Christian McCaffrey Should Demand a Heisman Re-Vote

After finishing second in Heisman voting, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey blew up in the Rose Bowl, and should demand a Heisman re-vote.

It took one play on Friday for Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey to flip the proverbial bird at Heisman Trophy voters. On the very first play from scrimmage at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the sophomore Mr. Do-It-All made a catch out of the backfield, and after a quick juke, he ran the rest of the way untouched, ending up 75 yards away from where he started, in Iowa’s endzone. On that single play, McCaffrey outgained Alabama running back Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner who gained 69 total yards against Michigan State in the National Championship semi-final games on Thursday.

No player in Division-I college football history has ever gained more total yards in a single season than McCaffrey did in 2015. He broke the record held by Barry Sanders, the former Oklahoma State running back who is one of the greatest players (not just college) in football history, for the most all-purpose yards in a season. Even though, entering the Rose Bowl, McCaffrey had more touches than Sanders in more games, McCaffrey gained more yards per touch (8.53) than the legendary Sanders (8.25).

In his all-world 2015 season (prior to the Rose Bowl), McCaffrey picked up 3,496 all-purpose yards. He was the Pac-12’s leading rusher with 1,847 yards. He caught for 541 yards. He took kick returns back for 1,042 yards, and punt returns for 67 yards. He even threw three passes, two of which ended up as touchdowns (including one to his quarterback, Kevin Hogan). Those numbers alone look like they’d be a lock for a Heisman Trophy.

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McCaffrey piled on to his totals in the Rose Bowl. In what should be a surprise to no one, McCaffrey set three more records on Friday. He broke the Rose Bowl record for total yardage against the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes, as his 368 total yards (172 rushing, 105 receiving, 28 kick return, 63 punt return), beating former Wisconsin receiver Jared Abbrederis‘ 2012 Rose Bowl total of 346 (119 receiving yards, 201 kick return yards, 26 punt return yards). With 172 yards rushing and 105 yards receiving, he became the first player in Rose Bowl history to cross the century mark in both categories.

He would also break the school’s record for rushing yards in a single season, ending with 2,019 yards rushing on the season to surpass Toby Gerhart‘s 2009 total of 1,871. When all was said and done, he racked up 3,864 total yards, breaking Sanders’ record by over 600 yards.

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After his Rose Bowl performance, McCaffrey should demand a re-vote in the Heisman race. McCaffrey, who won the AP Player of the Year, finished second to Alabama’s Henry in the voting for the most prestigious award in college sports, falling by a little less than 300 points. Nearly a quarter of voters (215 of approximately 928 ballots, or 23.2 percent) left McCaffrey out of their top three entirely. 15 percent of voters submitted their ballots before the Pac-12 Championship game, which saw Stanford beat up on USC, 41-22. By voting early, those experts missed more McCaffrey magic. He gained 207 rushing yards, 105 receiving yards, 120 kick return yards, and 29 punt return yards, for a grand sum of 461 total yards. Those voters who left McCaffrey off and submitted early should be investigated and have their credentials questioned.

Next: McCaffrey finishes runner-up for Heisman

Snubs happen every year in every sports. Players who should be named All-Stars aren’t, and those who shouldn’t be, are. Players win awards that should have gone to other players while those other players can only look on. Derrick Henry had a fantastic season. McCaffrey was just better. Add another snub to that list.

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