Jabrill Peppers is now No. 2 in ESPN Heismanology and his odds in Vegas are skyrocketing
I have a feeling if Michigan runs the table and Peppers has big games against Ohio State and in the B1G championship he's going to win the award. Feldman and Mandel noted on their podcast this week that Lamar Jackson has really been stat padding in garbage time of games this year and with their schedule down the stretch (and the FSU game meaning less now that they are 5-3) he's in danger of losing his stranglehold in the race.
Each week, ESPN polls all of its Heisman Trophy voters and asks them to file a sample ballot. ESPN college football announcer Joe Tessitore reveals the top five candidates every week in “Heismanology.” Previously, Peppers came in at No. 3 behind Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson.
But this week, Peppers made a significant jump after another all-around effort. Peppers came in at No. 2 behind only Jackson.
Tessitore explained why Peppers got the bump.
“We have been tracking Jabrill Peppers the last few weeks calling him ‘the great divide candidate.’ Voters either put him first or second or leave him off the ballot entirely.” Tessitore said. “Not any longer with Peppers. He now appears on 79 percent of the ballots, so he takes the big jump to second.”
http://saturdaytradition.com/michigan-football/peppers-heismanology-second-explained/
According to Bovada, the Heisman field is shrinking and Jabrill Peppers is gaining steam pic.twitter.com/Z2HJ23hEk6
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) October 31, 2016
November 1st, 2016 at 1:09 PM ^
There's no guarantee that Peppers will have "Heisman moments" in those games even if we win both and he is terrific. But that is true, he will get his chance.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 2:53 PM ^
“he can steal earn the award by playing incredibley when everyone is watching.”
November 1st, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
I completely agree. I was going to put something like that but felt it was too early and I had rambled enough as is.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^
EVERYONE thought it was Mannings nearly all season...but...
November 1st, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:07 PM ^
The award will go to the best player with a chance to win the National Championship.
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
Yes - that is what needs to happen.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:32 PM ^
Not necessarily. Manziel won it when the Aggies went 11-2. Jackson is a similar talent, and the Cards are a similar team to Texas A&M in 2012.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:58 PM ^
they beat Alabama on the road that year ... so there's that.
An undefeated Michigan when the Heisman is awarded would be BIG for Jabrill's chances ...
Go Blue!
November 1st, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^
Complete dearth of contenders with Manziel for the trophy. The other two (only three total!) invited were Collin Klien of KSU (huh?) and Manti Teo (exclusively an inside LB and a defense only player has never won). With Bama splitting carries between Lacy and Yeldon, they didn't have a back with the usual insane numbers and there was amazingly no one else to contend.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
LOL - I tune into his show for Papi. Dan really embarrasses himself sometimes. He is not the brightest talking head.
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:17 PM ^
they want to win him the Heisman they should run that read option with him more. We could play an entire half of football like that and be very effective on offense. Every time they run it I want them to keep going with it. Once Peppers got the feel of doing it a little bit more, I think he could be Denard-esque. I think it is very possible that they run that for long stretches against OSU.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:21 PM ^
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November 1st, 2016 at 3:49 PM ^
he's still not that good at making reads (IMHO) but he's so good that it doesn't even matter. He just jukes two guys in the backfield if he keeps when he probably should have handed. The problem is that I don't know if you can get him the experience and practice to do it at the highest level when he has so much defensive responsibility.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:58 PM ^
Sports Clowns and Carnival Barkers jobs are to stir the pot. Paid Clowns.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:06 PM ^
If he has another eye-popping play or two, takes over the OSU game and wins it for us (something like a stat line of 10 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, an INT, and some combo of a Wildcat / Kickoff / Punt return for a TD), he very well could put himself in position to win. But it will need to be in that game, with the Big Ten title and the playoffs on the line.
If he does that, then he and Jackson are at least a coin flip between each other.
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:07 PM ^
This is a tough year to win, because Jackson isn't just having a "default best player" type of year. He's performing at an epic level, putting up massive statistics, and producing incredible highlights. And, while his schedule is a bit weak, in his biggest showcases with the pressure on and everybody watching, he has been just as terrific as ever.
There are years where the field isn't that impressive, but this isn't one of them. And Peppers, while great, hasn't posted much in the way of significant numbers that voters can hang their hats on. I'm not talking about raw totals, which will be lower for a player like him, but one significant stat (like TFLs, which were a good number for him early but have tailed off).
And he's involved in a lot of important plays but rarely produces epic game-changing moments.
To make New York, he can continue being great as he has. To win, he will need something astonishing, probably against Ohio State. Not out of the question, but not something one can necessarily count on even if Michigan wins out and he continues to be incredible.
Frankly, just making New York would be terrific.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:13 PM ^
Who was the last guy we had in New York? Perry?
November 1st, 2016 at 1:15 PM ^
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:19 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:26 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^
The sheen came off in the Big 12 championship game and then in the Sugar Bowl, but Jason White had a monster year that season. Tossing 40+ touchdown passes used to be pretty rare, especially for a top-end team.
