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SPORTS Saturday, December 12, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3B College Football &URZGHG+HLVPDQ¿HOGVWDUWVZLWK:DWVRQ0F&DIIUH\ By RALPH D. RUSSO Associated Press NEW YORK — Even before the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night, it is tempting to look ahead to 2016 and what could be a doozy of a race for college football’s most famous bronze statue. While Alabama’s Derrick Henry is likely to both win the Heisman and head to the NFL after the Crimson Tide’s playoff run, the RWKHU WZR ¿QDOLVWV &OHPVRQ TXDU- terback Deshaun Watson and Stan- ford scat back Christian McCaffrey, are sophomores who will return. Add Oklahoma’s Baker 0D\¿HOG )ORULGD 6WDWH¶V 'DOYLQ Cook and LSU’s Leonard Fournette DQGWKHUHLVDVWURQJFKDQFH¿YHRI the top eight Heisman vote-getters from this year will be back in 2016. “It’s a monster class,” said Chris Huston, a Heisman historian and editor-in-chief of Heisman.com. Henry, Watson and McCaffrey arrived Friday in New York from Atlanta, where they attended the ESPN awards show at the College Football Hall of Fame. They were JUHHWHGLQWKH%LJ$SSOHE\DWUDI¿F jam that turned a 7-mile trip from LaGuardia Airport to the Times Square into a 2-hour journey. The delay cost them lunch at an Italian restaurant, but otherwise all was well. “I’m just enjoying the moment and happy to be here,” Henry said. %HLQJD¿QDOLVWLVDRQFHLQOLIH- time event for most players, often the culmination of a great career. For Watson and McCaffrey, maybe this is just a test run. ³2IFRXUVHQH[W\HDU,ZDQWWR be back. And if I happen to stay my senior year I want to be back then,” Watson said. • The Heisman Trophy presen- tation will be aired on ESPN on Saturday starting at 5 p.m. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson Heisman Trophy inalists, from left, Alabama’s Derrick Henry, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson pose for a selie above Times Square, Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, in New York. Only twice (2008 and ‘10) in the previous 10 seasons have at least WZRRIWKHWRSWKUHH¿QLVKHUVLQWKH Heisman voting returned to school WKHQH[W\HDU2QO\WZLFHLQWKHODVW VHDVRQVDQGµKDYH¿YH RI WKH WRS HLJKW UHWXUQHG WKH QH[W season. The contenders in 2016 aren’t FRQ¿QHGWRMXVWWKRVHSOD\HUVZKRVH QDPHV ZLOO VKRZ XS LQ WKH ¿QDO voting Saturday night. Georgia’s Nick Chubb, one of the preseason favorites this year, will return from an injury, as well as Washington State’s Luke Falk and Baylor’s Seth Russell. Though maybe Jarrett Stidham will be the Baylor quarterback with the Heisman hype? Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett should be the Buckeyes starting quarter- back from Day 1 and there is a good chance people will start noticing that Oregon’s Royce Freeman is as good as all those stud running backs down South. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer and Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. will be trying to build upon breakout seasons. UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley are primed for fantastic follow-ups to their fabulous freshman seasons. The Heisman race should have a very different feel from this season, ZKHQ QRQH RI ODVW \HDU¶V ¿QDOLVWV were back. “The race was kind of a slow burn,” Huston said. TCU’s Trevone Boykin was the SUHVXPSWLYHIDYRULWHDIWHU¿QLVKLQJ fourth in the 2014 voting, but that back-loaded Big 12 schedule didn’t do him any favors. Then he threw IRXULQWHUFHSWLRQVLQKLV¿UVWUHDOO\ big game, a loss to Oklahoma State on Nov. 7. Fournette was rolling along as the favorite heading into that 6DWXUGD\ EXW WKH UDFH ÀLSSHG LQ Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Tide stuffed Fournette and Henry ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries, assuming the role of front-runner. McCaffrey, Watson and 0D\¿HOG PDGH ODWH SXVKHV EXW Henry just kept chugging along. Conventional wisdom is the voting for the 80th Heisman will be relatively close, but Henry is the odds-makers’ choice to become the second Alabama player to win WKH +HLVPDQ DQG WKH ¿UVW UXQQLQJ back to win it since the Tide’s Mark Ingram in 2009. Seniors have won 56 Heisman trophies, but this will be the ninth consecutive season with a non-se- nior winner — the last was Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith in 2006 — and everything is lined up for 2016 to be more of the same. Top players are arriving on campus more prepared to play than ever before, with an eye toward jumping to the NFL after three years. For college coaches, there is no sense trying to save that talent. “If you’re in a program like 7H[DV IRU H[DPSOH DQG \RX¶UH going to have NFL players, I don’t think you can redshirt them anymore,” said former Longhorns coach Mack Brown, who is now an analyst for ESPN. “You just got to play them. You’re not going to get more than