The Sports Examiner's 2018 Heisman Ballot

Congratulations to Kyler Murray, the winner of the 2018 Heisman trophy. In fact, congrats to all three of the finalists. This was an exceptional group of finalists and in any other year, both Dwayne Haskins and Tua Tagovailoa would have been worthy winners.

Now, The Sports Examiner doesn't have a real Heisman ballot, but I thought it would be fun to continue the tradition and give you my final mock ballot. After all, I do a season-long Heisman watch, it makes sense for me to finish it. Let's get started.

I would like to highlight a few players before I get to the big three. First off is Jonathan Taylor, who is my fourth place player. Taylor had a fantastic sophomore season and led FBS in rushing yards. Unfortunately, his Wisconsin Badgers had an exceptionally disappointing season and Taylor's Heisman stock dropped as a result. Next up is Kentucky's Josh Allen. It's extremely hard for a defensive player to win the Heisman (Notre Dame's Manti Te'O is the only one this century to come close) but Allen made a great case. The nation's best defensive player anchored a feared unit while notching more forced fumbles than any other player. The third player I want to highlight is WSU's Gardner Minshew. Were it not for a loss to Washington, which cost them a spot in the Pac-12 title game, Minshew might well have been invited to New York City. Next up we have Notre Dame's Ian Book, who was probably the least heralded Heisman contender. What really hurt him was that he started the season as the #2 guy to Brandon Wimbush. Book eventually won the job and led Notre Dame to an undefeated season and CFP spot but it wasn't enough to get him any Heisman love. Finally, let's talk about Clemson's Travis Etienne. After Trevor Lawrence took over the starting QB spot from Kelly Bryant, Etienne became the focal point of the Tigers' offense and broke out in a big way. He finished fifth in rushing yards, fifth in yards per attempt, and third in rushing touchdowns.

3. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State- Ohio State fans are going to be miffed about this, but Haskins only gets third. Yes, he did lead FBS in passing yards and passing touchdowns but finished fourth in QBR, trailing Murray, Tagovailoa, and Georgia's Jake Fromm. Haskins was brilliant this year and was probably the nation's most outstanding player the last two weeks of the season. However, this is a season-long campaign and we have to take everything into account here. During that time period, Haskins was outshone by a number of other players, including the other two finalists, West Virginia's Will Grier, and Houston's Ed Oliver.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama- I want to start by saying watching Tua play football this year was such an enjoyable experience. He has an incredible arm and is quite possibly the most spectacular college QB I've ever seen. Not since Johnny Football have I been so taken with a player. That being said, we have to take into account that Tua was not instrumental in his team finishing undefeated. His backup Jalen Hurts almost certainly could have done that (Hurts lost only one regular season game as a starter in two seasons). Yes, Tua was a big reason why Alabama was the best team in the country, but he had not even thrown a regular season fourth-quarter pass. He never had to win a game, Alabama was just that good. He had a chance in the SEC Championship game against Georgia after 'Bama fell behind early. Unfortunately, he left the game with an injury and Hurts led the Crimson Tide to a comeback win. I really think that game cost Tua the Heisman, he finally had his chance to prove himself the most valuable player in the country and missed it.

1. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma- The same day Tua lost the Heisman was when Kyler Murray won it. All season long Murray had been posting incredible stats and creating video game highlights but he had always trailed Tua. Hours before Tua failed to beat Georgia, Murray and Oklahoma avenged their only loss of the season by dispatching Texas in the Big 12 title game. Murray dazzled in this game by throwing for 379 yards and three scores. He finished the season third in passing yards, second in completion percentage, first in yards per attempt, and second in passing touchdowns. The only other player who can match his stats is Haskins (with Washington State's Gardner Minshew coming close) and the only one who can match his resume is Tua. Thus, Murray is your 2018 Heisman trophy winner.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 13

This is it, our penultimate Heisman watch of the season. It's been a crazy, thrilling season and the same can be said for the Heisman race. While the top contender has been there pretty much the entire time, it was hectic everywhere else on the charts. Let's get started.

Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to McKenzie Milton of UCF. He suffered a horrific leg injury in Week 13 and the future of his career is in doubt. I wish him a speedy recovery.

9. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: 10)- I don't know if Etienne will receive any Heisman love but it's possible he could scrape together a few votes. He continued to make his case by running for 150 yards and two scores against rival South Carolina.

8. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 9)- In a way, it doesn't really matter what Fromm has done so far this season. If Georgia doesn't beat Alabama for the SEC Championship, Fromm will not get any Heisman votes. Even if Georgia does win, he still might not get any.

7. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 8)- Book and Notre Dame achieved their undefeated season by defeating rival USC and are now waiting on the results of championship week. If Notre Dame does make the playoffs, as they should, Book could pick up a few points.

6. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 5)- Grier's best shot at making it to New York City was by winning the Big 12 title. Unfortunately, West Virginia's loss to Oklahoma in Week 13 ensured that was not going to happen. Still, Grier played very well (539 passing yards with four scores and no picks) and is still a Heisman finalist longshot.

5. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: 4)- Minshew drops out of the top four after Washington State fell to Washington and saw their chances of winning the Pac-12 disappear. Minshew had his worst game of the season as he threw for 152 yards, zero scores, and two picks. Like Grier, Minshew is still a Heisman finalist longshot.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- I really want to add Taylor to the list of Heisman finalists, but I just can't. Yes, he leads the nation in rushing yards but Wisconsin has been an utter disappointment this season and Taylor hasn't been nationally relevant in weeks.

Heisman Finalists:

3. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- The Buckeyes dismantled the formidable Michigan defense as Haskins passed for 396 yards and six touchdowns. He truly looked like one of the most outstanding players in college football. If he plays well against Northwestern, Haskins is a lock to make it to New York.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- There's an argument to be made that Murray has been more outstanding than Tua has this year. Alabama is easily the best team in college football and they almost certainly would be undefeated if Jalen Hurts (who's only lost 1 regular season game as a starter over three seasons) was the QB. Murray on the other hand, has had to be sensational and be the main reason his team won games. It's an interesting argument, but I can't bring myself to put him at #1. Why?

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Here's why: Tua has been absolutely sensational this year. Based on the eye test alone, Tua has been simply spectacular. Not since Johnny Manziel have I been so impressed with a college player. His accuracy and arm strength are top-notch and he has played at a high level all season long.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 12

This is it. The homestretch of the 2018 college football season. This is the last week before rivalry week, where the teams advancing to the conference title games will be determined. The Heisman race is also drawing to a close. To spice things up a little bit, I'm going to draw a line to identify the players who I would invite to New York for the trophy presentation. Let's see where our contenders rank.

We have three honorable mentions: Shea Patterson of Michigan, Marqise Brown of Oklahoma, and Tylan Wallace. All three of these players still have a chance to make our Top 10.

10. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: 10)- Clemson had their way with Duke and Etienne was a big reason why. He only carried the ball nine times, but those nine carries went for 81 yards and two scores.

9. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- Fromm drops four spots after doing very much of nothing against UMass. While he did complete all five of his passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, Fromm was outshone by his backup Justin Fields. The window for him to get any Heisman votes is rapidly closing.

8. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- A lot of people picked Syracuse, who went the distance with Clemson, to knock off unranked Notre Dame. That didn't quite go to plan, as ND won by 33 and Book looked fantastic. He completed 23 of his 37 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns with just one pick.

7. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 8)- Like Fromm, Milton's window of getting any Heisman love is rapidly narrowing. But unlike Fromm, Milton shone in Week 12. He threw for three touchdowns, while running for one more, and 268 passing yards as UCF beat #24 Cincinnati.

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- Taylor might be the Heisman race's forgotten man. He's been consistently great this entire year but due to his team underperforming, has been largely forgotten. Thankfully, he should receive some Heisman love, in large part thanks to his Week 12 performance. In Wisconsin's win over Purdue, Taylor ran for a career-high 321 yards while finding the end zone three times.

5. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Unfortunately for Grier, he drops out of the top 3 after falling to Oklahoma State. Grier played well, three total scores and 364 passing yards, but it wasn't enough to get him the win.

4. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: 7)- Minshew is last year's Khalil Tate, a latecomer to the party who has a chance to make a real impact. While I currently have him just outside the finalist cutoff, he can still make it to New York. In Week 12, he threw for seven touchdowns and threw for 473 yards.

Heisman Finalists:

3. Dwayne Haskins, Oklahoma (Last Week: 3)- If Ohio State had fallen to Maryland, Haskins would have difficulty making the top six. Instead, he stays in the #3 spot after tossing three scores and running for six more. 

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- Murray became the first Oklahoma QB to run for three scores in a game since Trevor Knight in 2014. He also threw for two scores in Oklahoma's win over Kansas. At this point, it feels like Murray is Tua's only realistic challenger.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Speaking of Tua, he dazzled in 'Bama's win against Citadel. He threw only four incompletions and accounted for four touchdowns. He still is the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Heisman Watch Week 11

The regular season is drawing to a close and we're getting a really good sense of the top playoff and Heisman contenders. At this point, the Heisman race is a runaway, but there's still time. The fringe contenders also have plenty of time to establish their cases and try and just make it to New York City. Let's get started.

We have one player drop out from last week: Kentucky's Benny Snell Jr. Now that we know Kentucky has zero chance of making a New Year's Day Six bowl, they've completely dropped from the national spotlight.

10. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: NR)- Snell's misfortunes work out for Etienne as he makes his way back into our Top 10. He ran for 78 yards on 11 carries in Clemson's win over Boston College. Etienne is currently a longshot to make it to New York City, but he probably has the best chance of any running back.

9. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 7)- Notre Dame put a complete beatdown on Florida State as they won 42-13. Unfortunately for Book, he was injured. His replacement was the man who started the season for the Irish, Brandom Wimbush. Like Etienne, Book is an NYC longshot and will need a big game and win against Syracuse tomorrow or his Heisman campaign is dead.

8. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 9)- UCF handed Navy its eighth loss of the season and is still undefeated. Milton had his best game in a few weeks as he went 17 for 21 with 200 passing yards and two scores. He also racked up 62 rushing yards and one score.

7. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: 10)- Minshew cracks the top 7 after Washington State's win over Colorado. Minshew threw for 335 yards and had three total touchdowns. If all goes well, Washington State will have a Pac-12 title and Minshew will be a Heisman finalist.

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- Similar to Kentucky and Snell, Taylor's Heisman campaign is pretty much dead thanks to Wisconsin's failures as a team. Still, Taylor has played very well. Against Penn State, Taylor ran for 185 yards. The sophomore leads the nation with 1,548 rushing yards.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- No matter what happens around him, Fromm has continued to stay in the Heisman race. Against #24 Auburn, Fromm threw for 193 yards and one score as Georgia remains in the playoff hunt.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- Haskins went 24 of 39 for 227 yards and one touchdown against Michigan State. With OSU effectively out of the playoff picture right now, Haskins's chances of winning the Heisman seem very slim.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns in West Virginia's win over TCU. The Mountaineers are 8-1 on the season and are still contenders for the Big 12 title and playoffs.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- If there's anyone with a chance of stopping Tua, it's this guy right here. Murray has looked like a video game character at times this year. He totaled more than 400 yards of total offense in Week 10 and is on pace to eclipse 45 total touchdowns this year.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Tua didn't have a great game against Mississippi State but it was enough to keep him in the lead here. He completed 2/3 of his passes and thew for a score and a pick.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 10

Unfortunately, I've fallen behind again thanks to the wildfires here in Southern California. My WiFi has been out for a few days and it's been hard to watch games or write anything. Nonetheless, I'm soldiering through and trying to get these posts out to you as soon as possible. Let's get started.