Things have changed quite a bit now.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:09 PM ^
1) Injury. If he misses even one week, it might be enough. If he keeps playing but is hindered by an injury, it might be enough.
2) Jackson has a horrible game or two. If Jackson has a 4-pick, 1 TD game in a loss, then that might be enough.
2) Peppers keeps producing at this pace, then has a huge game agains OSU in a win (Like "a TD in all three phases" kind of game.)
3) Peppers puts up crazy Numbers of his own and Michigan makes the playoffs. If Peppers get 20+ TFL and 10 +TDs, that might do it for some voters.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:10 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:11 PM ^
Did anyone put money on Pep when the line was 60/1?
November 1st, 2016 at 1:12 PM ^
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
It's a shame Jabrill won't win it. That overrated award is seemingly reserved for the guy with the highest stats on a top-ten team. It does not always go to the best football player, which is what it should be.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^
what Heisman trophies would you say didn't go to the best player? The only argument I would make is Ndamukong Suh probably was the most dominant player in 2009 especially after Texas needed a restraining order to stop him from killing Colt McCoy. Possibly last year McCaffery?
November 1st, 2016 at 10:24 PM ^
Tyrann Mathieu should have won a Heisman.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:17 PM ^
He probably has a real legit shot to win it. The voters are probably bored of more gaudy numbers RB's or QB's winning it.
November 1st, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
What makes you think the voters are bored with giving the award to RBs and QBs? That is the trend and has been for decades.
November 1st, 2016 at 2:10 PM ^
I wouldn't say they're bored with giving the award to QB's and RB's, but I think in most years, there isn't much of a legitmate choice. Also, I think that last year's vote will actually help Peppers as I suspect (just my hunch) that there might have been some "voters remorse" concerning MacCaffrey not winning the award when he was obviously the Most Outstanding Football Player last year.
Someone mentioned it above, not only will Pepper need to perform (obviously) at a very high level, but a little "voter education" wouldn't hurt. Fortunately, Peppers' coach has one heck of a soap box from which to let people know who he thinks is the Most Outstanding Football Player. Further, with Desmond and Woodson being past winners, Michigan Men, and media members, I have to imagine when it gets close to that time they'll be talking up what the award is all about, and who they believe fits the bill this season.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:21 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:24 PM ^
"Best player in college football...standing before you." -- Charles Woodson 1997
Jabrill Peppers in 2016 can say the same thing.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:28 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^
I would be ecstatic if he just made it to New York. All the best high school athletes have already taken notice on how we use him, and getting him to the Heisman ceremony will only reinforce this.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:34 PM ^
Agree with almost everything above. Peppers would need signature moment + some stats to back him up. He's yet to grab an INT in his career. Getting at least 1 would help. Potentially throw for a TD or catch a TD too?
On paper, 3.5 sacks and 131 yards rushing isn't jaw dropping. Obviously we watch him play every week, but not everybody does.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:37 PM ^
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November 1st, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^
I still think he needs (and may very well get):
-At least one more punt return for a TD
-1, but probably more, INTs
-3 or 4 more offensive TDs and 200+ more offensive yards
-4 more sacks
Then he would have undoubtedly, an outstanding case to be made as most worthy, IMO.
November 1st, 2016 at 1:45 PM ^
about individual awards. I want to win the B1G championship, and beat osu in columbus for the 1st time since 2000!
November 1st, 2016 at 2:37 PM ^
If we beat OSU and win the B1G, I think Jabrill looks pretty good for the Heisman, regardless of what Louisville and Jackson do.
The fact that we are even having this conversation about the team or Jabrill for Heisman is a minor miracle considering where we were on 24 months ago.
November 2nd, 2016 at 12:50 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^
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November 2nd, 2016 at 12:51 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:52 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 1:58 PM ^
If Peppers returns a kick against tOSU, to win the game, and plays a silly amount of snaps, he should at least have a chance. That kid from UL will likely win barring any trajectory changes though.
Without something sexy for the nation to see, Peppers' total body of work isn't quite there yet (but has more return yards and is on pace for more total TDs than #2 this season):
1997 Woodson | |||
---|---|---|---|
Kicks | |||
K | Yds | Avg | TDs |
33 | 283 | 8.6 | 1 |
Defense | |||
Int | Yds | Avg | TDs |
7 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 |
From scrimmage | |||
Plays | Yards | Avg | TDs |
14 | 246 | 17.6 | 3 |
Passing | |||
Att | Comp | Yds | Avg |
1 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
2016 Peppers | |||
Kicks | |||
K | Yds | Avg | TDs |
21 | 425 | 20.2 | 1 |
Defense | |||
Int | Yds | Avg | TDs |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
From scrimmage | |||
Plays | Yards | Avg | TDs |
17 | 134 | 7.9 | 3 |
November 1st, 2016 at 1:56 PM ^
nice if Peppers won but as others have said, he will have to have a monster November and Jackson will have to stumble in a big way. More importantly we're going undefeated this year and winning the playoff.