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3 reasons Baker Mayfield wins the Heisman Trophy

By Nathaniel Reeves

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 2: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 41-17 in the Big 12 Championship AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 2: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 41-17 in the Big 12 Championship AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield is the overwhelming favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy on Saturday evening and with good reason.

While fans will have to wait until Saturday evening for the official presentation, the Heisman Trophy race appears to be over.

Given annually to college football’s most outstanding player, the Heisman Trophy is considered the most prestigious individual award in sports. The Heisman has gone to either a quarterback or running back every season since Charles Woodson’s victory in 1997, with standouts like Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Marcus Mariota taking home the award in recent years.

After leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a 12-1 record and College Football Playoff berth, quarterback Baker Mayfield is the favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy next weekend at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Mayfield threw for 4,310 yards and 41 touchdowns to just five interceptions, posting the best season of his storied career.

Barring a shock, Mayfield will become the first walk-on player to capture the Heisman Trophy. Some have felt Mayfield’s occasionally childish actions like making a rude gesture towards the Kansas should disqualify him from the award, but voters will almost certainly decide differently.

Here are the three main reasons why Mayfield will win the sixth Heisman Trophy in Oklahoma history on Saturday night in New York City.

He’s the leader of a playoff team

Fair or not, being the starting quarterback on a high-profile team in national championship contention can provide a major boost in the Heisman race. Mayfield probably would have won the award based on superior stats alone, but leading Oklahoma to College Football Playoff certainly doesn’t hurt his chances.

While Oklahoma is always going to be in the Big 12 title picture, the Sooners faced a few questions over the offseason after Bob Stoops announced his retirement in June. Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley would be undertaking his first head coaching job at just 34 years old in a high-pressure environment, while Oklahoma lost plenty of production with Dede Westbrook, Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine heading to the NFL.

Mayfield’s return helped the Sooners open the season ranked seventh despite the major turnover at wide receiver and running back. Facing a difficult early season challenge at Ohio State, Mayfield quickly clicked with his new skill position players, throwing for 386 yards and three touchdowns to key a huge 31-16 win.

Oklahoma’s offense is better than ever even with all the lost talent, as the Sooners are averaging 44.6 points per game and 8.3 yards per play to easily lead the nation. Mayfield’s dominance under center has made the Sooners one of the favorites to win the national championship, something that will help him earn a few more first-place votes in the Heisman race.

Love and Stanford just lost their fourth game of the season, and the Cardinal get far less national exposure than Oklahoma. That’s not necessarily far, but it’s been a factor in many Heisman races before.

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