three years out of a great player, most likely.” Like Watson and McCaffrey, Cook, Fournette, Chubb, Freeman DQG %DUUHWW ZLOO EH MXQLRUV QH[W season. “Now I know what it takes,” McCaffrey said about becoming a ¿QDOLVW³IROORZLQJZLWKDQ\WKLQJOHVV than that is unacceptable for me.” NFL Seahawks seek to stay on a roll against struggling Ravens D ORFN WR HQGXUH LWV ¿UVW losing season since 2007, Harbaugh hopes the crowd Seattle Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium will BALTIMORE — Though Seahawks Ravens show its support for a team evidently still not ready (7-5) (4-8) that hasn’t quit playing hard. for prime time, the Seattle Sunday, 10 a.m. “I’m really hopeful that the 6HDKDZNV DUH GH¿QLWHO\ at M&T Bank Stadium fans — the Ravens fans — looking more like defending TV: FOX take the situation for what it is NFC champions. and recognize the way we’re The Seahawks (7-5) have playing,” he said. “It’s a team ZRQ¿YHRIVL[WRPRYHLQWR including starting quarter- WKDW¶V¿JKWLQJOLNHFUD]\´ the middle of the playoff back Joe Flacco, top receiver RAWLS ROYCE: Lost in hunt, and they intend to keep Steve Smith and linebacker the performance by Wilson the momentum going against Terrell Suggs. last week was yet another Thus, the perceived the injury-depleted Baltimore 100-yard rushing day from mismatch was moved to 1 Ravens (4-8) on Sunday. rookie Thomas Rawls, who “We’ve been battling all o’clock, which translates to AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt ¿QLVKHG ZLWK \DUGV RQ year long,” Seattle coach 10 a.m. on the West Coast. quarterback Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) 19 carries. It was his fourth Pete Carroll said. “Like the Seahawks Ravens, we’ve been in a lot Russell Wilson doesn’t throws against the Minnesota Vikings in the irst half 100-yard game of the season of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 in Min- and provided Seattle with its of close games that we didn’t H[SHFWWKDWWREHDSUREOHP 23rd straight game with at ³0RVW JDPHV ² H[FHSW neapolis. turn in our favor that could Some things to know out. He throws on time.” least 100 yards rushing — tied have made a big difference in the ones we have in Cali- Wilson’s stellar play has with Carolina for the longest our season early. We’ve hung fornia or Arizona — we DERXW WKH ¿UVW PHHWLQJ together, and we’re trying to usually leave on Friday,” he between the Seahawks and been instrumental in the active streak in the NFL. Seahawks’ resurgence. Rawls is 10th in the league said. “So that way we can Ravens since 2011: ¿QLVKWKLVWKLQJRII´ “I feel like we’re playing with 786 yards rushing and is WILSON ON A ROLL: The game was originally kind of wake our bodies up Over the past two weeks, great football right now,” RQSDFHWREHWKH¿UVW6HDWWOH scheduled for Sunday night. and get ready to go.” The Ravens hope to have Wilson is 42 for 57 with he said. “We just want to running back other than Back in September, it looked Marshawn Lynch to rush to be an attractive matchup enough bodies available eight touchdown passes and continue that.” DOMINANCE AT for 1,000 yards since Shaun between two perennial to pull off an upset. Matt no interceptions. He threw contenders. But while the Schaub, who took over for IRU¿YHVFRUHVLQDZLQRYHU +20(7KLVPDUNVWKH¿UVW $OH[DQGHU LQ ZKHQ Seahawks have recovered Flacco two weeks ago, was Pittsburgh, then shredded the of three straight home games $OH[DQGHUZDVOHDJXH093 for the Ravens, who have KEEPING IT CLOSE: IURPDVORZVWDUWGH¿QHGE\ banged up in last Sunday’s Vikings in a 38-7 rout. “They build their offense won 17 of their last 18 at Every one of Baltimore’s tantalizingly tight defeats, 15-13 loss to Miami and is around his talent,” Ravens home against NFC foes. games this season has been Baltimore hasn’t broken the iffy for the Seahawks. This year, however, is decided by eight points or “Right now, we’re taking coach John Harbaugh said. habit. Worse, the Ravens have it day by day, hour by hour,” “He has a heck of an arm. unlike any in recent memory. fewer, and the Ravens’ eight Obviously, he can read things Although Baltimore appears defeats have come by a total 16 players on injured reserve, he said midweek. By DAVID GINSBURG Associated Press of 34 points. ,W¶V GLI¿FXOW WR LPDJLQH how much longer Baltimore can compete against some of the better teams with so many starters sidelined with injuries. “Well, we’re pretty numb to it now,” said receiver Kamar Aiken, the team’s primary outside threat since Smith tore his Achilles tendon in Week 7. “We’re just rolling, to be honest. We really haven’t had any time to sit back and really think about all the injuries or sit here and sulk on them.” FLASHBACK: The last time Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman played against Schaub, he was a difference maker. Late in the fourth quarter in Houston two years ago, Sherman jumped a third-and-4 pass