Stanford Football: 5 takeaways from 2017 Cardinal regular season

1. Stanford still seeks 2nd Heisman win after another 2nd-place finish

Since 1970, when Jim Plunkett finished ahead of Joe Theismann and Archie Manning in the Heisman voting, Stanford has failed to win a second Heisman trophy. That doesn’t mean the Cardinal haven’t come close on multiple occasions, however. Many talented players have come through Palo Alto over the years, but the closest they have come to matching Plunkett’s feat is second in the Heisman voting.

John Elway finished behind Georgia’s Herschel Walker in 1982. Toby Gerhart was the runner-up behind Alabama’s Mark Ingram in 2009. Andrew Luck finished in second place on back-to-back occasions, falling short to Auburn’s Cam Newton in 2010 and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III in 2011. Christian McCaffrey finished behind Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015.

Now Bryce Love can add his name to the list, after coming in over 1000 points behind Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield for the 2017 Heisman Trophy. Love finished second nationally in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game. And, despite almost exclusively being a runner rather than a receiver or a return man, Love still finished third in all-purpose yardage.

Next: Predictions for all 41 bowl games and CFB Playoff

Especially in the past decade, Stanford has begun to recruit some of the best players in the nation. What they haven’t been able to do in any given year, though, is land the best player in the nation. Every time there has been a player who has been just a little more captivating. Eventually the Cardinal will land another Heisman winner on their squad, but as of right now they have become the perennial understudy for the award.