NCAA Football Report (Week 16)
As the NCAA Football world took a bit of a break with the season coming to a close and only one game on the docket. That game was the annual Army-Navy game in the NCAA in a tradition that dates back decades. The tradition is the one week where the Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen take over the NCAA world with their rivalry game. No other games are played on the week as two of the oldest teams face off as both hope to get closer to winning the Commander in Chief’s Trophy, an award given out to the winner of the three-team series between Army, Navy, and Air Force. The game was once again the feature of the week and for yet another year the triple option of the Midshipmen that overwhelmed the Black Knights giving Navy their fourth straight win. As the season ended with the end of the last regular season game the focus quickly turned to New York where a new king of College Football. The final act of the regular season moved to the big stage where three players learned if they would be named the best player in College Football. The three finalists were named two weeks ago as Marcus Mariota, Melvin Gordon, and Amari Cooper all got their chance to win the Heisman Trophy. For Amari Cooper it was a chance to become only the second member of the Tide to win a Heisman Trophy. Despite their reign as one of the best teams in the country Alabama has yet to produce a lot of standout players. With a total of 15 national titles the Tide have had plenty of success on the field and have had a lot of great players that go on to make a big impact in the NFL. Yet still Mark Ingram is the only player that has risen to the level of being named the best player in College Football. Cooper had the chance to become a legend in the NCAA and take the second Heisman Trophy in school history after a great year. Trying to make his own set of history was Marcus Mariota as he could become the only Oregon Duck to ever win a Heisman Trophy. A native of Hawaii, Mariota was considered a favourite for the Heisman in 2013 but had a rough year that sent him down the rankings and out of the voting. Coming into the 2014 season he was the favourite once again but this time seemed to keep the momentum going throughout the season and came into the night looking like he could make history. Then there was Melvin Gordon who quickly became the best running back in the NCAA after dominating on the ground. Through the start of the season it seemed like Georgia’s Todd Gurley was a sure bet to be the best running back in the NCAA and a contender for the Heisman. Injuries derailed Gurley’s chance at the Heisman but Gordon stepped in and showed that a running back can still dominate College Football. After breaking an NCAA record for rushing yards in a single game, a record that was broken a week later, and becoming the first running back to reach 2,000 yards on the season. Gordon took over the league and helped Wisconsin to become one of the top rushing teams in the NCAA. All three of these players took a trip to New York in hopes that they could find their way to the top of the heap as the best player in the NCAA. When it came down to it, the quarterback from a school that has never seen a Heisman Trophy winner that would take home the trophy. Mariota took home the Heisman Trophy to become the first Duck to win the award and became the fifth straight quarterback to win the award. Mariota now moves on to a month of practice before he looks to make history again. He hopes to lead his Ducks team to the National Championship as he leads them into the Rose Bowl against the Florida State Seminoles to earn a spot in the national championship game. After that he prepares for the draft as one of the top draft prospects in 2015. There is a bright future for this young quarterback and he has just achieved one of the major goals in his football life with plenty more to come as the College Football playoff will now feature two Heisman Trophy winners.
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