Our one honorable mention this week is the player who dropped out last week: Clemson's Travis Etienne. He ran for 153 yards and one score in Clemson's win over Louisville.

10. Gardner Minshew, UCF (Last Week: 10)- Minshew still feels at least a tier below the elite quartet of Tua, Haskins, Grier, and Murray for the time being. He'll probably need a Pac-12 title and some more big numbers to even threaten them. 

9. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 9)- Milton and UCF beat the Temple Owls to stay undefeated, but it was an ugly game. Milton went 17 for 33 with three TDs and one pick. Those are the kind of games he'll need to avoid in order to make it to New York City. 

8. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 7)- Snell's best shot at making it to New York City was if Kentucky at least made it to the SEC title game. Unfortunately, that possibility ended after they fell to Georgia 34-17. In that game, Snell ran for 73 yards and one TD on 10 carries. 

7. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 8)- Finally, it looks like Book is getting a little bit of Heisman love from some other outlets. He leads the nation in completion percentage while his QBR of 170.0 trails only five other slingers. 

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- Wisconsin has completely fallen off the national radar and that has taken its toll on Taylor, as the sophomore is still putting up big numbers. In Week 10 against Rutgers, he an for 208 yards and three touchdowns while also hauling in one pass for thirty yards. 

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- Thanks to their 34-27 win over Kentucky, Georgia is guaranteed a spot in the SEC title game. Fromm did his part as he went 14 for 20 for 113 yards and one score.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- Haskins and the Buckeyes looked shaky against Nebraska, a team they should have blown past. Still, they did pick up the win and Haskins broke the school record for most completions in a season.  

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier sits pretty in the top three after delivering a potential Heisman moment in West Virginia's win over Texas. He finished with 346 passing yards and West Virginia is still in the playoff conversation.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- For the third year in a row, it looks like an Oklahoma QB will be a Heisman finalist. The future Oakland A has been sensational this year and is an obvious choice to be invited to New York City. Against Texas Tech, Murray threw for 360 yards and three scores.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- The Heisman race has been nearly solidified for weeks now and Tua continues to play at an elite level. In Week 10 against LSU, he threw for 295 yards and scored thrice.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 9

So yes, Week 10 has already started, but I'm dropping this on Friday night, so technically we're good to go. We had one player drop out this week: Clemson's Travis Etienne, who ran for only 45 yards and zero scores against Florida State.

Since we have a little time, let's highlight our three honorable mentions. First off is Oklahoma State's Tylan Wallace. He may not be well known but he is fifth in the nation with 940 receiving yards. Next up is another fellow WR in David Sills V. The former QB phenom has been on our honorable mention list multiple times but has yet to crack the top 10. Finally, let's give some love to D'Eriq King. Teammate Ed Oliver may have gotten all the Heisman hype at the beginning but King is beginning to build a lot of momentum. Houston is ranked at 17 and King leads all QBs in rushing touchdowns.

10. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: NR)- Minshew takes Etienne's spot after leading the Cougars to an upset win over the Stanford Cardinals. Minshew completed 80% of his passes and threw three scores and zero picks. With this win, Washington State is now looking like a real threat to win the Pac-12.

9. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 8)- Milton and Central Florida had a bye in Week 9.

8. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- Notre Dame pretty much had their way against Navy and this allowed Book to put up some nice stats. He finished with 330 yards and two passing touchdowns to complement his 50 rushing yards. Book continues to be the hidden man among the Heisman candidates but with performances like these, he'll be on the national radar soon.

7. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 6)- It was not a good week for running backs in the Heisman conversation. Snell only ran for 67 carries on 19 yards with zero scores. He'll need a big game against UGA in Week 10 to have a chance at the top 5.

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)- Taylor dropped three sons after an uninspiring performance in Week 9 against Northwestern. Not only did Wisconsin lose, Taylor only ran for 46 yards and was outgained by teammate Garrett Groshek.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 7)- Fromm moves back into the top five after Georgia stomped all over #9 Florida. Fromm went 17 of 24 for 240 yards and three scores. Now, the Bulldogs take on Kentucky in a big SEC East matchup. This game could very well determine who eventually wins the division.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- Haskins didn't play in Week 9 but moves up a spot thanks to Taylor's fall.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 4)- Grier had a nice bounceback against Baylor following the loss to Iowa State. He threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns to keep West Virginia in the Big 12 title hunt.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- Speaking of the Big 12 title hunt, Oklahoma might be the favorite there thanks to Oklahoma State upsetting Texas. If Oklahoma does win the conference, Murray is pretty much a lock to make it to New York City. In Week 9, Murray totaled nearly 400 yards of offense to go along with his four scores.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- A week off does nothing to hamper Tua's Heisman campaign.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 8

Technically, Week 9 hasn't finished yet, so this isn't super late, just a little late. Let's get started.

We have no honorable mentions or any dropouts this week, so let's get to the main list.

10. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: 10)- On the surface, Etienne's stat line in Week was disappointing: 15 rushes for just 39 yards. But let's not forget that 20% of his rushes ended in the end zone and that he also had 24 receiving yards as Clemson gave #16 North Carolina State its first loss of the season.

9. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- Book stays put at #9 after Notre Dame has the week off.

8. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 6)- There's good and bad news here. The good news first: UCF won by 27 points and are still gunning for the playoffs. The bad news: Milton didn't play. He was benched for "overall health reasons" and drops two spots as a result.

7. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 7)- Fromm stays put at #7 as Georgia had a bye week.

6. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 8)- Snell showed up to play in Kentucky's Week 8 win over fellow SEC team Vanderbilt. Though it was a close game, Snell had the winning touchdown and finished with 169 rushing yards on 32 carries.

5. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 2)- Ohio State got absolutely embarrassed by Purdue last Saturday. If you watched that game without any prior knowledge of the season, you would have thought the Boilermakers were the national title contenders, not the Buckeyes. As I've said before multiple times here, QBs suffer when their team loses. That being said, coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes defense deserve more blame than Haskins. The Buckeyes gave up more than 500 yards of total offense and Meyer refused to run the ball. Haskins finished with a stat line of 49 for 73 for 470 yards, two scores, and one pick.

4. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 4)- West Virginia didn't play in Week 8 but Grier moves up a spot thanks to Haskins's free-fall.

3. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)- Taylor stays put at #3 after running for 159 yards on 27 carries against Illinois. At this point, Taylor looks like the non-QB with the best chance of making it to New York City.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 5)- Oklahoma needed to rebound from their shocking loss against Texas and did so in a big way against TCU. Murray also needed a big win to catapult himself back into the top-tier of Heisman contenders. Well, all that was accomplished and more. Oklahoma won 52-27 and Murray threw for four touchdowns while also adding 51 yards with his legs.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- It's really hard to imagine a scenario where Tua doesn't enter December as the overwhelming Heisman favorite. I haven't been this taken with a college QB since Johnny Manziel's freshman season. On top of that, Alabama looks far and away as the best team in the country. Is everyone else just fighting for second place?

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 7

It's been a crazy few days for me, but this week should be the last time this season I post a Heisman watch late. Thanks for sticking with me, here's get started.

We say goodbye to Trace McSorley Jr. after Penn State was upset by Michigan State. On the plus side of things, we tip our hat to Laviska Shenault Jr. and Darrell Henderson. Though they both lost in Week 7, they put up impressive numbers.

10. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: NR)- Etienne was an honorable mention last week and makes his way on to our list after the colossal shakeup that was Week 8.

9. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- Book didn't have the best game against Pittsburgh but at least Notre Dame won. Book finished with two touchdowns and two picks while going 26 for 32. Thanks to the brilliant QB play of guys like Will Grier and Dwayne Haskins, Book is very much a fringe contender at this point.

8. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 8)- Snell sits tight at #8 after Kentucky had the week off.

7. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- The best argument for Fromm's Heisman campaign was that Georgia was unbeaten and a national title contender. Unfortunately, thanks to their 20-point loss against LSU, that is no longer the case and Fromm is a long way away from the Heisman mountaintop.

6. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 7)- UCF narrowly beat Memphis 31-30 to keep their playoff dreams alive. Milton played well (17 of 29 for one touchdown with 296 passing yards) but was not outstanding. He needs to stay undefeated in order to have a real shot at making it to New York.

5. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 6)- Thanks to all of the chaos at the top, Murray moves up one spot even though he didn't play in Week 7.

4. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- It feels like every few seasons the Iowa State Cyclones rise up and knock off a national title contender. This year, they shocked unbeaten West Virginia and put a serious dent in Grier's Heisman campaign. Grier threw for only 100 yards and posted an abysmal QBR of 16.6.

3. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 4)- Wisconsin may have lost to Michigan and seen their national title dreams go up in smoke, but Taylor ran for 101 yards and 17 carries and still finds himself in the thick of the Heisman conversation.

2. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 2)- Haskins had another great game against Minnesota to pad his resume. He completed 75% of his stats for 412 yards and three scores.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- At this point in the race, everyone else is fighting for #2, Tua has the #1 spot on lock. In the win against Missouri, Tua threw for 265 yards and three scores as 'Bama won by four possessions.

Thanks for reading. 

Heisman Watch Week 6

I apologize for the late post but it was a very busy week for me. I'll do my best to make sure the Week 7 post is on time. Let's get started.

We have too many honorable mentions this week to really go into detail, so I'm just going to list them: Sam Ehlinger, Travis Etienne, Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin, and Laviska Shenault Jr. Hopefully, these players stick around so we can really give them their proper dues.

We have one player drop off from last week: Bryce Love, who was inactive in Stanford's game against UC Davis. Unfortunately, he's missed multiple games this season and that prevents him from making our top ten.

10. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 10)- McSorley was on a bye in Week 6 and stays in the #10 spot.

9. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: NR)- Things looked bleak early for Notre Dame against #24 Virginia Tech but QB Ian Book stayed the course and guided the Irish to a 45-23 win to keep them undefeated. Book threw for 271 yards and one TD.

8. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 7)- Snell drops a spot after a lackluster performance against Texas A&M. His 13 carries for 60 yards and zero scores just don't cut it for the top 7. At least Kentucky won the game.

7. McKenzie Milton, Central Florida (Last Week: 8)- UCF whooped Southern Methodist by 28 points. Milton's passing numbers weren't great (18 of 34 for 278 yards, two scores, and a pick) but at least it was enough to get the win.

6. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 5)- Oklahoma suffered a shock upset to Texas and Murray falls out of the top five as a result. Still, Murray played well as he threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns. It just wasn't enough to pick up the win.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 6)- Fromm continues to be the hidden gem on this list. His great performance against Vanderbilt, which included 276 passing yards and three touchdowns, should boost his standing.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 4)- Wisconsin had a  sensational game against fellow Big Ten team Nebraska. The real star of the show: sophomore Jonathan Taylor. He absolutely gashed the 'Huskers defense. His 24 carries went for 221 yards and three touchdowns.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 2)- West Virginia beat Kansas but it wasn't pretty. Grier threw three red-zone interceptions, which is definitely not outstanding and drops Grier out of the #2 spot.

2. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- The Buckeyes steamrolled the Indiana Hoosiers and Haskins put on a Heisman-worthy performance. His 455 passing yards and six touchdowns through the air were both career highs.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Before we get into Tua's performance against Arkansas in Week 6, I just want to bring your attention to the fact that Tua has zero turnovers on the season. How incredible is that? Anyways, Tua was his usual brilliant self in Week 6 as he threw for 334 yards and four scores.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

NBA 2018-2019 Season Predictions

BASKETBALL IS BACK BABY. Time for some Steph Curry impossible threes, the King going Showtime, and Giannis defying the laws of nature. This promises to be an exciting season. Of course, with a new season comes predictions. Just like we did with our NFL season predictions, we're going to do these predictions rapid-fire. I really enjoy the new rapid-fire format and I think I'm going to keep it going forward.   Let's get started.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division: This will probably be the best division in the NBA. After years of Miami and then Cleveland dominating the conference, it really feels like the East is wide open. Or at least, open to whoever wins this division. I don't think anyone would be upset if I said the three best teams in the East were in this division. But how do they rank?

5. New York Knicks- The lone real bright spot for the Knicks is Kristaps Porzingis and we don't know how healthy he'll be this season. In fact, he may not even play at all. Either way, the Knicks should find themselves with plenty of balls for the next draft lottery.

4. Brooklyn Nets- Things are looking up for the Nets. No, really. They have a nice young core of
talent like Jarrett Allen, D'Angelo Russell, and Spencer Dinwiddie. There is a wide berth between them and the third team in this division, but Brooklyn fans should be optimistic about the future.

3. Philadelphia 76ers- It really feels like the Sixers have a wide range of outcomes for this regular season. On the one hand, they lost valuable role players in Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli. We also have yet to see Joel Embiid play a whole season. On the other, Embiid has proven he can stay healthy for long stretches of time and we get to see the new and improved Markelle Fultz. I wouldn't be surprised if Philly won 50 games this season and I wouldn't be surprised if they won 55.

2. Toronto Raptors- This is a tough pick but I'm picking the Celtics over the Raptors. Drake's favorite team did win four more games than Boston last year, but that was a very different team than the one they currently field. Gone is reigning Coach of the Year Dwayne Casey, gone is franchise cornerstone DeMar DeRozan. We have yet to see what Nick Nurse can do and we have no idea how Kwahi Leonard and Danny Green will fit in.

1. Boston Celtics- The Celtics are definitely the best team in the Eastern Conference and anything less than a berth in the Finals would be a disappointing season. There may be some growing pains as Gordon Hayward finally plays with his new team but coach Brad Stevens should be able to figure that out.

Central Division:

5. Chicago Bulls- There's really not much to say about the Bulls, they're still a few pieces away from competing for the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how much Lauri Markannen builds on his very promising rookie season.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers- The Cavs went from having one of the best trios in the NBA to now leaning solely on Kevin Love. For those of us paying attention five years ago, Love has the potential to lead a team and be a big star, but those Timberwolves teams had zero playoff success. He's going to need career seasons from guys like Rodney Hood and Tristan Thompson to make it back to the playoffs.

3. Detroit Pistons- The Motor City's favorite sons were the ninth seed last year and could have made the playoffs last year were it not for a long absence to starting point guard Reggie Jackson. Now, Jackson is healthy and we'll finally get to see what he can do with multiple-time All-Stars Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin.

2. Milwaukee Bucks- Most experts have the Bucks winning this division but I'm not that sure. Outside of elite star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have at best a good roster. Guys like Thon Maker and Ersan Ilyasova are talented but it's hard to see them being corner pieces of a true contender.

1. Indiana Pacers- Victor Oladipo has arrived. The former Hoosier became a household name last year and led the league in steals (something he'll probably do again this year). While we should expect some regression from Oladipo, let's not forget that the Pacers get big man Myles Turner back. Turner hardly played last year and it will be interesting to see him play with Oladipo.

Southeast Division:

5. Atlanta Hawks- The Hawks were the league's least watchable team last year but that should improve with first-round pick Trae Young. Still, talent is scarce down in Georgia and we really shouldn't expect much.

4. Orlando Magic- Outside of Aaron Gordon (who is no longer much of a novelty), the Magic are pretty uninteresting. Of course, lottery pick Mo Bamba could develop into something special but rookies rarely make an impact.

3. Charlotte Hornets- The biggest story about the Hornets this year will probably be what they do with Kemba Walker. The Hornets could trade Walker for a host of draft picks and begin rebuilding. They could also double down and make a playoff push.

2. Miami Heat- The Heat won the division last year but nothing suggests that they can progress upwards. They made no notable roster additions and it really feels like they overachieved last year.

1. Washington Wizards- If the Wizards can keep a lid on the locker room drama, they should win the division. Adding Dwight Howard was a smart move that needed a dominant paint presence. Jokes aside, Howard is still a great defensive player and one who should make a big splash this year.

Western Conference

Northwest Division:

5. Minnesota Timberwolves- This is top-to-bottom, the best division in the NBA and theoretically, all five teams could make the playoffs. The 'Wolves were genuinely one of the conference's best teams last year when Butler was healthy but I don't think Butler is long for Minnesota. His departure puts a big ceiling on this team.

4. Denver Nuggets- The Nuggets might be the most underappreciated team in the league. They have a young superstar in Nikola Jokic and have complementary pieces like Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Will Barton.

3. Portland Trail Blazers- The Blazers were the third seed in the West last year but I'm predicting them to fall a bit. They got embarrassed by New Orleans in the playoffs last year and made no notable additions in the offseason.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder actually got better by shedding Carmelo Anthony. They'll be even better when Andre Roberson, one of the best defensive players in the league, returns from injury.

1. Utah Jazz- Why not the Jazz? They have two genuine superstars in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Quin Snyder is secretly one of the best coaches in the NBA.

Pacific Division:

5. Sacremento Kings- The Kings will most likely be dead last in the West this year. Their future isn't especially bright but at least Marvin Bagley III will be fun to watch.

4. Phoenix Suns- The Suns clearly think they're a better team than they are but their roster is full of potential thanks to guys like Josh Jackson, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. Just don't expect them to be very good this year.

3. Los Angeles Clippers- The Clippers are back to being the other team in LA. Their last two stars from the beginning of last season, Blake Griffin and DJ, and are the definition of a listless team. Guys like Tobias Harris and Lou Williams will keep them in the playoff hunt, but it won't be easy.

2. Los Angeles Lakers- We should keep our expectations about the Lakers in check. Yes, LeBron is the best player in the world but his supporting cast is suspect at best. Brandon Ingram has yet to flash his true potential, Lonzo Ball can't shoot, Lance Stephenson is years past his prime, etc. Still, there's a lot to love here. Josh Hart is coming off of an excellent Summer League appearance, Rajon Rondo showed earlier this year that he's still got it, and Michael Beasley is coming off a year where he quietly averaged 13.2 PPG and hit 39.5% of his threes.

1. Golden State Warriors- The Warriors are still the undisputed gold standard of the league, plain and simple.

Southwest Division:

5. Dallas Mavericks- There's only one reason to watch the Mavs this year: Luka Doncic. That's it.

4. Memphis Grizzlies- The Grizzlies were a train wreck last year but with a healthy Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, they should at least escape the cellar.

3. San Antonio Spurs- This season will be one of the toughest for the legendary Coach Popovich. He's lost Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, and Kwahi Leonard, four Spurs stalwarts over the last number of years.

2. New Orleans Pelicans- The Pelicans will probably miss Rajon Rondo but they have a new young star in Julius Randle. Regardless, this is Anthony Davis's team and their success all depends on him.

1. Houston Rockets- These aren't the same Rockets from last year. Gone are Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza and in are Carmelo Anthony and MCW. If Carmelo can become even half of the scorer he was in New York, the Rockets will be a threat to the Dubs.

East Seeds: 1. Boston Celtics 2. Toronto Raptors 3. Indiana Pacers 4. Philadelphia 76ers
5. Washington Wizards 6. Milwaukee Bucks 7. Miami Heat 8. Detroit Pistons

West Seeds: 1. Golden State Warriors 2. Houston Rockets 3. Utah Jazz 4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Los Angeles Lakers 6. New Orleans Pelicans 7. Portland Trail Blazers 8. San Antonio Spurs ( I want to see the Nuggets make the playoffs but I can't keep the Spurs out).

First Round:

#8 Detroit Pistons at #1 Boston Celtics- Yeah, this will be a sweep. The Pistons should be happy just making the postseason.

#5 Washington Wizards at #4 Philadelphia 76ers- This could actually be an interesting series. Washington has the guard play and paint presence to make the Sixers nervous. I'm still going to go with the chalk team here though, the Wizards just don't have the talent to match up with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

#7 Miami Heat at #2 Toronto Raptors- I can see a sweep here but Miami is also talented enough to steal one game. Let's say Raptors in 5.

#6 Milwaukee Bucks at #3 Indiana Pacers- This should be one of the best first-round series this year. The Pacers will have the home-court advantage but the Bucks have the best player in the East: Giannis. I'm going to pick the upset here and go with the Bucks. No one on Indiana will be able to shut down Giannis and his complementary pieces of Thon Maker and Ersan Ilyasova will make waves.

#8 San Antonio Spurs at #1 Golden State Warriors- Just like when these two teams met in the conference finals two years ago, this should be a sweep.

#5 Los Angeles Lakers at #4 Oklahoma City Thunder- LeBron doesn't lose in the first round, it just doesn't happen. Besides, the Thunder have had zero success in the playoffs since KD left. In the last two years, they've won just three playoff games.

#7 Portland Trail Blazers at #2 Houston Rockets- The Blazers got embarrassed last year by the Pelicans and I don't expect them to fare much better here.

#6 New Orleans Pelicans at #3 Utah Jazz- As crazy as this sounds, the Pelicans might be doomed without Playoff Rondo. In last year's playoffs, Rondo hit more than 42% of his threes and averaged 12.2 assists a game. Plus, AD will find himself covered by Rudy Gobert, the best defensive player in the game. Give me the Jazz in 6 or 7.

Second Round:

#4 Philadelphia 76ers at #1 Boston Celtics- To predict this series, we look back to last year's playoffs where the Celtics handily beat Philly in five games. Let's add Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to that, and you got a dominant Celtics victory.

#6 Milwaukee Bucks at #2 Toronto Raptors- The fact we might see a Giannis vs. Kwahi playoff series makes me unbelievably happy. That being said, give me the 6 in 6.

#5 Los Angeles Lakers at #1 Golden State Warriors- There will understandably be tremendous hype around this series but remember that LeBron is 1-3 against the Dubs. That shouldn't change here.

#3 Utah Jazz at #2 Houston Rockets- I really want to pick an upset here but I just can't do it. A healthy trio of James Harden, CP3, and Clint Capela is too good to lose in the second round.

Conference Finals:

#2 Toronto Raptors at #1 Boston Celtics- If Kwahi stays in Toronto, then we could see these two teams in the semis for the next five years. This year, I'm picking the Celtics. They've got the best starting lineup in the league east of Oakland.

#2 Houston Rockets at #1 Golden State Warriors- This series went to a full seven games last year and I think it goes to seven again. The real difference could be DeMarcus Cousins. The Warriors finally have someone to combat the newly paid Capela.

