2014 College Football Heisman Trophy Power Rankings: Week 15

2014 College Football Heisman Trophy Power Rankings: Week 15: The 2014 college football season is winding down, and with the top teams in the country preparing for conference title games, the top players in the country are preparing to make one final push for the Heisman Trophy. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top candidates for this year’s Heisman Trophy heading into the final week of the year.

1. Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon Ducks

Mariota’s performance in the Civil War was a microcosm for his outstanding season. He piled up nearly 400 yards of offense to go along with six scores in a 47-19 win over Oregon State, and for the year, he has 48 total touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards of offense. Perhaps more impressively, he has accounted for multiple touchdowns in every game, and he has thrown just two picks all year. With one more solid performance against Arizona in the Pac-12 title game, Mariota should secure himself the Heisman Trophy, and the Ducks will secure themselves a spot in the college football playoff.

2. Melvin Gordon, Running Back, Wisconsin Badgers

As he has all year, Gordon carried the Badgers to a win over Minnesota, punching Wisconsin’s ticket to the Big Ten title game. He rushed for a 151 yards and a score against the Golden Gophers, giving him a conference-record 2,260 rushing yards for the year. Plus, Gordon could easily break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record when all is said and done. Meanwhile, a big performance against an Ohio State team that will be using its third-string quarterback is a definite possibility, and if Gordon runs the Badgers to a Big Ten title, he could vault himself to the top of the Heisman Trophy race.

3. Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver, Alabama Crimson Tide

After a few quiet games against weaker competition, Cooper showed up big when it mattered most, tallying 13 catches for 224 yards and three scores in Alabama’s Iron Bowl victory. His 103 catches, 1,573 yards and 14 scores all rank in the top three nationally, and a solid showing against Missouri in the SEC title game basically guarantee him a trip to New York as a finalist. That being said, he will likely need Marcus Mariota and Melvin Gordon to bomb in their conference title games to have a chance at actually claiming the Heisman Trophy.

4. J.T. Barrett, Quarterback, Ohio State Buckeyes

Yes, his season came to a premature end as his ankle was fractured in the fourth quarter of the team’s win over Michigan, but Barrett’s numbers this season speak for themselves. He already has accounted for three scores against the Wolverines, giving him 45 total scores for the year to go along with 2,834 passing yards and 938 rushing yards. He also helped lead the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record and a spot in the conference title game. Not bad for a freshman that was thrown under center 10 days before the season began when Heisman Trophy frontrunner Braxton Miller went down for the year. Injured or not, Barrett has done enough to earn a trip to New York as a finalist.

5. Trevone Boykin, Quarterback, TCU Horned Frogs

Boykin was rock solid in a 48-10 victory over a Texas team that had been playing well, notching three total scores and almost 300 yards of offense. On the year, he has thrown for more than 3,000 yards and rushed for another 598 yards to go along with 36 total scores. If not for a defensive meltdown against Baylor, Boykin would have the Horned Frogs sitting with an undefeated record. Instead, he has one more game left against Iowa State to make a case to be a finalist for the Heisman and to make a case for TCU to be part of the college football playoff.