From Grantland.com
Matt Hinton: Ohio State, Alabama, Baylor, Clemson
The Buckeyes: Obviously.
The Tide: I know, I know. With so much attrition on offense, this year sets up as the sobering reality check after 2014 exposed a few cracks in the facade. I just keep coming back to the defense, and the even more obvious vulnerabilities of every other SEC West contender, and the goddamn talent, and it all leads to the Tide. The Saban Death Star can’t last forever, but it’s got another year, at least.
The Bears: The closer we get to the season — and the further we get from Baylor’s and TCU’s divergent performances in their respective bowl games — the more obvious it is to me that the Bears, not the Frogs, are the smart pick in the Big 12. Everything about Baylor’s ascendancy under Art Briles points to an impending breakthrough: They’ve barely missed the championship cut each of the past two years, and with NFL-caliber guys like Shawn Oakman and Andrew Billings prowling around on defense, now is the time to make good on the upward trajectory. The new quarterback is going to be fine. The Bears just need to finish this thing already.
The Tigers: I’m all aboard and safely buckled in to the Deshaun Watson bandwagon (see below), and it just so happens that the Tigers get all three of their toughest games (Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Florida State) at home. Yes, they’re also planning to break in four new starters on both sides of the line of scrimmage, including a true freshman left tackle. But the talent is there, the schedule is there, and as long as Watson is there, so am I.
Heisman Trophy Winner
RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGESClemson’s Deshaun Watson is poised to make the leap from promising player to full-blown star.
Hinton: Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. First of all, even though 2015 looks like the Year of the Running Back going in, at this point the Heisman is realistically reserved for a quarterback whose team is playing for a national championship. (If this category were simply “Best Player,” full stop, I’d nominate Ohio State DE Joey Bosa.) And secondly, given that I’ve already picked his team to make the final four, I’m pretty much obligated to go with Watson, who I’ve endorsed from the get-go, and who will need to deliver a Heisman-worthy sophomore campaign if Clemson is going to make that kind of leap. You can’t have one without the other; I’m guessing the Tigers will get both.
Matt Hinton: Ohio State, Alabama, Baylor, Clemson
The Buckeyes: Obviously.
The Tide: I know, I know. With so much attrition on offense, this year sets up as the sobering reality check after 2014 exposed a few cracks in the facade. I just keep coming back to the defense, and the even more obvious vulnerabilities of every other SEC West contender, and the goddamn talent, and it all leads to the Tide. The Saban Death Star can’t last forever, but it’s got another year, at least.
The Bears: The closer we get to the season — and the further we get from Baylor’s and TCU’s divergent performances in their respective bowl games — the more obvious it is to me that the Bears, not the Frogs, are the smart pick in the Big 12. Everything about Baylor’s ascendancy under Art Briles points to an impending breakthrough: They’ve barely missed the championship cut each of the past two years, and with NFL-caliber guys like Shawn Oakman and Andrew Billings prowling around on defense, now is the time to make good on the upward trajectory. The new quarterback is going to be fine. The Bears just need to finish this thing already.
The Tigers: I’m all aboard and safely buckled in to the Deshaun Watson bandwagon (see below), and it just so happens that the Tigers get all three of their toughest games (Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Florida State) at home. Yes, they’re also planning to break in four new starters on both sides of the line of scrimmage, including a true freshman left tackle. But the talent is there, the schedule is there, and as long as Watson is there, so am I.
Heisman Trophy Winner
RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGESClemson’s Deshaun Watson is poised to make the leap from promising player to full-blown star.
Hinton: Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. First of all, even though 2015 looks like the Year of the Running Back going in, at this point the Heisman is realistically reserved for a quarterback whose team is playing for a national championship. (If this category were simply “Best Player,” full stop, I’d nominate Ohio State DE Joey Bosa.) And secondly, given that I’ve already picked his team to make the final four, I’m pretty much obligated to go with Watson, who I’ve endorsed from the get-go, and who will need to deliver a Heisman-worthy sophomore campaign if Clemson is going to make that kind of leap. You can’t have one without the other; I’m guessing the Tigers will get both.
