Oklahoma State Football: 5 reasons Mason Rudolph could win the 2017 Heisman Trophy

Dec 29, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Jhajuan Seales (81) offensive lineman Brad Lundblade (71) and quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) after scoring on a 23-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes during the 2016 Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Jhajuan Seales (81) offensive lineman Brad Lundblade (71) and quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) after scoring on a 23-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes during the 2016 Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next

3. OSU plays well in the Big 12

A big key to winning the Heisman is winning on the big stage. A lot of big stage games come in conference matchups. Oklahoma State went 14-4 in the Big 12 over the past two seasons and nearly won the conference.

More from Saturday Blitz

If they can advance that success, Rudolph will receive more national recognition. The Cowboys tripped up in some big games over the past few years diminishing his season.

First and foremost, a major way to improve his Heisman stock is to beat Oklahoma. A lot of people fairly or unfairly compare him to his QB counterpart in Norman.

Baker Mayfield‘s flashy play tends to overshadow the more tradition, drop back style of Rudolph, but he’s worthy of the attention. Mayfield won the first two meetings handily, but Rudolph can dominate on big stages. most recently shredding Colorado’s secondary in the Alamo Bowl.

Rudolph carved the Buffaloes up for 314 yards and three touchdowns completing almost 70 percent of his passes. Although he took steps forward with a strong postseason this past year. He’ll need to keep OSU in contention for the Big 12 title and play out his mind in front of large audiences. A Heisman contender can accomplish this and Rudolph has the skills to do so.