Finals:

Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors- I think that this current iteration will eventually win a title, but not this year. The Warriors are unquestionably the best team in the NBA. Give me the Dubs in 6.
Finals MVP: Kevin Durant

Season Awards:

MVP: Anthony Davis- Davis was unstoppable last year after Cousins went out. Now, he's got the potential to put up crazy stats the entire year.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert- Gobert won this award last year even after missing a good chunk of the season. If he stays completely healthy, this is is his award to lose.
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Knox- The trendy pick is Ayton but let us not forget about the man who wowed everyone over the summer.
Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder- A lot of people will pick Brad Stevens but come on, I could coach that lineup to a playoff spot.
Sixth Man: J.J. Redick- Runner-up for this spot is one of the best sixth men in recent memory: Lou Williams.
Most Improved Player: Myles Turner- He was my pick last year before he got injured.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 5

Now that we're in October, I think that we finally get some real Heisman speculation going. All of the "real" Heisman candidates have made their early cases and we've weeded out the early pretenders like Khalil Tate and Brandon Wimbush. With that being said, let's take a look at our Week 5 rankings.

Only one player dropped out from last week: Drew Lock of Missouri who was off in Week 5.

Just like last week, Notre Dame's Ian Book put up a great performance and makes our honorable mentions. He is joined by Michigan's Karan Higdon, who ran for 115 yards and two scores against Northwestern. Let's get started.

10. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 9)- McSorley drops a spot after Penn State failed to maintain their lead against Ohio State. When the game started, McSorley genuinely looked like the most outstanding player on the field. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions blew the lead and McSorley's Heisman stock falls as a result. While his passing numbers weren't great (16 of 32 for 286 yards and two scores), he also ran for  175 yards.

9. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 8)- Love's once fiery Heisman campaign is currently not much more than a pile of damp embers. While 103 total yards and a rushing touchdown isn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, it's nowhere near enough to consider him for the top five. Love isn't even orbiting the planet that guys like Kyler Murray and Will Grier currently reside in.

8. McKenzie Milton, Central Florida (Last Week: NR)- Some are going to say that I've been late on the Milton party, and you know what? They're probably right. UCF is ranked #12 and undefeated. In the Week 5 win against Pitt, Milton threw for 328 yards and four scores as UCF handily won by 35 points.

7. Benny Snell Jr. (Last Week: 7)- I know I'm supposed to be unbiased and I do my very best to make sure these rankings are fair. With that being said, I must confess that I am rooting for one person to win the Heisman this year. That man: Kentucky back Benny Snell Jr. Out of absolutely nowhere, Kentucky has emerged as a must-watch force in the SEC East and Snell is the biggest reason why. In the win over South Carolina, Snell ran for 99 yards and one score as the Wildcats steamrolled their competition. LET'S GO SNELL.

6. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- This is probably the only Heisman watch out this week that still has Jake Fromm ranked. But how can I not rank him? Georgia is unbeaten, ranked #2, and Fromm has been playing relatively well. Against Tennessee, Fromm went 16 of 22 for 185 yards and zero scores.

5. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 6)- When looking over Murray's stats in Week 5 against Baylor (17 of 21 passes completed, seven total touchdowns, and 432 passing yards), I remembered something: this man isn't even going to the NFL. In fact, he's already been drafted by Oakland. If football is his second-best sport, then Murray's going to be a star the level of guys like Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)-I'm just as surprised as you are that Taylor is still in the top four. Unless he plays really well in Week 6 against Nebraska (and he should, the winless Scott Frost-led Corn Huskers are terrible), then he should fall out of the top five.

3. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- Haskins and the rest of his team started off slowly but found their groove and pulled out the win. Haskins had easily his worst statistical game of the season so far as he went 22 of 39 for 270 yards, three passing touchdowns, and one pick.

2. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 2)- Grier had himself another big game as the Mountaineers beat the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. His final stat line: 27 of 41 for 370 yards and three scores. On top of that, West Virginia is now ranked in the top 10.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- No surprises here, Tagovailoa is still #1 in our rankings. As 'Bama ran roughshod over Louisiana, Tua went 8 for 8 with 128 yards and two scores. If the Heisman race ended in September, Tua would have my vote.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 4

If there's one thing we've learned about the Heisman Trophy race thus far, it's this: the race is wide open. Read any Heisman watch on the internet right now and you'll find a variety of players in the top spots, including Will Grier, Dwayne Haskins, and Tua Tagovoila. It becomes even crazier when you look at fringe contenders, like Ian Book, Benny Snell Jr.,  and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Trying to take stock of the current Heisman race is akin to trying to get a real answer out of Nick Saban. Still, I'm here just to give my two cents. Let's get started.

One player dropped out from last week: Oregon QB Justin Herbert, who blew a late lead to Stanford.

We have two honorable mentions: Ian Book and McKenzie Milton. Both of them had great games and won their games.

10. Drew Lock, Missouri (Last Week: 6)- Lock takes a massive dip on our rankings after Missouri lost to Georgia and Lock had a less than inspiring performance. His final stat line: 23 for 48 with zero touchdowns and one interception. As horrible as that line is, there are two pieces of good news: Lock got some national airtime and ran for 22 yards and one touchdown on five carries. Lock has more than enough time to resuscitate his Heisman campaign.

9. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 9)- Penn State had an easy 63-24 win over Illinois that required QB McSorley to do very little. He ended up going 12 for 19 with three scores and a pick. He also ran 15 times for 92 carries. It's a very solid state line (and a nice improvement over his anemic performance in Week 3) but he was still overshadowed by teammate Mike Sanders. The junior had 22 carries for 200 yards and three scores.

8. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 7)- Stanford picked up a big win over #20 Oregon and Love had himself a nice game, as he carried the rock 19 times for 89 yards and a score. But just like McSorley, Love was overshadowed by a teammate. In this case, it was senior JJ Arcega-Whiteside, a WR who's quietly building up his own Heisman campaign.

7. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: NR)- Kentucky got a big win over #14 Mississippi State and are now ranked #17. Snell had an excellent game as he ran for four touchdowns and 165 yards on 25 carries.

6. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 7)- Only three times in history has a college produce back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners: Ohio State in 1974-5 when Archie Griffin became the only two-time winner in history, Army's Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis in 1945 and 1946, and Yale's Larry Kelley and Clint Frank in 1935 and 1936. Thanks to Murray's video game highlights last year and some guy named Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma is in prime position to join that exclusive list.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 4)- Georgia handily gave Missouri its first loss of the season and Fromm looked good doing it. He went 13 of 23 for 260 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Not the prettiest game by any stretch of the imagination, but enough to keep him in the  Heisman conversation.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- If anyone has been a revelation thus far, it's been Dwayne Haskins. The man has been nothing short of phenomenal as Ohio State has been winning handily and Haskins has been making it look easy. Against Tulane, Haskins completed 87.5% of his passes and threw for five touchdowns, 304 yards, and zero picks. On the season, he has 17 total touchdowns with just one interception. You can make a case that Haskin's stats have been inflated by lackluster opponents, but that all changes in Week 5 when the Buckeyes travel to Happy Valley.

3. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Taylor is looking less-and-less like a top Heisman candidate. While there's nothing bad with getting 113 yards on 25 carries, his performances pale in comparison when you compare it to the likes of those put on by guys such as Haskins, Tya Tagovailoa, and Murray.

2. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier looked great in Week 4 as he threw five touchdowns to get his season total to 14. And while he did throw two picks, he only has three on the season. But enough about Grier, let's talk about his teammate, David Sills V. The man regarded as one of the best receivers in college football is quietly beginning to build his own Heisman resume, which includes 10 receptions and three touchdowns in Week 4.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Tagovailoa is the first player this season to be atop this ranking in consecutive weeks. He does so after putting up big numbers against #22 Texas A&M. Not only is Tagovailoa looking like the Heisman favorite, his Crimson Tide are looking like the national title favorites.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 3

I think it's pretty safe to say that the college football season has thus far been pretty entertaining. We've had some excellent games, like #2 Clemson at Texas A&M, and some notable upsets, like BYU knocking off Wisconsin. We've also had some excellent performances. Of course, when a player performs well, they tend to get included in the Heisman conversation. That's exactly what we're going to look at here.

This week, we have to say goodbye to a player that has been on our rankings since the very beginning. Ed Oliver did have six tackles against Texas Tech but his Cougars did give up 635 yards of offense and 63 points to the Red Raiders. Just like a QB is responsible for their team winning, the team's best defensive player is responsible for keeping the defense together. Let's get started.


10. Justin Herbert, Oregon (Last Week: 10)- Herbert has been wowing draft experts so far this year, but his numbers have not been great. He should have had a big game against winless San Jose State, but he threw 2 interceptions while going 16 for 34. He now has four picks in three games while only completing 56.8% of his passes. Unless his arm becomes more accurate, Herbert is going to find it very difficult to move up this list.

9. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 8)- Just like Herbert, McSorley should have had a much bigger game against Kent State. He threw one interception and went 11 for 22. The saving grace is that the Nittany Lions won by 53 and McSorley ran for three scores.

8. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 7)- Love did not play in Stanford's win over UC Davis and tumbles a spot as a result. He will, however, play in Stanford's Week 4 game against Oregon, one that should definitely be a doozy.

7. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: NR)- Murray might have been our biggest omission from the last two weeks but that wrong has been corrected. There is perhaps no player that has been more sensational than Mr. Murray. Against conference opponent Iowa State, Murray threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Murray has an incredible 199.9 QB rating. I'm beginning to think #7 is too low.

6. Drew Lock, Missouri (Last Week: 10)- Lock is probably the best collegiate QB you've never heard of. Missouri is not a power team but Lock has been generating some Heisman buzz. His best buzz of winning the Heisman is if Mizzou continues to win, they're currently 3-0, and challenges Georgia for the SEC East title. So far, Lock has thrown for 11 scores and just one pick.

5. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- A lot of people have Haskins as #1 and that's totally understandable. In OSU's win over TCU, Haskins had three total touchdowns and has completed 72.5% of his passes this season. Still, I'm a little cautious about ranking him higher because we have really yet to see him be tested.

4. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 4)- Fromm has been the sleeper of this Heisman race so far. He continues to put up good numbers but Georgia hasn't really been in any marquee games. That should change soon, as Georgia is a realistic national title contender. In Week 3, Fromm had more TD passes (3) than incomplete passes (2), which is an absolutely sensational statistic.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 2)- The West Virginia/ North Carolina State was canceled due to the terrible weather. Hopefully, everyone in the area is safe.

2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 1)- Taylor had easily his weakest game of the season against BYU. He posted season lows in rushing yards, yards per carry, and touchdowns. On top of that, his Badgers suffered a huge upset against BYU. That really hurts their chances of making the national title game.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 3)- Tagovailoa sits atop our Heisman rankings and becomes the fourth player in four weeks to do so. He is very deserving of the top spot as he went 11 for 15 with 191 yards and two touchdowns as 'Bama handily beat Ole Miss.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 2

I  want to stress something I wrote in last week's post: the Heisman campaign is just getting started. It's way too early to make any real predictions for December. History is littered with guys like Denard Robinson, Leonard Fournette, Trevone Boykin, and Saquon Barkley who looked like sure-fire Heisman winners before their Heisman train ran out of steam. Still, it looks like the Heisman race is over for our preseason pick Khalil Tate. His Arizona Wildcats got throttled by Houston and he threw for more two more picks than touchdowns. We also say goodbye to Kelly Bryant. Though his Clemson Tigers beat Texas A&M, Bryant's performance was uninspiring.

That being said, these early weeks are still important. They let us gauge the early contenders and start to get a feel for the race ahead. Any rankings now are still somewhat arbitrary but they help us stay organized. Let's get started.

