Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo isn’t a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He wasn’t even the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. But the star senior will get at least one first-place Heisman vote when it’s all said and done, courtesy of Dan Bickley of Bickley & Marotta on 98.7 FM in Phoenix.
In a monologue on Tuesday morning, Bickley jumped the gun ahead of the Heisman ceremony this weekend in New York City and revealed that he voted Skattebo first after the Sacramento State transfer piled up more than 2,000 total yards and 22 total touchdowns this season for the Big 12 champion Sun Devils.
“Skattebo will receive at least one first-place Heisman vote, and I know that because I cast that vote,” Bickley said. “Not as a gift, mind you. But because I believe Skattebo when he says he’s the best running back in the country.”
As for the other top candidates, Bickley made the case against them as well: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty dominated lesser competition in the Mountain West; Like Skattebo, Travis Hunter isn’t the Offensive Player of the Year in his own conference (that would be teammate Shedeur Sanders).
Bickley didn’t even give quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel or Cam Ward the time of day.
“If you have watched Skattebo week after week, you know he is the one doing most of the heavy lifting,” Bickley argued. “The tone-setter for the entire program. To me, there is nobody in college football more deserving of that trophy.”
Heisman voters submitted their ballots on Monday. The finalists for the ceremony are Jeanty, Hunter, Gabriel and Ward. But it is widely expected that the Big 12’s Sanders and Skattebo will receive a strong vote share as well.
As with every Heisman vote, fans will accuse Bickley of homerism. He’s ready for it (and whatever punishment comes for revealing his vote early).
“Maybe my vote gets rescinded for telling you all of this,” Bickley said. “I don’t care, I’m that angry. Maybe I get accused nationally of blatant homerism … that’s fine, too. Because if there was ever a time for me to serve the locals, it’s this time.”
While Bickley went on to later say Skattebo “deserves” to say he got “at least” one Heisman Trophy vote, the toughest case will be Skattebo vs. Jeanty.
Skattebo barely cleared 2,000 total yards and 20 total touchdowns, but Jeanty had a season for the history books. The Boise State star compiled more than 2,600 total yards and 30 TDs.
Bickley argued Skattebo faced stiffer competition in the Big 12 compared with Jeanty running through the Mountain West, including that Arizona State demolished Wyoming while Boise State only cleared the Cowboys by one score.
However, that ignores the fact that Jeanty raced to 169 yards in the Broncos’ win over Wyoming while Skattebo only got to 49 yards on 11 carries against the same opponent.
If Bickley wants to argue that Skattebo put the team on his back, that’s fair. The Sun Devils’ stud certainly did that as they closed the season with three dominating wins to take the Big 12. But Jeanty did that and then some, capping off a magical season with 209 rushing yards (including a 75-yard touchdown) in the Mountain West title game. And while Bickley can claim that Boise State faced weaker competition, the Broncos had a better record as well.
There is a fantastic case that Skattebo deserved to be a finalist over someone like Gabriel, but the idea of Skattebo winning the Heisman is a tougher case. Fortunately for Bickley, he already accepted the homer tag that will come with his vote.