Oregon’s Mariota Suddenly Has Heisman Competition

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Jeffrey Martin, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Marcus Mariota, via Wikimedia Commons

And then there were two.

The competition for the Heisman Trophy has been reduced to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, who vaulted into serious contention following his NCAA record-setting 408-yard day against Nebraska.

If you subscribe to the theory that every candidate and/or winner must have a “moment,” then Gordon’s three-quarter demolition of the Cornhuskers is likely the strongest statement yet.

But does it eclipse Mariota’s season-long and sustained excellence? While it’s not as if Gordon has been a slouch at any stretch this season - he has nine 100-yard games, including eight in a row, and four eclipsing 200 yards - but the Ducks star has been as steady as a metronome.

Still, it’s hard to overlook the fact that Gordon is averaging a mind-boggling 8.6 yards per carry. Then again, Mariota has thrown 29 touchdowns and just TWO interceptions.

Voters can be fickle.

Some years, the award is given to the best player on the best team, and then other years, it’s the quarterback on the eventual national champion. In Mariota’s case, both would apply, but exceptions can be made for otherworldly efforts that must be recognized, such as Johnny Manziel’s victory in 2012.

Because of visibility, and due to the nagging perception that UO probably won’t/can’t measure up with the big boys from the SEC, Gordon is going to have tons of support down the stretch because what he’s done recently is so memorable.

More knocks against Mariota? Know that he’ll be docked for playing on the West Coast. While that shouldn’t be an impediment any longer - after all, it’s 2014, and you know, everyone has cable or DirecTV - it still is.

Plus, because the Big Ten is on television in an accessible time slot every Saturday, and there is a certain romanticism linked to the conference, mainly for what it once was and no longer is.

None of this should matter, of course, but it will.

And don’t forget about remaining opportunities. Gordon and the Badgers have two games left - at Iowa and versus Minnesota. There should be plenty of yards to be gained against both teams.

Ditto for Mariota and the Ducks against Colorado and Oregon State, but how much will Mariota play - especially with the possibility of an additional three games remaining (Pac-12 championship, a potential pair of games in the College Football Playoff)?

Will his production in those games matter? Should it matter?