10. Drew Lock, Missouri (Last Week: NR)- Lock's name slowly began to enter the college football sphere late last season when whispers about his draft stock began. Now, he's regarded as a first-round prospect and his Heisman campaign is beginning to heat up. He went 33 for 45 with 398 yards and four scores.

9. Justin Herbert, Oregon (Last Week: NR)- You might not have realized it, but Oregon is ranked #20. A big reason why is QB Justin Herbert. In the 62-14 Week 2 win over Portland State, he went 20 for 26 with four passing touchdowns. He now has 531 passing yards and nine TD throws on the year. If you're looking for a dark horse to put some money on, you can't do much better than Herbert.

8. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 5)- McSorley takes a bit of a tumble after Week 2. Yes, Penn State won 51-6 but it was an ugly win. McSorley went 14 for 30 for only 145 yards and looked just lackluster. If he wants to move up, he's going to need a big Week 3 performance against Kent State.

7. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 8)- After a disappointing Week 1 showing, Love bounced back against #17 USC. He had 22 carries for 136 yards and a score as the Cardinals held off the Trojans to stay undefeated. While he is trending in the right direction, we do have to limit his upward movement as he will not take the field against UC Davis in Week 3. The nature of the injury is undisclosed and we do not know how long he'll be out for.

6. Ed Oliver, Houston (Last Week: 6)- Oliver's Houston team looked great against Arizona and he did a great job of bottling up fellow Heisman contender Khalil Tate. Oliver racked up eight tackles and should do more of the same against Texas Tech on Sunday.

5. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 9)- Haskins was nearly perfect in a conference game against Rutgers. He went 20 for 23 with four touchdowns as the Buckeyes won 52-3. With Mike Weber not really getting any shine in this game, Haskins is now comfortably Ohio State's top Heisman contender.

4. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 1)- Fromm drops three spots from the top after getting overshadowed by Justin Fields in Georgia's win over #24 South Carolina. Fromm's Heisman campaign is still alive but he needs to start standing out more if he wants to be considered a frontrunner.

3. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 4)- Tagovailoa had as many touchdowns (four) as he had incomplete passes (six) in 'Bama's win over Arkansas State. He also ran for 20 yards. Jalen Hurts also played well but Tagovailoa still has the starting job on lock. Alabama starts their conference play in Week 3 when they take on Ole Miss.

2. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier was sensational in Week 2 against Youngstown State as the Mountaineers won 52-17. He went 21 for 26 with 332 yards and four touchdowns to keep up with the great numbers posted by guys like Haskins and Oklahoma's Kyler Murray (who is an honorable mention this week).

1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Taylor moves up to #1 on our Heisman watch after racking up a career-high 253 running yards against New Mexico. He also scored three times and looked genuinely incredible. He is by far the running back with the best Heisman chances.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 1

With the first week of the 2018-2019 college football season over, the Heisman race has finally begun. It's important to note that no one is out of the race yet. They may have had a bad game in Week 1 but there is plenty of time for them to bounce back. There is absolutely no time to overreact here.

Our rankings for this Week will be based on our preseason rankings, so go check those out if you haven't already. It may be a little unfair to use some arbitrary rankings as the base but in the end, does it really matter? The best player and most deserving of the Heisman will rise to the top. Let's get started.

10. Kelly Bryant, Clemson (Last Week: 9)- Bryant by no means had a bad game in Clemson's dominating 48-7 win over Furman. Still, it was over Furman and he wasn't even the biggest QB story on the field. All of those headlines belonged to star freshman Trevor Lawrence, who impressed many people with his debut performance. Bryant meanwhile, went 11 for 17 and threw for 132 yards and one touchdown. At least he's still the starter.

9. Dwyane Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: NR)- In our preseason rankings, the only player we had listed in the top ten was running back J.K. Dobbins. Unfortunately for him, he was at best the third most impressive player in OSU's win over Oregon State. Mike Weber was second and Haskins was #1. The sophomore threw for five touchdowns and 313 yards as the Buckeyes put up 77 (yes, 77) on the poor Beavers.

8. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 3)- No Heisman hopeful had a more disappointing Week 1 performance than last year's runner-up (except for perhaps our next entry). Going against the San Diego State Aztecs should have been a way for him to relax and pad out his stats. Instead, he struggled mightily and ran for a mere 29 yards on 18 carries. This was definitely the worst performance of Love's collegiate career. We could excuse this performance if the rest of his team struggled but that simply wasn't the case. QB K.J. Costello threw for 332 yards and four scores while JJ Arcega-Whiteside scored four times. Love will need a big game against USC next week to move back up these rankings.

7. Ed Oliver, Houston (Last Week: 7)- As I said in our preseason post, Oliver would need to go above and beyond in order to get some Heisman consideration. He certainly did that in Houston's opening game against Rice. The junior DT racked up 13 total tackles as his Cougars handily beat the Owls 45-27.

6. Khalil Tate, Arizona (Last Week: 1)- A QB doesn't need to be on the best team to win the Heisman but it certainly helps (see Newton, Cam and Winston, Jameis). He at least needs to be on a ranked team (see Manziel, Johnny and Griffin III, Robert). Tate may not have either one of those things. The Arizona Wildcats are not ranked and they dropped their season opener to Brigham Young. Tate only completed 50% of his pass attempts for just one touchdown. The dual-threat specialist also failed to inspire with his ground performance as he rushed for a paltry 14 yards on 8 carries.

5. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 5)- Penn State needed overtime to beat Appalachian State but at least McSorley had a good performance. He went 20 for 35 with 229 yards and one score. And even though he's not known as a running quarterback, he managed to rack up 53 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

4. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 8)- Finally, Alabama has its starter. No, it's not the man who went 26-2 and led the Crimson Tide to two straight national title games. Instead, it's the hero from last year's championship game and boy, does he deserve it. Tagovailoa completed 12 of his 16 passes with 227 yards and two scores for a QB rating of 99.1. He also picked up a TD on the ground.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 6)- A lot of people have Grier as their current Heisman frontrunner and it's not hard to see why. In West Virginia's 40-14 win over Tennessee, Grier threw for an incredible 429 yards and five touchdowns. On a related note, his star receiver David Sills V (who caught seven passes for 140 yards and two scores) is also getting some much-deserved Heisman buzz.

2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 4)- Wisconsin looks like a real national title contender and Taylor looks like a real Heisman contender. His 18 carries led to  145 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Badgers trounced Western Kentucky, who by the way has the best nickname of all-time. Go Hilltoppers!

1. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 2)- Fromm finds himself in a similar situation as Kelly Bryant. He played well but his play was overshadowed by the new star freshman QB. In this case, it was Justin Fields. Side note: I have followed Fields for months and I think the world of him. He's a future star for sure. Still, I think Fromm has this starting job on lock, something I can't totally say for Bryant.

Thanks for reading everyone. Check back next week for our Week 2 rankings.

Rapid-fire NFL 2018-2019 Predictions

If you've followed us here at TSE at all, you know we like our predictions. We enjoy taking a deep dive into every single team and agonize over all of the individual season awards. But that's not going to happen this time. Instead, we're going to make some rapid-fire predictions for the upcoming season. Why? Because it's nice to mix things up every now and then (and also because the season starts tomorrow and there isn't time for a full predictions post). We'll predict the final standings for each division, the postseason seeding, the postseason itself, and all of the awards. Ready? Then let's get started.

NFC North:

4. Chicago Bears- This all depends on how well Mitchell Trubisky does this year. At least their defense is stacked.

3. Detroit Lions- Remember, they came super close to making the playoffs last year. Their defense is still a major question mark but at least their run game should be a lot better.'

2. Green Bay Packers- Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are a middling team at best. With him, they're pretty much a lock to make the playoffs.

1. Minnesota Vikings- Some pundits think the Vikings are the best team in football. I don't think they're that good, but they're definitely Super Bowl contenders, especially with a healthy Dalvin Cook.

NFC East:

4. Washington Redskins- The Redskins are years away from the team that won this division three years ago. The injury-ridden Redskins are going to need a lot of luck to make the playoffs.

3. Dallas Cowboys- The biggest question in Dallas is about the receiving corps. Michael Gallup, Tavon Austin, and the others are going to have to step up big time.

2. New York Giants- It seems unlikely that a team who won three games last season can contend for a playoff spot but it's definitely possible here. New HC Pat Shurmur can revitalize Eli Manning, OBJ is healthy, and Saquon looks like the real deal.

1. Philadephia Eagles- It's hard to rank the defending Super Bowl champions any lower than this. They have an absolutely loaded roster and will be even better when Carson Wentz returns.

NFC South:

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- All of the Hard Knocks hype has disappeared. Both starting QB Jameis Winston and head coach Dirk Koetter need big seasons to potentially save their jobs.

3. Carolina Panthers- The Panthers are a great team but it feels like they may get shut out of the playoffs simply because the NFC South is so loaded.

2. Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons managed to avoid the dreaded Super Bowl runner-up hangover and made it to the divisional round next year. Unless second-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian steps up in a big way, that's where their ceiling probably is.

1. New Orleans Saints- I really think the Saints might be the best team in the NFC. Drew Brees is an all-timer, they have the best RB tandem in the league, and that defense is to die for. What's not to love?

NFC West:

4. Arizona Cardinals- The Cards will only be interesting when Josh Rosen takes over for Sam Bradford.

3. Seattle Seahawks- Even with Earl Thomas back, Seattle's defense is full of question marks. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson is the only true positive on the offensive side of the football.

2. San Francisco 49ers-  There's no way Jimmy Garoppolo continues his undefeated streak the entire year (probably). Still, he should have a very good season and develop into the franchise QB John Lynch believes him to be.

1. Los Angeles Rams- There's a chance that the Rams' Frankenstein defense implodes. There's also a chance that it's the league's best.

NFC Seeding:

1. Los Angeles Rams 2. Philadelphia Eagles 3. Minnesota Vikings 4. New Orleans Saints 5. Green Bay Packers 6. Atlanta Falcons

AFC North:

4. Cleveland Browns- The Browns most likely will not go winless this year, which is obviously a great thing. Four or five wins should be enough to save Hue Jackson's job.

3. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals might be one of the least interesting teams in the NFL. They're also miles away from the playoffs.

2. Baltimore Ravens- Will Lamar Jackson replace Joe Flacco this year? That all depends if the Ravens are in the playoff hunt.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers- Not having Le'Veon Bell seriously hurts the Steelers. If he does return partway through the year, their fortunes immediately take an upturn.

AFC East:

4. Buffalo Bills- I still can't believe the Bills made the playoffs last year. They should be a nothing team this year.

3. Miami Dolphins- This could be the last year of Ryan Tannehill starting for the Dolphins. He'll at least need to get them into the playoff hunt to keep his job.

2. New York Jets- The Jets seriously overachieved last year and won five games. Adding Sam Darnold and Isaiah Crowell should increase that number.

1. New England Patriots- Yes, the Patriots are arguably the best team in football but they also play in what is probably the league's worst division. It'll be interesting to see how Tom Brady does without Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks.

AFC South:

4. Indianapolis Colts- Getting Andrew Luck back is obviously huge, but the Colts need more than that. They're seriously lacking on both sides of the ball and face incredibly long odds of making the playoffs.

3. Tennessee Titans- Even though the Titans won a playoff game last year, it's hard to see them making the playoffs this year. Marcus Mariota has struggled as of late and he doesn't have anyone elite to throw it to.

