Baker Mayfield should win the Heisman

The University of Oklahoma Sooners should have four losses by now. They have a surprisingly tough Big 12 schedule this year and played the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. This year, their defense is arguably the worst they’ve had in two decades. Despite all this, they have one loss and are in contention for the playoffs. There’s only one reason for this: Quarterback Baker Mayfield.
When a team gives up over 650 yards and 52 points on the road against a ranked opponent, they will lose that game almost every single time… unless they have Mayfield at quarterback. Mayfield put on a show with five passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and 598 yards passing. He did this despite a subpar performance by the run game and the worst game of the year for the offensive line. At one point, they allowed four sacks on four consecutive pass plays.
One of the reasons he may lose the Heisman this year is because of the Sooners’ embarrassing home loss to better-than-expected Iowa State. Mayfield had a good game (24/33, 306 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) but obviously not enough. That game, like others they should have lost, was a direct result of Mike Stoops’ horrible defense.
Much is said about Mayfield’s competitiveness and heart. He has a swagger similar to Johnny Manziel. Those overshadow something that was noted by announcers during yesterday’s game: He is very similar to a right-handed, slightly slower Steve Young. He creates in and out of the pocket, isn’t afraid to take chances while not being reckless, and has a good arm. Some say he doesn’t have a “NFL arm,” which may be true, but for the college game he throws the deep ball nicely and is one of the most accurate passers college football has seen in years.
Unless TCU, West Virginia, or their competitor in the Big 12 Championship can beat them (don’t even mention Kansas), there’s no reason why he shouldn’t win the Heisman. The Iowa State loss may keep them out of the playoffs, but Mayfield is still the most worthy player in college football.