Oklahoma State football: 3 reasons Chuba Hubbard deserved Heisman invite

1. The nation’s leading rusher

Running backs like Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins got more of the national media hype. They play for more glamorous teams that finished with higher CFP rankings than OSU.

Consider, though, Hubbard’s statistical accolades: he averaged 6.2 yards per carry, among the 20 best rushers in the nation. He led all players with 1,936 rushing yards for the season.

He also rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 consecutive games and finished with four games of 200 rushing yards or more. If the Canadian sensation rushes for his per game average (161 yards) in the Cowboys’ bowl game against Texas A&M, his single-season rushing mark would rank among the Top 20 all-time running backs in NCAA history in terms of single-season rushing marks.

He led the nation with 2,161 all-purpose yards, too.

More than any single number can depict, Hubbard is a unique combination of a tailback at a school with a long tradition of talented runners, from Terry Miller (the 1977 Heisman runner-up) and Thurman Thomas to Barry Sanders and Kendall Hunter. The sophomore is tough enough to power through the tackles and has famously elusive speed in the secondary that enables him to break open a big play.

There’s no arguing that Joe Burrow should win the award, but Chuba Hubbard deserved the chance to be honored as a 2019 Heisman finalist.