In the perpetual Heisman Trophy primary that is the college football regular season, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott ended his campaign with an exclamation mark but was not invited to the final debate.
Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffery and Clemson’s quarterback DeShaun Watson gained the tickets to the Heisman presentation ceremony on Saturday in New York. It likely helped boost their chances that they played in key conference championship games on the final weekend of the regular season while Elliott, Louisiana State running back Leonard Fournette, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, among others being considered, did not.
“Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. Just make the best of the hand you are dealt,” Elliott tweeted on Tuesday. “That’s all a man can do.”
Elliott is still in the running for the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, along with quarterbacks Connor Cook of Michigan State and C.J. Beathard of Iowa. The award goes annually to the Big Ten most valuable player as decided by a vote of the coaches. The winner will be announced on Friday.
As for the Heisman, in a comparison of stats, Elliott did fall short of some of those others, though he now is the No. 2 all-time rusher in OSU history behind two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. And with 1,672 yards rushing this season to go with 1,878 last year (second most in school history behind the 1,927 of Eddie George in his 1995 Heisman year), Elliott has left his mark in what he said will be his final collegiate season. He joins Griffin as the only Ohio State backs to top 1,500 yards in consecutive years.
But for the voters who focused only on stats, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said, they missed the big picture when it came to Elliott’s campaign. As coach Urban Meyer has been saying for two years, it’s what Elliott does when he doesn’t have the ball that sets him apart.
“You watch our games — when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands is like when it’s a crazy deal,” Barrett said. “People outside really don’t look at that. They see what he does when he has the ball in his hands.
“But as far as like when he’s pass blocking or when I’m running the ball, I see the blocks. I’m running a sweep to the left and I see him chop a guy like a cherry tree. How many other backs can do that in the country?”
Or will do that.
“Yeah, not can do it, but will do it, put their body on the line just so I can get 3 yards,” Barrett said. “I definitely think he’s deserving of being in there. You don’t get running backs like that” all the time.
That all-around game is why Meyer was still stumping a few days ago for Elliott to be invited to the Heisman ceremony.
“There’s no question he should be in New York,” Meyer said.
He added, “I think the Heisman should invite more; they used to invite four or five guys,” recalling 2013, for example, when six were brought to New York in what was a close race won by Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.
But Heisman officials determine who is getting the lion’s share of support on the 929 ballots at the beginning of the week and invite those deemed to be in serious contention. Last year, only three were brought to the ceremony, where Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was declared the winner.
Elliott’s 214-yard, two-touchdown effort in the Buckeyes’ 42-13 win at Michigan was an emphatic statement in his last regular-season game. It also was a major rebound from his 12-carry, 33-yard outing against Michigan State in the team’s loss the week before, after which he criticized the play-calling and his 12 carries, an action that likely cost him some Heisman support.
He didn’t lose support from his teammates.
“He said that (because) … he wants the ball in order to help the team win,” Barrett said.
Even though he ultimately fell short in the Heisman race, Elliott said all along “It’s an honor to be mentioned in the conversation. It’s just an honor, just a blessing, and I’m just thankful to my teammates for giving me the opportunity to do what I do every week.”