2. Houston Texans- This all depends on how well Deshaun Watson does. He played like a Pro Bowler in limited action last year but that could fall apart if he gets injured again. Remember, he has torn two ACLs.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jaguars were one of last year's big surprises last year and look to continue that trend. It will certainly help if Leonard Fournette can stay out of trouble.

AFC West:

4. Oakland Raiders- Without Khalil Mack, the Raiders defense is about as useful as stopping the run as aluminum foil. Derek Carr will probably need to have a lot of big games in order for the Raiders to contend for the playoffs.

3. Denver Broncos- The Broncos' QB situation is an utter mess and has been so for many years. Is Case Keenum the answer?

2. Kansas City Chiefs- The Chiefs have built up an offense that will allow new QB Patrick Mahomes to hit the ground running. He should feel very comfortable with weapons like Tyreke Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt.

1. Los Angeles Chargers- The ancient Aztec curse that causes the Chargers to underachieve and suffer notable injury losses has to be kept at bay here. If it lies dormant, then the Chargers are division favorites.

AFC Seeding:

1. New England Patriots 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. Jacksonville Jaguars 4. Los Angeles Chargers 5. Houston Texans 6. Kansas City Chiefs

Wild-Card Round:

#6 Atlanta Falcons at #3 Minnesota Vikings- The talent gap is really close here and home-field advantage just might be the decider here. Pick: Minnesota

#5 Green Bay Packers at #4 New Orleans Saints- I trust the Saints defense much more than the Packers defense, Rodgers or no Rodgers. Pick: New Orleans

#6 Kansas City Chiefs at #3 Jacksonville Jaguars- Mahomes may be a better QB than Blake Bortles but Bortles has proven playoff experience. Pick: Jacksonville

#5 Houston Texans at #4 Los Angeles Chargers- If the Texans are healthy, they can go with the best of 'em. There's always at least one upset in the first round and this seems the most likely. Pick: Houston

Divisional Round:

#4 New Orleans Saints at #1 Los Angeles Rams- The Saints were a fluke play away from meeting the Eagles in last year's NFC title game. They should make it this year.  Pick: New Orleans

#3 Minnesota Vikings at #2 Philadelphia Eagles- As much as I want to pick the Vikings, I can't forget about the beating they received in last year's NFC Title game against the Eagles. This game should be closer though. Pick: Philadelphia

#5 Houston Texans at #1 New England Patriots- I really think the Texans could upset the Pats here but Tom Brady changes everything. The man has engineered more postseason comebacks than Deshaun Watson has had pro starts. Pick: New England

#3 Jacksonville Jaguars at #2 Pittsburgh Steelers- The Jaguars handily beat the Steelers last year and have only gotten better since then. I just can't see the Steelers overcoming their internal strife. Pick: Jacksonville

Conference Championships:

#4 New Orleans Saints at #2 Philadelphia Eagles- The Philly fans will be absolutely ravenous but Drew Brees is experienced enough to not let it faze him. Super Bowl champions rarely repeat and this will probably be where the champs fall. Pick: New Orleans

#3 Jacksonville Jaguars at #1 New England Patriots- The Jaguars came close to beating the Pats last year and while they've gotten better, you can't say the same about the Patriots, who have big questions about the o-line and defense. Pick: Jacksonville

Super Bowl:

New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On paper, these two teams are evenly matched. This should be an excellent and competitive game with the Saints squeaking out a close one.

Pick: Saints
Super Bowl MVP: Drew Brees

Regular Season Awards:
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player: Todd Gurley
Defensive Player: Joey Bosa
Offensive Rookie: Saquon Barkley
Defensive Rookie: Bradley Chubb
Coach: Pat Shurmur
Comeback Player: Andrew Luck

Thanks for reading everyone. Comment below and let me know your NFL predictions. 

Which NFL Team has the Best Chance of Going First to Worst?

The New England Patriots are the model of consistency in the NFL. If you ignore the 2008 season where star QB Tom Brady tore his ACL, they last failed to make the postseason in 2002. Furthermore, they have won nine straight division crowns, a feat that no other team has come close to replicating. Seeing as the rest of the division has more chance of Bill Belichick revealing any useful info at a press conference than they do of overthrowing the Pats,  let's go ahead and make it ten straight,

But what about these teams that finished at the bottom of their division last year? It may seem crazy, but a lot of those teams have a chance at winning their division. In other words, they have a chance of going from worst to first. This is by no means a rare phenomenon, both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles did it last year. Some of you might be asking, how is this even possible? Well, this is the NFL, a highly volatile league where it doesn't take much to increase (or decrease) your stock drastically. So in this article, we're going to look at all of the eight cellar dwellers from last year and rank their chances of winning their division. Let's get started.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFC South- This ranking is more about the competition Tampa faces rather than Tampa itself. The NFC South had three teams go to the playoffs last year and the last two NFC Champions are in the division. It just seems highly unlikely that Tampa can breakthrough that incredible wall. New Orleans, Carolina, and Atlanta are all top contenders to make the playoffs and are just much better teams than Tampa.

The Hard Knocks effect was very evident this time last year when the Bucs were expected to contend for the playoffs. Instead, they had a wholly unremarkable season and finished in the cellar. Now, starting QB Jameis Winston is suspended for the first three games of the season and rookie RB Ronald Jones II has been nothing short of disappointing in the preseason. Yes, I know it's the preseason, but that still doesn't totally excuse his underwhelming results thus far. DeSean Jackson and Winston failed to develop much of a connection last year, leaving Mike Evans as the only true receiver other defenses have to worry about. For the Bucs to make the playoffs, a lot of things will have to fall into place. That just seems unlikely.

7. New York Jets, AFC East- The Bucs are probably a better team than the Jets, but this ranking all comes down to the division. While the NFC South is probably the best division in the league, the AFC East is probably the worst. Besides the New England Patriots, there is next to nothing going on in this division. Yes, the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs last year, but that was mostly because of Tyrod Taylor and there wasn't any other competition in the AFC.

To be fair to the Jets, their prospects are certainly improving. Rookie QB Sam Darnold looks like the real deal and should get some valuable experience this year. Head coach Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded coach and led the Jets to a better than expected season last year. There's a chance that they could even contend for a playoff spot, though that's probably just a pipe dream.

6. Chicago Bears, NFC North- The Bears find themselves in an unusual spot this year. They were comfortably in the basement of the NFC North last year and were definitely the worst team in the division. Now, they find themselves a much better team thanks to additions such as Allen Robinson, Trey Burton, Roquan Smith, and of course, Khalil Mack. Add to that the continued development of sophomore QB Mitchell Trubisky and the exciting running back duo of Jordan Howard & Tarik Cohen, and you get a recipe for a team on the rise. This time won't take off immediately, especially with Trubisky still having some growing pains, but things are looking up.

With that being said, the Bears certainly won't even make the top two of this division. The Minnesota Vikings made the NFC Title game last year and many pundits consider them to be the best team in the entire league. Then we have the Green Bay Packers, who have the best QB in the league in Aaron Rodgers. It doesn't matter who else the Packers have, they're a playoff contender as long as Rodgers is healthy. The only team the Bears have a realistic shot at beating is the Detroit Lions, and that's not even a sure thing. Their new coach is defensive guru Matt Patricia and they've done a lot to revitalize their run game, including by drafting Auburn star Kerryon Johnson and using their first-round pick on Frank Ragnow. On top of that, the Lions were extremely close to making the playoffs last year. The odds are certainly not in Chicago's favor.

5. Cleveland Browns, AFC North- How can a team go from 1-32 in the previous two seasons to winning a division? It's certainly implausible, but not impossible. Thanks to the additions of Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield, the Browns have the best QB situation in years. They also have additions such as Antonio Callaway, Damarious Randall, Nick Chubb, Carlos Hyde, and Jarvis Landry roaring to go. Basically, the Browns are a much better team than their record says.

So how do they stack up with the rest of their division? Realistically, the only ream they'll be able to pass is the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury-ridden Bengals started a big slide last season and that doesn't show any sign of slowing down anytime soon. The Baltimore Ravens are a middling team and one that realistically shouldn't be serious title contenders or cellar-dwellers. That leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ignore everything about the Le'Veon Bell holdout and remember, the Steelers have one of the best offenses in the league and are serious Super Bowl contenders. The Browns have no chance of toppling the Steelers and will probably just scrape together a few wins.

4. Denver Broncos, AFC West- The fate of the Broncos completely depends on their QB play. Former first-round pick Paxton Lynch completely flamed out, Brock Osweiler's moment in the sun is long over, and Case Keenum has had a grand total of one productive NFL season. Let's just say for a moment, that Keenum does manage to replicate his shocking success with the Vikings last year. How far can the Broncos go then? Well, they would then be in the hunt for a division crown. Remember, the Broncos won the Super Bowl only two years ago, and many members of that team are still dressing up in the Mile High City. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are both still top-notch receivers and Von Miller is still one of the best defensive players in the entire league. Let's add rookie running back Royce Freeman to the mix and you potentially have a smooth, dangerous offense.

The AFC West is probably the most open division in the entire NFL. The defending champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, have a new QB in sophomore Patrick Mahomes, the Los Angeles Chargers have injury problems and are chronic underachievers, and the Oakland Raiders must adjust to new head coach Jon Gruden and life without defensive stalwart Khalil Mack. Thus, there is a wide array of possibilities for the Broncos and all of them are equally possible.

3. New York Giant, NFC East- It feels weird to say that a team that went 3-13 last year has a chance to win their division, but its' true. Remember, this Giants team made the playoffs two years ago. The offense was NY's main problem last year but new head coach Pat Shurmur worked wonders with Case Keenum and the Vikings last year. They also have quite possibly the best rookie in the league in Saquon Barkley and the best young WR in OBJ. If all of the pieces come together, G-men fans will be very happy.

The main problem: the reigning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. If anything, the Eagles will only be better since starting QB Carson Wentz is on his way back from the hospital bed. Then we have the Dallas Cowboys, who made the playoffs two years ago and are looking for a bounce-back season. Then there's the Washington Redskins, who made the playoffs three years ago and are looking to soar in the post- Kirk Cousins era. This division is potentially loaded, but the Giants have the personnel and talent to rise above it all (or at least finish second and fight for a wild-card spot. Yeah, they probably won't make the playoffs).

2. San Francisco 49ers, NFC West- The 'Niners and the Los Angeles Rams are the only real contenders in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals are rebuilding around rookie QB Josh Rosen and don't have the talent to contend for the playoffs and the depleted Seattle Seahawks are miles away from the team that won two straight NFC Championships. Still, the Rams are a far better team than the 'Niners. They handily won the division last year and have made significant additions to the team, including wide receiver Brandin Cooks, secondary star Aqib Talib, and five-time Pro Bowler Ndamukong Suh.

That being said, SF winning the division wouldn't shock everyone, at least not fans in the Bay Area. New franchise QB Jimmy Garoppolo has proven himself to be the real deal and he has some solid weapons in guys like Pierre Garcon, Matt Brieda, and George Kittle. Yes, the loss of Jerrick McKinnon is a big blow and yes, the defense is nowhere near as good as the Rams', but this is still a young, hungry team on the upswing. That's a formula for success.

