STATE YOUR CASE: Who is the most valuable player in college football?
State your case: Who is the most valuable player in college football?
MARCUS MARIOTA
An NFL team rebuilding their roster could easily justify placing either Johnny Manziel or Marcus Mariota at the center of their program. However, when considering each athlete’s play-making ability and character, Mariota has the advantage.
Mariota is the more impressive physical specimen, standing at an NFL-worthy 6-foot-4 compared to Manziel’s 6-foot-1 frame. Manziel has thrown for 14 touchdowns and rushed for an additional five this season, while also coughing up five costly interceptions.
Mariota has 17 passing touchdowns and another eight rushing, all while barely even setting foot on the field in the fourth quarter and without throwing a single interception. Mariota plays mistake-free football, maintains poise in the pocket and has the humble attitude of a quarterback who knows how to truly lead his team.
Mariota is a more polished pocket passer and generally allows a play to develop before taking off, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deliver when it’s time to run; Mariota has rushed for 426 yards this season to Maziel’s 427, but on 15 fewer attempts.
Mariota averages an incredible 10.4 yards per carry compared to Manziel’s 6.4 yards.
Mariota bests Manziel in size, speed, efficiency, touchdowns and playmaking ability. Both athletes are undoubtedly gifted, but the facts all point to Mariota doing more for his team than any other player in the nation, making him the most valuable player in college football.
– logantjones@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @logantj
JOHNNY MANZIEL
This shouldn’t even be debated. The most valuable player in the nation is obviously Johnny “Football” Manziel.
Look back at the first game of the season against Rice University. Manziel sat out the first half, and with most of the nation watching, noticed that Texas A&M isn’t as good as people thought.
That is, until Manziel came back and led the Aggies on a 24-10 run to scatter the Owls right out of the stadium.
Now, some believe that Oregon’s QB Marcus Mariota is the most valuable player in the nation, but that simply isn’t true. If Mariota ever tragically went down for a few weeks, I would argue that Oregon would still win the PAC-12 without him.
Everyone talks about Oregon’s amazing offense and how much they can score, but that shadows the amazing effort their defense has put up this season.
The Ducks defense ranks in the top-20 in yards per game and in sixth place in points per game. On the other hand, Texas A&M defense ranks 113th in yards per game and 96th place in points per game.
Mariota isn’t the most valuable player in the country simply because his team is destroying everyone they play. He simply plays for the better team.
Just like Oregon’s offense, everyone raves about Alabama’s defense and how unstoppable they are, but Manziel put up 562 yards by himself. This ranks second most in SEC history, behind only himself when he put up 576 yards against LSU last season.
Manziel is a star and the MVP of this college football season.
– braden.clark@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @BradyClark19
