Mike Sutphin

Big Ten football is a thing of beauty. With 14 Heisman winners in their history, I wouldn’t be surprised if they added #15 this year. With a stacked division like the Big Ten East, one of the best in the division. So, who are the Big Ten Heisman Candidates?

Dwayne Haskins

Urban Meyer has coached some exceptional talent at the QB position in the past. Dwayne Haskins could be the next best QB under Meyer. Haskins hasn’t played much (he only has 57 total attempts in his career), but players like Money Manziel and Lamar Jackson have proven that experience doesn’t mean everything in football. Coming off his redshirt freshmen year, Haskins could make some serious noise as a dual-threat QB.

Heisman Moment Matchups: @ TCU, @ Michigan St, vs Michigan

Shea Patterson

Every year Michigan goes into the season with a ton of hype, and every year they seem to disappoint. The biggest excuse I’ve heard is “Harbaugh doesn’t have a QB. Just wait until he gets his QB.” Well this year he has his QB. Shea Patterson passed for 2,259 yards and 19 touchdowns in just 7 games last season for Ole Miss before injuring his knee. After the season, Patterson transferred to Michigan after being “misled” about the Rebels’ NCAA probation. Patterson averaged over 300 YPG, and has a knack for improvising, adding another much needed dimension to this Wolverines offense.

Heisman Moment Matchups: @ Notre Dame, vs Wisconsin, @ Ohio St.

Jonathan Taylor

Dude is coming off a freshmen year where he led the Big Ten in rushing and broke the NCAA freshmen rushing record with 1,977 yards, breaking Adrian Peterson’s old record. Taylor is a talented back with explosiveness all over the field. Wisconsin is also bringing back every single starter from last year on the O-line. Defenses should fear Taylor this year and he should still put up monster numbers. Plus, the man has two first names, so what could go wrong?

Heisman Moment Matchups: @ Iowa, @ Michigan, @ Penn St.

J.K. Dobbins

Another player that is coming off a stellar freshmen year, my man rushed for an OSU freshmen record 1,403 yards. He was also one of three Big Ten rushers to average over 100 YPG. J.K. is built like a mini truck and can leverage his body to win at the point of contact, and then turn on the jets. Playing at OSU will also put in him some big games this year, with plenty of coverage and eyes on him.

Heisman Moment Matchups: @ TCU, @ Michigan St, vs Michigan