Written by Paul Myerberg at USAToday.com
At a press conference on Monday, two days after his team moved to 2-0 with a sluggish win against Troy, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson apologized for the “negative energy” that has stymied the Tigers’ early follow-up to last season’s 14-1 finish.
It’s a little silly: Watson has nothing to apologize for. Still, it’s obvious that Clemson is struggling, and on offense in particular – with Watson the most shining example of the team’s inability to maintain last year’s near-perfect production.
Through two games, Watson is completing just under 53% of his attempts with three interceptions and averaging a paltry 3.62 yards per carry. So what ails Watson and Clemson? It may just be the post-championship-game hangover; maybe all the Tigers need is another week or two to shake off the cobwebs.
For now, however, Watson has fallen from his preseason perch atop the Heisman Trophy race to outside the top five. Here are the early rankings after Week 2 with a handful of players just off the list:
1. Louisville QB Lamar Jackson
He’s been incredible: Jackson is easily the nation’s best player through two weeks, blending sublime athleticism with a passing game tailored to his strengths. He can put an even stronger hold on early front-runner status by leading the Cardinals past Florida State on Saturday.
2. Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey
After a bye week – McCaffrey ran for more than 120 yards in Stanford’s opener – the Cardinal retake the field in a high-profile matchup against Southern California. Look for McCaffrey to run around, over and through the Trojans’ defense.
3. San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey
It’s about time we started paying attention to Pumphrey, the Aztecs’ best skill player since Marshall Faulk and one of the nation’s premier players regardless of position. After leading SDSU past California, Pumphrey has his team in the mix for an undefeated season.
4. Oregon RB Royce Freeman
Freeman was slightly overlooked during the preseason, but the first two weeks of the season have served as a reminder of just what the junior means for Oregon’s hopes of winning the Pac-12 Conference. He’ll have a really nice opportunity to take another step up the ladder in the Heisman race when the Ducks travel to Nebraska this weekend.
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