Oregon Ducks QB Marcus Mariota Could Be The Next Heisman Trophy Winner

By Mark Boone @markboone99 on October 2, 2014

When all of the stats stop calculating and the dust settles, Oregon Ducks QB Marcus Mariota could possibly have the 2014 Heisman Trophy in the bag. He is hands down the best QB in college football right now. Mariota is known for his effective “air” and “ground” attacks that are absolutely extraordinary for a quarterback’s skill set. As long as the Ducks’ offense do a better job protecting him against a barrage of sacks — like what happened last week against Washington State – his Heisman chances look highly favorable.

Of course, lying in the shadows of his quest for Heisman greatness is none other than Georgia RB Todd Gurley, who also exhibits superior athleticism on the field. He too has high hopes of becoming the next 2014 Heisman Trophy winner — not so fast Gurley. Let’s take a closer look at Mariota’s strengths and see how they stack up against the competition.

In the air, Mariota’s passing efficiency rates the highest in the nation. He stands among the few quarterbacks who haven’t been picked off yet. To sweeten the pot, he towers the competition with 13 passing touchdowns, whereas the others remain at 10 or less. Nearly every 7.5 times he throws the ball turns into a touchdown.

Now, let’s look at Mariota’s performance on the ground and weigh it against Gurley’s dominance, who has been in the end zone six times this season, accumulating 610 rushing yards thus far. Every 11.5 carries from the star running back turns into a TD. That’s quite impressive for an RB, don’t you think?

Mariota, on the other hand, can do the job of a running back and then some — just look at the numbers for yourself. This season, he’s scored three rushing touchdowns, which is half the amount Gurley’s put up. He has also gained 214 rushing yards — nearly a third of Gurley’s ground production. Gurley scores every 11.5 carries, but Mariota does it in 11 flat. And he’s only a quarterback — or is he?

Expect to see a continuation of Mariota’s aerial and ground assault tonight as the Ducks face-off against Arizona, putting him one step closer to the coveted Heisman Trophy.

Mark Boone is an NCAA-Football/Pac-12 writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkBoone99, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.