UCLA Football: 5 reasons why Josh Rosen will win the Heisman

UCLA Football has mixed expectations entering the 2017, but one thing seems like a certainty: Josh Rosen will be in the running for the Heisman Trophy.

If you don’t have Josh Rosen in your favorites to win the 2017 Heisman…  You, my friend, don’t know a winning horse when you see one. There are five main factors that create a perfect storm for Rosen to take home college football’s top individual accolade.

No. 5 – UCLA’s Schedule

The schedule is the biggest determining factor in turning a Heisman hopeful into a Heisman winner. This year, UCLA has the schedule to make Josh Rosen its first Heisman winner since Gary Beban in 1967. A Heisman winner needs to put up huge stats in early season games, especially  against name-brand non-conference opponents. They need games against name-brand opponents and games against other Heisman hopefuls. UCLA has all three on their schedule.

The Bruins open up against Texas A&M, a well-respected team in the SEC. Last year, UCLA lost their opener to the Aggies and Rosen looked shaky at times. This game is the perfect opportunity for Rosen’s revenge. He will shine with a 300+ yard 4TD day and the Bruins will win. The next two games are against Hawaii and Memphis, which will allow Rosen to put up some insane stats and carry the momentum from Week 1.

The Bruins’ schedule also features name-brand teams like Stanford and Oregon mid-season. Neither team is a national championship contender this season but their names carry enough cache´ to make Rosen’s games against them noteworthy.

UCLA also plays both USC and Washington towards the end of the season and both of their quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Jake Browning are preseason Heisman favorites. This is an ideal opportunity for a late push by Rosen to win the Heisman and outshine his rivals.