Auburn Back-Up: Marshall Will Win the Heisman

Published on 18-Aug-2014 by Stacey Mickles

Football - NCAA    NCAA Football Daily Review

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Auburn Back-Up: Marshall Will Win the Heisman

Call me skeptical, but when I heard last night that Auburn back-up quarterback Jeremy Johnson is getting face time, I could only think of one reason why.

Slow news day.

So he pushed enough hot buttons to make certain he saw his name in print other than game day programs.

Johnson announced that Tigers' starting quarterback Nick Marshall will win the Heisman.

He led us to the national championship, and we were 13 seconds away. And this year, he got better at passing, better at running, better at making reads. He’s become a leader on this team, and I’ve never seen him so amped at practice every day the way he is, the way he comes out. So, I know for a fact he’ll win the Heisman.

Sounds like this dude enjoys carrying a clipboard.

Nick Marshall may be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, but a Heisman winner? I don't think so. Marshall spent most of 2013 handing off to running back Tre Mason.

Most college football experts, including me, don't see Marshall as that guy. I'm not saying it can't happen, but in my eyes, he's a game manager, not a game changer.

If you check out Auburn's passing stats from last year, they were near the bottom of the SEC in every aerial category:

  • 10th in pass completions,
  • 10th in passing percentage,
  • 9th in passing yards, and
  • 10th in interceptions.

Forgive me if I'm not sold on Nick Marshall. In short, he's no Cam Newton.

An unknown winning the Heisman is not unusual, so a player who only recently snared a ray or two of the national spotlight like Marshall does have a legit chance of being a long shot for the award.

But other than Marshall, what other players could come out of nowhere like an RGIII or Mark Ingram and be the darling of the Downtown Athletic Club?

How about UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley? If it wasn't for Marcus Mariota, he'd have the inside track to being the Pac 12's premier QB:

What about Alabama running back TJ Yeldon, who seems to be the forgotten man in the Tide's offense? Since Nick Saban will be starting a new quarterback this season, he'll probably rely heavily on his running backs to carry the load.

So, Marshall winning the Heisman would be like me winning the lottery. It could happen, but not likely.