Heisman Trophy rankings 2020: Top 5 candidates and 5 darkhorse picks

3. Sam Ehlinger – Texas quarterback

Sam Ehlinger was supposed to drag Texas past Oklahoma last season to a Big 12 title, ending the Sooners’ dominance of the conference that’s lasted for half a decade. It didn’t work out as the Longhorns had planned. Ehlinger had decent stats (3,600 yards, 600+ rushing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions), but he was extremely small in big moments.

Against Baylor, the second-best team in the conference last season (a rating that was originally meant for Texas), Ehlinger threw for 200 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. In a surprising loss to TCU, he threw four interceptions. He only put up 210 yards in a loss to Oklahoma. He showed up against the eventual National Champions LSU (400 yards, 4 touchdowns), but every other time the Longhorns needed Ehlinger to win the game, he came up short.

This season, analysts hope his experience will help him in a strange season. The Big 12 is going with a 10-game season that sees each team play their conference opponent then one non-conference opponent. It sounds like that’s likely going to be UTEP, so their games against LSU and likely USF will be canceled.

The reason why this could be an intriguing pick is those luscious Big 12 defenses. In a season where there’s no time to prepare, those defenses might be worse than they are remembered. That could lead to some video game stats for Ehlinger. With Oklahoma having quarterback questions for the first time in a while, he could also add his first win in the Red River Rivalry. That would go a long way in helping his Heisman odds.