It’s hard to believe we are at the midway point in the college football season, but here we are and it’s time to hand out those mid-season awards. Several sites and publications give out mid-season awards and have their All-American teams.
While there is no actual hardware handed out for these awards, they are a good barometer for what could be coming at seasons end.
Matt Brown with Sportsonearth.com released their websites Heisman front runners, All American teams and coach of the year selections and Mississippi State was scattered across their board.
Dak Prescott is the leader in the clubhouse on their Halfway Heisman board. Prescott, who started the year a 66/1 favorite per Bovada has shot up everyone’s board with his play in the first six games of the 2014 season.
Per SOE:
1. Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State. As always, the Heisman does not necessarily go to the most outstanding player in college football; it goes to the defining player of a season. In many cases, a player covers both of those descriptions. With running back Todd Gurley sidelined for now, it’s not hard to decide on Prescott, who’s a deserving candidate. He’s the breakout star for a Bulldogs team that has risen to No. 1 from unranked, behind convincing wins over LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn. Prescott is getting comparisons to Tim Tebow and Cam Newton as the perfect quarterback for Dan Mullen’s offense, a power runner who can throw.
He ranks eighth nationally in yards per attempt (9.5) and 10th in passer rating (165.6), completing 61.5 percent of his passes for 1,478 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s not the most accurate passer in the country, but he’s deadly throwing downfield on play-action, working off his ability to run. He’s also been stellar on third down, leading the nation in third-down passer rating (221.6). On the ground, he’s fourth among quarterbacks in rushing yards, piling up 576 yards and eight touchdowns on 106 carries.
Prescott is followed by Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Todd Gurley of Georgia.
The Bulldogs also landed a few players on SOE’s All American team as Dak Prescott was voted first team quarterback and Benardrick McKinney was selected first team linebacker.
Coach of the year selection was Dan Mullen of Mississippi State, who edged out Ole Miss’s Huge Freeze.
1. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State. Mullen gets the slight, slight edge over his in-state rival because, well, Mississippi State has gotten to No. 1 first, despite being unranked in the preseason. After cruising through three weak nonconference games, the Bulldogs have made statements in looking physically superior in wins over LSU, Texas A&M and, most notably, Auburn. With Florida and Michigan jobs potentially opening, Mississippi State will have to fight to hold onto him.
The entire group of selections which include Heisman candidates, All Americans, coach of the year and more can be seen right here.