1. Houston Texans, AFC South- This all hinges on one player: Deshaun Watson. When he was healthy last year, the Texans looked like one of the best teams in the league and Watson seemed a shoo-in for Offensive Rookie of the Year. When he tore his ACL, the Texans took a mighty tumble. Now that Watson is back and healthy, no one would be surprised if Houston won the AFC South. The duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V is an extremely dangerous one and if J.J. Watt is healthy, then he's one of the most important players in the entire NFL.

The AFC South used to be the laughingstock of the NFL, now they have four legitimate playoff contenders. The Jacksonville Jaguars went to the AFC Title game last year, the Tennessee Titans made it to the divisional round last year, and the Indianapolis Colts are playoff contenders with Andrew Luck back. If the Houston Texans break out of this group, they'll certainly earn it.

Thanks for reading everyone.

The 2017 Sports Examiner Awards

2017 was a year to remember for sports. We saw an unbelievable game in the NCAAF championship game, a logic-defying comeback in the Super Bowl, one of the greatest NBA postseason runs of all-time,  an incredible NFL rookie class, multiple blockbuster NBA trades, and so much more. So how can we possibly break that down? Why, the 2017 Sports Examiner awards of course. Let's get started.

NFL:

Player of the Year: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Touchdown Tommy was at it again this year. It started back in February when Brady led his Patriots to a 34-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in OT. That itself is impressive, but let's not forget that the Patriots found themselves down 28-3 before Brady engineered the comeback of a lifetime. He finished the game as MVP after throwing for 466 yards and a touchdown. But that was just on one evening in February. What about the rest of the year? Well, he led the Patriots to a #1 seed in the playoffs, led the league in passing yards, was third in passing touchdowns, and is the favorite to win the regular season MVP award yet again.

2016 Winner: Dallas's Offensive Line
2015 Winner: Tom Brady

Rookie of the Year: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Kamara wasn't supposed to be in contention for this award. It was supposed to be about guys like Corey Davis, Leonard Fournette, Myles Garrett, Derek Barnett, and Jamal Adams. Instead, Kamara emerged from (relative) obscurity and teamed up with Mark Ingram to form the best running back duo in the NFL, taking the crown from their fellow NFC South duo of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Kamara trailed only Kareem Hunt and Fournette in rushing yards among rookies, led all rookies in receptions, trailed only JuJu Smith-Schuster and Cooper Kupp in rookie receiving yards, and trailed only Deshaun Watson and Deshone Kizer in rookie touchdowns. On top of that, the Saints won the NFC South and are among the favorites to win the NFC Championship.

2016 Winner: Ezekiel Elliot

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams were nothing short of a disappointment next year. Jeff Fisher went 4-9 before he was fired. Enter the devastatingly handsome and shockingly young Sean McVay. It's fitting that he's the coach of the Los Angeles Rams because this is a Hollywood movie waiting to be made. The Rams went 11-5 this year and won the NFC West. On top of that, McVay, known as a QB whisperer, turned around the career of young Jared Goff, turning him from a top-notch bust to a franchise QB. Now it's just a question of who plays him in the upcoming movie. Andrew Garfield maybe? I can see that.

2016 Winner: Bill Belichick

Offensive Player of the Year: Todd Gurley

Gurley may have had a disappointing sophomore year but he bounced back in incredible fashion. It's reasonable to say that he was the biggest offensive juggernaut of the 2017 regular season. He was second in the league in rushing yards (behind only Hunt), led the league in rushing touchdowns, and his L.A. Rams won the NFC West and look like they're set up for the next few seasons.

2016 Winner: Matt Ryan

Defensive Player of the Year: Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars

It goes without reason that the Jaguars have an incredible defensive unit. And while there are a lot of superstars on that unit, such as Malik Jackson and Jalen Ramsey, the heart and soul of the unit. He's second in the NFL in sacks, forced three fumbles, and recorded 67 tackles. He's one of the frontrunners for DPOY and his Jags are a sleeper pick to win it all.

2016 Winner: Von Miller

Most Improved Player: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

When Goff was selected #1 overall in 2016, there was some skepticism. He had had a quiet career at Cal but flashed enough potential to intrigue the Rams. Flash forward a few months later, and it looked like Goff was just another bust. The Rams had a disappointing season and Goff looked totally out of his league. Flash forward another year and things are totally different. Goff is a proven franchise QB, the Rams won the NFC West, and Goff was even a fringe MVP candidate throughout the season. He finished the regular season with 28 touchdowns, 3,804 passing yards, and accumulated a rating of 100.5.

Breakout Star of the Year: Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Hunt wasn't even supposed to play this year. Drafted in the third round, Hunt was supposed to be a backup to Spencer Ware. Instead, Ware got injured in a preseason game and Hunt was thrust into the starting role. He has yet to look back. Hunt led the league in rushing yards and was the biggest playmaker for the AFC West Champions. Andy Reid may forget about him sometimes but he still racked up 455 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. Remember his name.

2016 Winner: Dak Prescott

Comeback Star of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

When the Patriots won the Super Bowl in February, they did so without their biggest offensive weapon. Gronk had been on the sidelines for a few months after getting surgery to repair a herniated disk. He returned with a vengeance in 2017 as the Pats won the AFC East and picked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. He had 1,084 receiving yards in the regular season and eight touchdown catches.

Rising Star of the Year: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

When Watson started the year on the bench, Houston fans clamored for him to start. And when he finally did, he blew everyone's expectations out of the water. In the six games he started, Watson threw for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns while also rushing for 269 yards and two scores. Among all rookies, he was third in passing yards and first in touchdowns. Watson may seem a strange pick for this award, meant to signify someone on the verge of becoming a superstar, but his injury halted his progress. But he should be healthy next season, so watch out.

2016 Winner: Carson Wentz

Team of the Year: New England Patriots

We've talked a lot about the Patriots so far, so you're undoubtedly aware of everything they accomplished this season. A quick summary: overcame a 25-point deficit to win the Super Bowl in February and then picked up the #1 seed in the AFC.

2016 Winner: Denver Broncos

NBA:

Most Improved Player of the Year: Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

When the Indiana Pacers traded away franchise star Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis. Everyone assumed that the Pacers had been fleeced, that they had been taken for a ride. Instead, pretty much the exact opposite has happened. Paul George and the Thunder have failed to develop chemistry while Oladipo has emerged as a breakout star. Before this season, Oladipo's best stats were: 17.9 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.8 rpg, 1.7 spg, and 0.8 bpg. Remember, that is over the course of four seasons. Now, Oladipo is averaging 24.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, 5.2 rpg, 1.9 spg, and 1.0 bpg. Furthermore, Indiana is firmly entrenched in the playoff conversation.

Player of the Year: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

When Durant announced he was joining the Golden State Warriors on July 4th, 2016, the basketball world exploded. The Warriors had just come off of the greatest regular season of all-time and Durant was one of the best players in the world. But once the initial excitement wore off, skepticism began to creep in. Could this crazy experiment actually work? Could Steve Kerr strike a balance between all four of his superstar players? It's been about 18 months since that fateful day, and we now know that the experiment has worked. The Warriors claimed their second title in three years while only losing one game in the postseason. Durant meanwhile, was named an All-Star, made the All-NBA Second Team, and was named Finals MVP. He has looked just as impressive thus far in the 2018 season as the Warriors seem ready to win yet another championship. Our runner-up here is James Harden, the runner-up for the 2017 MVP award and Durant's former teammate.

2016 Winner: LeBron James
2015 Winner: Steph Curry

Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni, Houston Rockets

The 2017 Coach of the Year is the easy pick here. In his first season with the Houston Rockets, he convinced star James Harden to switch to point guard and totally shift his game. The switch worked and Harden put up MVP numbers while the Rockets won 55 games and made it to the Western Conference semifinals. D'Antoni has also shown his versatility in the 2018 season by successfully integrating new Rocket Chris Paul into the lineup.

2016 Winner: Steve Kerr

Breakout Star of the Year: Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers

With the second pick in the 2017 NBA draft, the Lakers selected UCLA's Lonzo Ball. This was a pick highly covered by the media (thanks to a certain father) and Ball was anointed as the future of the Lakers. And while Ball has played well, the spotlight has shifted on to another rookie: Kyle Kuzma. The former Utah Ute was named the MVP of the Summer League Championship Game, is averaging 17.1 ppg, and was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in November.

2016 Winner: Kristaps Porzingis

Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

After being taken #1 overall by the 76ers in 2016, Simmons sat out the entire season after breaking his right foot. He returned with a vengeance this season as the 'Sixers make a push for the playoffs. The Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in November has already recorded three triple-doubles and is the first player in NBA history to notch 170 points, 100 rebounds, and 80 assists in the first ten games of the season. Trust the process indeed.

2016 Winner: Karl-Anthony Towns

Comeback Player of the Year: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid's entire professional career has been defined by injuries. Thanks to injuries in his right foot, he missed the first two seasons before finally seeing action in 2016. As many expected, Embiid went on a tear. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the first three months of the season and was eventually named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Unfortunately, he suffered another injury in February and missed the rest of the season. He returned to fine form for the 2018 season as he became the first player since Dr. J to get 40 points, seven assists, and seven blocks in a game while keeping Philly in the race for a playoff spot.

2016 Winner: Paul George

Rising Star of the Year: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

The Celtics were pretty high on Tatum when they selected him #3 overall in the latest draft. But even they have to be surprised with his level of play. Injuries to both Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris could have derailed Boston's title hopes were it not for the upstart rookie. Tatum is not only draining three but is also playing top-notch defense for arguably the league's best defensive team.

2016 Winner: Andre Drummond

Team of the Year: Golden State Warriors

Who else would it be? The Warriors went 16-1 in the 2017 playoffs to win their second championship in three years while cementing themselves as the team to beat in the NBA. And in the 2018 season, nothing has changed. If anything, thanks to rookie Jordan Bell, they're even deeper and more dangerous than ever before. It could be years before we see the Warriors get dethroned.

2016 Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers

NHL:

Coach of the Year: John Tortorella, Columbus Blue Jackets

Tortorella won the 2017 Jack Adams Coach of the Year award, marking the second time he won the award. The 2016-2017 season was one of the best in Columbus history. They won 50 games and finished third in the division.

Player of the Year: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Not only was a finalist for the prestigious Hart Trophy, but he and the Pittsburgh Penguins won yet another Stanley Cup. On top of that, Crosby won the Conn Smythe trophy, given to the MVP of the NHL playoffs. Crosby is only the third player, besides Bernie Parent and Mario Lemieux, to win the award in consecutive years.

2016 Winner: Sidney Crosby

Goalie of the Year: Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

Tortorella wasn't the only reason the Blue Jackets had such a great season. Bobrovsky won the 2017 Vezina Award (given to the best goalie) in a bit of a landslide. He was also a Hart Trophy finalist. Bobrovsky has carried his great 2017 into the 2018 season. His save percentage trails only seven other goalies, he's sixth in goals against average, and is second in shutouts.

2016 Winner: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

Team of the Year: Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins have got a bit of a dynasty going on. They won their second Stanley Cup in a row and find themselves in prime position to make the playoffs next year (they are currently fifth in the Metropolitan Division).

2016 Winner: Pittsburgh Penguins

MLB:

Manager of the Year: Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins

Molitor was named AL Manager of the Year after leading the Twins to the postseason. The Twins became the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games in a season and then make the playoffs the next season. Molitor is now the second person, besides Frank Robinson, to be a Hall of Fame player and win Manager of the Year.

