up can be compared to those running backs who have come away with the trophy, and him playing on a high ankle sprain the last few weeks could swing some voters. Whether he wins the trophy or not, he has stepped in for McCaffrey and created his own legacy at Stanford, even if he becomes another Cardinal to finish second in the Heisman voting.

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