Heisman Watch: TCU's Trevone Boykin This Year's Hidden Gem
Every season, the Heisman Trophy race seems to have a challenger emerge out of nowhere. Early on it looked as though Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill would be that star out of nowhere, but as the month of October draws to a close, it appears another quarterback from the Lone Star State is the hot name in the Heisman conversation. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin has been the face of a dynamic offense taking the Big 12 by storm, catapulting the Horned Frogs into the thick of the College Football Playoff mix.
TCU has just one Heisman Trophy winner in its program history. Davey O’Brien was named the fourth Heisman Trophy winner in the history of the award in 1938. Today O’Brien has a quarterback award named in his honor, and the foundation behind the award just honored Boykin as its player of the week. Boykin helped TCU pile up 82 points this past weekend at home against Texas Tech. Boykin and the Horned Frogs were determined not to let a big lead slip away this time, not after seeing a 21-point victory escape them on the road at Baylor a few weeks back. Against Texas Tech, Boykin completed 22 of 39 passes for 433 yards and seven touchdowns. It was Boykin’s second straight game with 400 passing yards and his sixth game with multiple touchdown passes.
To date, Boykin has thrown 21 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and he has yet to be picked off multiple times in a single game. If the Heisman Trophy were a Most Valuable Player award, Boykin’s case would be very strong. But the question here is whether or not Boykin is the best player in college football.
Boykin ranks in the top 10 nationally in passing yards per game and touchdowns, but Boykin’s completion percentage tends to hold him back among the leaders. Although, his completion percentages are good, he's only a few more completed passes away from pulling even with Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota looks to be the clear winner when it comes to completion percentage, but Boykin has TCU in position to claim a Big 12 title, which could end up helping TCU get into the playoff with a little help along the way. Boykin’s rise on the field has not technically been a surprise, but the output at which he is producing, along with the rest of the TCU offense, is overwhelming at this point. Boykin’s ability to take off running is also driving defensive coordinators crazy at times.
If TCU continues to win games, Boykin will be a huge reason why and people will be talking about sending the quarterback to New York at the end of the season.
Boykin and TCU head to West Virginia this Saturday in a Big 12 battle of top 25 teams.
Heisman Spotlight: Oregon vs. Stanford
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota helped lead the Ducks past Michigan State earlier in the season, proving to be capable of handling a team that plays sound defense. Mariota will be put to the test once again this week in a Pac-12 North battle with Stanford. Stanford’s defense has done well against Oregon the last two seasons, but Mariota seems to be ready to reverse the trend this week. A win against Stanford and Oregon remains the top team in the Pac-12 in all likelihood. A good performance from Mariota will keep him among the favorites for the Heisman Trophy.
Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