2016 Winner: Terry Francona

Pitcher of the Year: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians

Kluber is the only Cleveland Indian to win a Cy Young twice. He won the award after an incredible 2017 that saw him go 18-4, led the MLB with a 2.25 ERA, and had 265 strikeouts. Our runner-up for this award is last year's winner, Max Scherzer. The Washington National won his second consecutive NL Cy Young while throwing an NL-best 268 strikeouts and going 16-6.

2016 Winner: Max Scherzer

Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

While Cody Bellinger made a good case to be the second Dodger in a row to win this award, this honor ultimately goes to Judge. The Yankee led the AL with 52 homers, scored 128 runs, and was named the AL Rookie of the Year unanimously.

2016 Winner: Corey Seager

Player of the Year: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

Altuve left 2017 with a lot of hardware. He won the AL Aaron Award (the first Astro to ever do so) thanks to his MLB-best .346 batting average and 24 home runs, won the AL MVP thanks to his 32 stolen bases and AL-best 204 hits, and won the World Series. Oh, and he also became the first player in MLB history to lead either league in hits outright for four consecutive years.

2016 Winner: Kris Bryant

Hitter of the Year: Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees

While Altuve won the AL Aaron Award, Stanton won the NL counterpart. His 59 home runs and 132 RBIs set both career highs and franchise records for the Miami Marlins. Those numbers also topped MLB. It's going to very exciting next year to watch him and Judge make opposing pitchers miserable.

2016 Winner: David Ortiz

Team of the Year: Houston Astros

In late summer, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the U.S. and ravaged a number of cities, including Houston. Harvey eventually became the costliest tropical cyclone on record and caused 91 fatalities. Needless to say, the city of Houston was looking for anything to soothe the pain. That relief came in the form of the Astros, who knocked off the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers to win their second ever World Series.

2016 Winners: Chicago Cubs

NCAAF:

Player of the Year: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

Mayfield might be one of the most decisive athletes in all of sports, but you can't deny the guy has talent. A year after finishing third in the Heisman race, Mayfield won it in 2017 in a bit of a blowout. He also walked away with the Maxwell Award and led Oklahoma to a Big 12 Championship and a spot in the fourth-ever college football playoffs.

2016 Winner: Lamar Jackson
2015 Winner: Christian McCaffrey

Breakout Star of the Year: Bryce Love, Stanford

While Mayfield won the Heisman, Love was the runner-up. He wasn't even supposed to be in contention, let alone be a finalist. The speedster made Cardinals fans forget all about Christian McCaffrey. Love ran for 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns as the Cardinals finished 9-5.

2016 Winner: Lamar Jackson

Rising Star of the Year: Trace McSorley, Penn State

The focus in Penn State may have been on Saquon Barkley, but Trace McSorley managed to get some love as well. McSorley was a fringe Heisman contender for a good part of the season, though he fell off in the end thanks to a string of losses. Still, McSorley is considered one of the top returning QBs in college football and is one of the trendy Heisman picks for 2018.

2016 Winner: Derrius Guice

Coach of the Year: Scott Frost, UCF

Two years ago, Central Florida lost every single game it played. This year, they finished the season undefeated, the only team to do so, and sixth in the final AP rankings. A huge chunk of that credit goes to Scott Frost, who was also named Coach of the Year. He may be going to Nebraska next season, but he's certainly turned the once ailing program around.

2016 Winner: Nick Saban, Alabama

Comeback Star of the Year: Derwin James, Florida State

James played only two games for the 'Noles last season as he tore his meniscus in a game against Charleston Southern. He returned in 2017 healthy and ready to go. He finished the year with two interceptions, one touchdown, and 84 tackles. Although FSU had a disappointing season, James is absolved of all blame. He is considered one of the top defensive prospects in the upcoming NFL draft.

2016 Winner: James Conner

Team of the Year: Clemson

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow as time expired to win the national championship for Clemson. The Tigers capitalized on that momentum by winning the AFC Championship again and securing the #1 seed in the College Football Playoffs.

2016 Winner: Alabama

Individual Sports:

Female Golfer of the Year: Sung Hyun Park (2017 was her rookie year)

Park topped the 2017 money list by taking in more than $2.3 million. She also won the U.S. Open, giving the South Korean her first major. Of course, 2017 was her rookie year, so expect more of the same next year.

2016 Winner: Ariya Jutanugarn

Female Tennis Player of the Year: Caroline Wozniacki

We give the nod here to Wozniacki over Muguruza in one of this year's toughest categories. Wozniacki finished second in the WTA Rankings, one spot ahead of Muguraza; was third in prize money to Muguruza's second, was tenth in aces (Muguruza did not make the top ten), won Player of the Month in October (Muguruza won it in June), won Shot of the Month and was nominated another three times (Mugurauza was never even nominated), and reached more tournament finals than any other player.

2016 Winner: Angelique Werber
2015 Winner: Serena Williams

Male Tennis Player of the Year: Rafael Nadal

In case you forgot why Rafa is considered one of the best tennis players of this generation, the Spaniard happily reminded you. He was named ATP Player of the Year, ranked #1 in the ATP, won the most prize money, made the most tournament finals, won six titles (behind only Roger Federer's seven), and won the US Open.

2016 Winner: Andy Murray

Male Golfer of the Year: Justin Thomas

Both of our previous winners could have taken the award again, but their fellow American rises to the occasion. Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner, had a huge breakout year in 2017. He was the tour's money leader, won the PGA Championship, was the third best player for the winning U.S. team in the Presidents Cup, won the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, won PGA Player of the Year, and won the FedEx Cup. Let's hope that 2017 was not an anomaly and we see more of the same in years to come.

2016 Winner: Dustin Johnson
2015 Winner: Jordan Spieth

Female Swimmer of the Year: Sarah Sjostrom

The Swedish swimmer is the first woman since 2012 to win Swimming World's Female World Swimmer of the Year and not be named Katie Ledecky. She earned that title (and this one) by winning three gold medals and a silver one at the 2017 World Championships.

2016 Winner: Katie Ledecky

Male Swimmer of the Year: Caeleb Dressel

You may not know Dressel's name, but you will soon. He won seven gold medals at the 2017 World Championships (setting multiple American records while doing so) and was named male swimmer of the meet. The only other swimmer to win seven gold medals at a World Championship- some guy by the name of Michael Phelps.

2016 Winner: Michael Phelps

Soccer:

Premier League Team of the Year: Chelsea

After a disappointing 2015-2016 season, Chelsea rebounded nicely by winning the Premier League. They did so with their 38 wins and 93 points, edging out Tottenham Hotspurs by seven points. They also had the longest winning streak with 13 matches.

2016 Winner: Leicester City

Male Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo wins this award for the second year in a row after winning the Ballon d'Or for the second year in a row (and five times overall). It's hard to argue with his results, as he led Madrid to a La Liga, Champions League, and Spanish Super Club treble in 2017. The Portuguese star scored 49 goals in total this year and became the first player in Champions League history to score in each of his club's group-stage matches.

2016 Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo
2015 Winner: Lionel Messi

Female Player of the Year: Lieke Martens

Martens was named The Best FIFA Women's Player for 2017. This was mainly due to her leading the Netherlands to the UEPA Europe 2017 title. Her three goals and two assists led to her being named player of the tournament. She also helped FC Barcelona reach the round of 16 of the Champions League.

2016 Winner: Melanie Behringer
2015 Winner: Carli Lloyd

MLS Player of the Year: Diego Valeri

The Portland Timbers star won the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award after being just the second player in league history to record at least 20 goals and 10 assists in the same season. He also set the record for scoring goals in consecutive games with nine. The Timbers meanwhile, reached the conference semifinals of the MLS Cup playoffs.

2016 Winner: David Villa

MLS Team of the Year: Toronto FC

In 2016, the Sounders defeated Toronto FC to win the MLS Cup. This year, the results were switched. and Toronto won 2-0 to win their first MLS Cup. They used that momentum to capture their second straight Canadian Championship.

2016 Winner: Seattle Sounders

Premier League Player of the Year: Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur

If a new international soccer star was created this year, it was Kane. The striker's 29 goals led the Premier League and had four of the league's 11 hat-tricks this year. He also was named Player of the Month once and made the PFA Team of the Year. Our runner-up is N'Golo Kante, who was named Premier League Player of the Year and finished eigthth in the Ballon d'Or voting (two spots ahead of Kane).

International Team of the Year: Germany

In June 2017, Germany became the #1 team ranked in the world. Seven months later, they have yet to give up the throne. A big reason for that: they won the 10th FIFA Confederations Cup, beating Chile 1-0 in the finals.

2016 Winner: Argentina

General Awards:

Legend of the Year: Ara Parseghian

The man regarded as one of the most legendary college football coaches of all-time passed away on August 2nd of 2017. The 1980 College Football Hall of Fame inductee won two national championships when he was the Notre Dame coach.

2016 Winner: Muhammad Ali
2015 Winner: Kobe Bryant

Moment of the Year: Houston Astros win the World Series

As I said before, the city of Houston was absolutely devastated by Hurricane Harvey. J.J. Watt's charity efforts did help alleviate some of the pain, but a lot of the credit has to go to George Springer, Charlie Morton, Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Jose Altuve, and the rest of the Astros. This was a big moment for the Astros and for the city of Houston.

2016 Winner: Chicago Cubs win the World Series

Upset of the Year: Mississippi State Upsets UCONN in the Final Four

The UCONN women's basketball team might be the closest thing we have to a dynasty in modern sports. Coming into this game, they had won 111 straight games, had won four straight championships, and had made 10 straight Final Four appearances. This game against Mississippi State was supposed to be nothing more than a warm-up for the championship. After all, the Huskies had beaten Mississippi State by 60 points in 2016. Instead, Morgan Williams of the Bulldogs hit a jumped as time expired in overtime to beat the Huskies and end one of the greatest undefeated streaks in sports history.

2016 Winner: Chicago Cubs & Cleveland Cavaliers Come Back from 3-1
2015 Winner: Holly Holm beats Ronda Rousey

Play of the Year: Julian Edelman's Catch in the Super Bowl

As we all know, the Patriots fell behind in the Super Bowl. They quickly found themselves in a 28-3 deficit when they slowly but surely started making a comeback. But 25 points is a lot of ground to cover. With just over two minutes left in regulation, the Patriots were down by eight. Tom Brady launched a long pass that was tipped by a Falcons defender and bobbled around before finally being caught by Julian Edelman. Now, that play did not win the game for the Patriots (or even tie it), but it certainly helped. Plus, it was an amazing catch.

2016 Winner: Kris Jenkins's Three wins Villanova the title

Franchise of the Year: Houston Astros

What more is there to say about the Astros? Their story is simply magical and heart-warming. Not only did they lift the entire city of Houston up, but they captured the hearts of fans watching all across America.

2016 Winner: Chicago Cubs
2015 Winner: Golden State Warriors

Sports Star of the Year: Jose Altuve

For the first time ever, an individual athlete wins our highest award. And they don't get much more deserving than Altuve. The second baseman won the AL MVP award and batting title en route to helping the Astros win their second World Series title. His on-the-field actions may have made him a national name, but it was his off-the-field actions that really earned him this award. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Altuve performed charity work, donated thousands of dollars to the recovery effort, and arranged a delivery of shoes to the needy for thousands of dollars. For this exemplary year, we are proud to name Jose Altuve our 2017 Sports Star of the Year.

2016 Winner: U.S. Olympic Swim Team
2015 Winner: American Pharaoh

Thanks for reading everyone.