3 Reasons Why Justin Fields Will Win the Heisman Over Trevor Lawrence

• Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is favored to win the Heisman Trophy, narrowly ahead of Ohio State’s Justin Fields
• Why should the Buckeye pivot be the favorite when the schools hasn’t produced a Heisman winner since 2006?
• Here’s a list of three key reasons why Fields should be your bet to win the award in 2020

The 2020 Heisman Trophy odds are quite clear – the two players most likely to be picked first and second in the 2021 NFL draft will duke it out for the award. Those two players are Trevor Lawrence from Clemson and Justin Fields from Ohio State.

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds as of May 12th.

Lawrence is listed as the favorite but this article explains why Fields will ultimately capture the Buckeyes first Heisman Trophy since Troy Smith in 2006.

Strength Of Schedule Provides Fields An Edge

You always hear talk about “Heisman moments” but it’s hard to have any when your schedule is littered with the likes of Akron and The Citadel.  Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney continually puts no effort into building a balanced schedule and this season is no exception. The Tigers play Notre Dame and that’s about it. There’s a chance that will be their only ranked opponent of the regular season.

Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields
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It's a two-man race for the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft. @MelKiperESPN outlines his first big board for 2021. pic.twitter.com/r4snLpIkzi

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 5, 2020

Ohio State on the other hand has a much more balanced schedule thanks in large part to the Big Ten being far superior to the ACC. The Buckeyes will face as many as six ranked opponents, including Michigan, Penn State, and an out-of-conference heavyweight tilt in Week 2 at Oregon. The schedule provides Fields many opportunities to have a special game against a special opponent.

Fields Produces At Higher Level

This comes with an asterisk but an important one: I’m only judging based on the stats. Does Lawrence project as the better NFL prospect? Absolutely. Does Lawrence put up better numbers at the college level? Absolutely not.

Fields had more touchdown passes last year (41 to 36), more rushing touchdowns (10 to 9), and completed passes at a higher rate (67.2% to 65.8%).

Justin Fields in a clean pocket😳 pic.twitter.com/iQmhOCVv7c

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 7, 2020

One important note to consider here is the rushing game. Fields may have added opportunities to score on the ground with J.K. Dobbins leaving for the NFL. The Buckeyes starting running back will be one of Demario McCall, Master Teague III, or transfer Trey Sermon.

The Tigers on the other hand got a huge boost with the surprise return of Travis Etienne. While Lawrence is handing off to a Heisman candidate in his own right, Fields may need to tuck it and run in goal-line situations.

The Buckeyes Are Loaded at Wide Receiver

Ohio State landed one of the best wide receiver recruiting classes in the history of the sport, which will provide Fields with plenty of options downfield. Chris Olave returns as the top option and five-star talent Garrett Wilson is entering his sophomore season. The new editions? An absolute embarrassment of riches.

Touchdown Julian Fleming! Can’t wait to watch him catch passes from Justin Fields next season 👀 https://t.co/evhxG1Yb1p

— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) January 3, 2020

The top two receivers in the 2020 class were Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba; both are now Buckeyes. Joining them are Gee Scott Jr., who was the fifth-ranked receiver in the class, and Mookie Cooper, a four-star slot receiver from Missouri.

If that wasn’t enough, four-star redshirt freshman Jaelen Gill will also see the field. If you’re counting at home, that’s Chris Olave, three five-star recruits, and three four-star recruits for Fields to choose from.

Bet Fields Before The Odds Change

With all this evidence, why is Lawrence the favorite? The last three Heisman winners were all selected first in the NFL draft. Lawrence is projected to go number one, so public money is going to hammer the name they know.

My advice? Get your money in before Fields and Ohio State head to Oregon. That will be Fields’ first opportunity to really prove to voters he should be the favorite and I don’t expect he’ll look back once he finds himself in the top spot.