intended for Owen Daniels and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 20. Seattle had seen Schaub run that play repeatedly in that situation and knew the pass was coming. Seattle went on to win in overtime. “Yes, I do have fond memories of that game and it being a comeback,” Sherman said. Pro Rodeo Title races coming to the wire with one go-round left go-round win of this year’s WNFR and 21st in his eight year career as he edged Seth Hardwick from Laramie, LAS VEGAS — How Wyoming by half a point. The reigning Pendleton quickly things can change in 24 hours at the Wrangler Round-Up steer wrestling National Finals Rodeo champion and 2013 world presented by Polaris Ranger. champion Hunter Cure of With go-rounds paying +ROOLGD\ 7H[DV UHFRUGHG D IRU ¿UVW 4.2 second run to share fourth for second down to $4,230 in the go-round and hold IRU VL[WK HDFK SHUIRUPDQFH fourth in the aggregate at 48.2 the Windham Weaponry seconds. He is 6.9 seconds world standings change each behind Dakota Eldridge, night. After all was said and but with his earnings moved done on Friday, there were from fourth to third in the 55 changes in the aggregate world standings — $24,300 among all events and 59 ahead of Eldridge. Casey Martin of Suophur, changes in the world stand- /RXLVLDQD ² ZKR ¿QLVKHG ings. Defending and four time second to Cure at the 2015 world champion, Kaycee Pendleton Round-Up and Feild from Spanish Fork, UT won the Round-Up title in scored 82 points to win the 2014 — earned the go-round ninth go-round of bareback win at 3.5 seconds — just one riding and increase his lead to tenth of a second faster than $34,500 over Steven Peebles. Trevor Knowles of Mount Peebles remains in the lead Vernon, Oregon. Knowles’ for the aggregate race with cousin, Blake of Heppner, Feild third — a difference Oregon was just another of $24,000. Peebles remains tenth of a second back until as the Ram Top Gun leader the judges added on ten with winnings of $145,913. seconds for a broken barrier. For Feild, it was his fourth Five-time and reigning world By CURT ROBINSON For the East Oregonian champion Luke Branquinho from Los Alamos, California was third at 3.8 seconds. The scenario is some- what the same for JoJo LeMond from Andrews, 7H[DV DQG -XQLRU 1RJXHLUD of Scottsdale, Arizona in the team roping. By JoJo’s standards, what appeared to be a “safety run” of not throwing his head loop quite so soon, turned into a run of 4.7 seconds good enough for ¿IWK LQ WKH JRURXQG :LWK the number two team in the aggregate starting the night — Coleman Proctor of Pryor, Oklahoma and Jake Long from Coffeyville, Kansas — recording a disastrous 44 second time, LeMond and Nogueira increased their DJJUHJDWH OHDG WR ¿YHDQG a-half seconds over Luke Brown from Stephenville, 7H[DV DQG .ROOLQ 9RQ$KQ from Blanchard, Oklahoma. The pair’s time of 50.2 seconds is 3.4 seconds faster than the pace of Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper when they set the record of 59.1 seconds on ten steers in 1994. Derrick Begay (AP Photo/John Locher) Hunter Cure competes in the steer wrestling event during the eighth go-round of the National Finals Ro- deo Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, in Las Vegas. of Seba Dalkai, Arizona and Clay O’Brien Cooper from Gardnerville, Nevada ¿QLVKHGWKLUGLQWKHJRURXQG at 4.2 seconds and increased their world standings lead over LeMond and Nogueira to nearly $67,000. However, Colby Lovell of Madi- VRQYLOOH 7H[DV DQG .RU\ Koontz of Stephenville, 7H[DV¿QLVKHGVHFRQGLQWKH go-round and jumped two spots to fourth in the aggre- gate.The go-round winner was Pendleton Round-Up co-champions Trevor Brazile RI'HFDWXU7H[DVDQG3DWULFN 6PLWK IURP /LSDQ 7H[DV with a time of 4.0 seconds ÀDW :LWK WKH ZLQ %UD]LOH PRYHG WR RYHU VL[ PLOOLRQ dollars in career earnings. Brazile then carried his team roping momentum over to the tie down roping as was the only contestant to move into the lead for the world title during the ninth go-round. Looking to tie the record of the late Jim Shoulders who three times won three world titles in one year, Brazile turned in a 7.4 second run to share fourth in the go-round with 2004 world champion Monty Lewis of Hereford, 7H[DV The race for the world championship in the saddle bronc riding got a little clearer during the ninth go-round as Jacobs Crawley of Boerne, 7H[DVDQG&R%XUQ%UDGVKDZ of Beaver, Utah are now the only two men that have made TXDOL¿HG ULGHV RQ DOO QLQH horses and sit one and two in the aggregate. In bull riding, defending world champion Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma gained ground on 2012 world champion Cody 7HHO IURP .RXQW]H 7H[DV on Friday night. Kimzey took second place with an 84 point score to increase his lead to $54,000 over Teel. The go-round winner for the second time was former Pendleton Round-Up champion Clayton Foltyn RI:LQQLH7H[DVVFRULQJ points.
