AJ McCarron (QB - Alabama) - McCarron had a great year (26 TDs, 5 INTs) leading Alabama to an 11-1 record. He is rumored to have cut all ties with kicker Cade Foster. As a kid, he played park football with Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Mark Barron. His carefree lifestyle led to a near-death jet-ski accident at age 5 and a 19 on the ACT. Although McCarron went from near-lock to play in the National Championship to the Sugar Bowl on one play where he was on the sideline, he still is one of the best QBs in college football.
Jordan Lynch (QB - Northern Illinois) - Lynch put up absurd numbers (45 total TDs, 7 picks), combining for 4,574 yards on the year. However, he is hurt by not playing in a powerhouse conference and a blowout loss to Bowling Green may have killed his chances. He attended the same high school as Donovan McNabb and Chris Chelios. Although he was fun to watch, there is no real chance for Lynch to win the Heisman, due to strength of schedule.
Johnny Manziel (QB - Texas A&M) - Manziel had 41 TDs on the year, but his team suffered due to a horrendous defense. To cope with this problem, he withdrew from Peyton Manning's QB camp because of a hangover, tweeted about his hate for the university, got kicked out of a University of Texas frat party, was suspended for 30 minutes against Rice, and instagrammed pictures from his 21st birthday party, where rumor has it that alcohol may have been served. Manziel tweeted pictures throughout the year that depicted him hanging out with LeBron James, Chris Paul, Rick Ross, Rob Gronkowski, the Duck Dynasty Crew, and his good friend Drake. Although Manziel may not win the Heisman because of back-to-back games lost to end the regular season, he certainly had the most fun.
Tre Mason (RB - Auburn) - Mason had a big year rushing for 1,621 yards and 22 TDs. It doesn't hurt that he will be playing in the National Championship either. It also doesn't hurt that his father, Vincent Mason, is part of the rap group De La Soul. Although Mason played a phenomenal SEC Championship, his stats just aren't as impressive as some of the other candidates.
Andre Williams (RB - Boston College) - Williams rushed for a ridiculous 2,102 yards this year with 17 TDs. However, getting blown out by USC and losing to Syracuse to end the season were two of his poorer decisions. He will be hurt by a 7-5 record and very little TV time, as most sportswriters have had few chances to even see him play. Although Williams had a great season, and is more likely to win than Tre Mason, it seems highly unlikely that he will have a real shot to win.
Jameis Winston (QB - Florida State) - Winston had an unbelievable season (42 total TDs, 68% completion percentage) and is on the #1 team in the country. He hasn't lost, and he has blown out Clemson, Miami, and Duke. He is absolutely the best player in college football. He got drafted to the Texas Rangers when he was my age, but he wanted to still play football in college. His closest game all year was a 14 point win against Boston College, and had a three game stretch where the Seminoles scored 198 points. Shame on sports writers who aren't voting for him due to a faulty, media-sensationalized rape accusation with extreme holes in the story and a lack of evidence. Jameis Winston is more than deserving of the 2013 Heisman Trophy.
PREDICTED HEISMAN RACE FINISH:
1) Jameis Winston (Florida State)
2) AJ McCarron (Alabama)
3) Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois)
4) Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)
5) Andre Williams (Boston College)
6) Tre Mason (Auburn)
