Heading into the final three weeks of the season, Alabama running back Derrick Henry is the Heisman Trophy favorite. For good reason, too, after rushing for 204 yards against Mississippi State. Henry will have the potential to put up big numbers in each of the next two weeks against Charleston Southern and Auburn, and he’ll have much of the nation watching against Florida in the SEC Championship.
Ohio State’s schedule gives Ezekiel Elliott a Heisman opportunity
The Buckeyes running back can gain a lot of attention in his last three games.
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But the player with the most potential to gain among all the contenders is Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is currently tied with LSU’s Leonard Fournette behind Henry in the Heisman betting odds. That’s because Elliott will have more chances for “Heisman moments” than anyone else in the country over the next few weeks, with games against No. 13 Michigan State, No. 14 Michigan and (probably) No. 5 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game.
That’s good news for Elliott, who is used to putting up big numbers in big three-game stretches. Last year, Elliott wasn’t even a first or second team All-Big Ten running back, but he became the Heisman co-favorite entering this season after a dominating stretch of runs against No. 13 Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal and No. 2 Oregon in the national championship.
| Opponent | Yards | Attempts | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
| Wisconsin | 220 | 20 | 11.0 | 2 |
| Alabama | 230 | 20 | 11.5 | 2 |
| Oregon | 246 | 36 | 6.8 | 4 |
It’s unlikely Elliott can do that again, because those numbers are extraordinary. However, he’s been putting up big numbers all season and has already put himself in the conversation, with zero games under 100 yards (Fournette has two, Henry has three). In fact, his numbers are just as good as Henry’s.
| Player | Yards per rush | Touchdowns | Highlight yards per opportunity |
| Leonard Fournette | 6.89 | 17 | 7.2 |
| Derrick Henry | 6.08 | 19 | 6.4 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 6.48 | 16 | 6.1 |
The only difference? Elliott hasn’t put up a great performance against a great team in front of the whole nation. The Alabama-LSU game is what separated Henry and Fournette. Even though Fournette’s numbers are better overall, Henry outplayed him when their teams played in the game of the week.
Now, Elliott gets the chance to do that in three straight games. That’s a tough task, but it’s one Elliott has accomplished before. If he can do it again, he’ll be right up there with Henry in New York.
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