3 Reasons Why Ezekiel Elliott Will Win The Heisman Trophy Over The Next Three Weeks

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott was the star of OSU's national championship run last year and leads the nation with 15 straight games of at least 100 yards rushing, but he doesn't find himself at the forefront of the Heisman conversation this year.

That will likely change over the next three weeks as the Buckeyes take on Michigan State, Michigan, and Iowa (if they make the Big Ten Championship Game as expected). Here are three reasons why Elliott will win the Heisman this season:

3) Opportunities for "Heisman moments"

Heisman voters often like to be able to point to a singular moment where a player elevated themselves above other contenders by doing something special. Elliott hasn't had the chance to really impress voters yet because of Ohio State's soft schedule to this point, but he'll get his chance over the next three weeks against three of the best defenses in the country. If Elliott continues to dominate and carries the Buckeyes to another Big Ten title, Heisman voters won't be able to ignore him any longer.

2) Lack of other true contenders

LSU's Leonard Fournette looked like he was going to run away with the award early in the season, but back-to-back bad games against Alabama and Arkansas has essentially taken him out of the running. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin is hurt, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey has struggled the past few weeks, and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield lost to Texas. Alabama running back Derrick Henry figures to be the leader right now, but he only has one more opportunity to make a statement in the SEC Championship Game.

None of those players have gone out and done anything to win the award, leaving the door wide open for a late push by Elliott.

1) Eye-popping stats

Make no mistake about it, Elliott has numbers that can't be matched by anyone else in the country. Not only his is streak of 100+ yard rushing games impressive, but he ranks third in the country in rushing yards (1,425) and touchdowns (16). Throw in his ability to be a receiver out of the backfield gives him an added element that's missing from the other top backs in the country. Those numbers are special, and they'll look even better when he puts them up against high-quality teams down the stretch.