The season ended last night in not so dramatic fashion, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year. Bovada has already released its odds for the National Championship and the Heisman. From early glances, I would just say to short Florida State at 12/1 and Notre Dame at 18/1. Both of those schools are perennially overrated at the start of the season and underachieve despite the tremendous talent they inexplicably recruit year after year. There's no doubt that they will be ranked highly next season and disappoint before the end of September. The rest of it is hard to say.
Meanwhile, the Heisman is much easier to review at this moment because we have some familiarity with the players and how successful their team can be.
Matt Barkley 7/2
It's no surprise that Barkley is the favorite. He is the best quarterback (pro-ready) in the country, and he is returning to a USC team that is going to return many of its starters. That team should have a chance at winning the Pac-12 next seasons, putting Barkley at the forefront of the Heisman race.
Denard Robinson 5/1
Usually Al Borges's quarterbacks make major progress in year two of being in the system. There isn't a more dynamic quarterback in college football than Denard Robinson and if he does make a leap, it will be great for him and Michigan. Michigan has a tough schedule, but if they make it through successfully, Denard is going to be a big part of that. It's hard not seeing Michigan being successful without Denard having a great season.
Montee Ball 5/1
Ball was a scoring machine this season, but I'm not sure his team is going to return the players to give him a chance to win. Wisconsin could very likely be in the mix for the Leaders Division title, but that will come largely because of OSU's postseason ban. I just see Ball having a tough time getting the votes if he couldn't get them this year.
Landry Jones 13/2
Jones is probably the second best quarterback in college football, but he's going to have to prove that he can do it without Ryan Broyles. He had a horrible second half of the season and his team went down with his performances. I don't know if Oklahoma can make the championship charge, but they'll have the talent for it.
Geno Smith 7/1
Before I get into the longer shots I like, I wanted to mention Geno Smith because I think his statistics could put him in New York. West Virginia absolutely destroyed Clemson with Holgorsen's Air Raid offense. If Smith can carry that into next season, he can put up prolific numbers in a conference that isn't known for its defense. He could do what Robert Griffin did this season. I see him as more Case Keenum than RG3 though.
Longshots that I like:
De'Anthony Thomas 25/1
This guy is fast. I think he suffered this year because he is young and the Ducks have LaMichael James. Next season, Thomas could put up monster numbers as the guy. Watch out!
Tyler Wilson 35/1
Tyler Wilson, in my opinion, is the best quarterback in the SEC. He loses Jarius Wright, but he should still have the weapons to compete for the Heisman. Arkansas should be good next year, and Wilson will have plenty of opportunities for Heisman moments when he faces LSU and Alabama.
Sammy Watkins 40/1
It's worth mentioning that Watkins's teammate Tajh Boyd is listed at shorter odds, but Watkins is clearly the star of that offense. When Watkins was hurt, the offense stalled. Watkins's injuries are precisely why he wasn't in the Heisman conversation as a Freshmen. If he stays healthy and Clemson can put together another strong season, I see no reason why Watkins isn't in the Heisman picture.
The Heisman is all about having the statistics, the wins, and the big moments in big games. It's always an open competition and accompanies the unpredictability of college football. I'm sad to see this season end, but that just means we can focus on college hockey, college basketball, and of course, next season!
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