Pac 12 heisman hopefuls

Northwest Sports – The Northwest Is Represented On The Heisman List

Stop checking out NHL scores for a minute and switch your attention to the world of college football and specifically the Northwest part of the United States, where the teams from the Pac-12 are getting ready to head into the summer. While the frontrunner is USC quarterback Matt Barkley, Washington and Oregon also have players on the Heisman Trophy Watch List, coming from the Heisman Pundit.

Most sportsbook reviews would have told you that Barkley was always going to come up first after he made the decision to return to USC for his senior season (his first since his freshman campaign that the Trojans are eligible for postseason play due to violations), but he is joined on the Watch List by Washington quarterback Keith Price and Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas. Price had a stellar 2011, completing 66.9% of his passes for 3,063 yards, 33 touchdowns and 11 picks, but he really jumped to the attention on those who work with price per head sportsbook services when he more than held his own against last year’s Heisman winner, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, in a 67-56 loss to the Bears in the Alamo Bowl. Price was 23-of-37 for 438 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for three more scores and even though it was against a horrific Baylor defense, those types of numbers are impressive against anyone in Division 1 football. Price struggled a little down the stretch in 2011 and he battled a few injuries, but he appears to be healthy coming into this season and the sky is the limit for the junior pivot.

Many sports betting sharps didn’t expect Thomas to make the list, but he’ll be thrust into the spotlight after LaMichael James left for the NFL, and so did quarterback Darron Thomas (who would have been on this list had he stayed in school for his senior season). Thomas was third on the team in rushing yards as a freshman behind James and Kenjon Barner, but he racked up an impressive 10.8 average on the ground on just 55 carries, reaching the end zone seven times and he ran for a team-high 91-yard score as well, so you know he has breakaway speed. He will still share time with Barner in the backfield, which will hurt the sophomore’s chances, but Thomas has all the opportunity in the world to steal the show.

It’s going to be a fun year in the Pac-12 as the rest of the conference looks to catch to USC, and the race to catch up to Barkley will be just as entertaining as the race for the conference title. This is just the early list of Heisman hopefuls, so take this into consideration when you’re sports betting online.