Heisman Hopeful: The Case for Jeremiyah Love
- Noah Wehby
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Jeremiyah Love has been one of the most electric players in all of college football for the second year in a row. He continues to wow onlookers with his elite athleticism and playmaking ability, but with the season winding down, does he have a real chance to make it to New York City?
Love broke onto the national scene last year when it was clear he had quickly become one of the best running backs in the country. It seemed like it was every week that he would make a video game like play that would leave fans speechless. That sort of playmaking ability helped carry Notre Dame through a magical playoff run which featured a 98-yard touchdown run against Indiana and a resilient two-yard run against Penn State to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Coming off a season like that, the expectations for Love were incredibly high, and Love has been far from disappointing.
This season, Love's Heisman campaign got off to a bit of a rocky start, but that was to no fault of his own. The opening game against Miami did not feature much of Love or any running game for that matter. Love quickly flipped the script against Texas A&M. In that game, Love was the biggest playmaker for an offense that put up 33 points, scoring one rushing and one receiving touchdown.
Since the A&M game, Love has continued to excel and provide explosive and consistent offense for a team pushing for a spot in the CFP. Most notably, Love single-handedly provided the plays needed to beat Arkansas in one half. His four touchdown offensive explosion gave Notre Dame the jolt it needed to put away the Razorbacks in just 30 minutes. Against USC, Love punished the Trojans all night with an impressive combination of speed and power. In that primetime matchup, Love gave his best performance during his time in South Bend. Love ran for 228 yards while averaging 9.5 yards per carry. There was simply nothing USC could do to slow him down all game.
While all of these moments have been special and will always be remembered by the Notre Dame fans that have had the privilege to watch Love run, there is nothing that encapsulates Love's time here more than his 94-yard touchdown run against Boston College. Notre Dame's offense was nowhere to be found for most of that game. With only an eight-point lead and backed up on their own goal line, a Notre Dame win was still very much in doubt. It was not until Love found the right gap, blew past the first level of defenders, and beat everyone to the end zone that Notre Dame fans could finally take a deep breath. That is exactly what Love has been for this team for two years now. He is that constant presence that a big play could be on the end of every snap. Love always seems to have the answer for the Fighting Irish's needs. His elite playmaking and big-play ability has the potential to erase so many mistakes that Notre Dame makes throughout the game. That kind of player is so rare. There may only be a few in all of college football.
When it comes to Love's Heisman chances, he has an uphill battle going up against some very impressive quarterbacks. Ohio State's Julian Sayin has been surgical all year, leading Ohio State to the number one ranking in the country. Fernando Mendoza for Indiana may have just had his Heisman moment last week when he found Omar Cooper in the back of the end zone to avoid the upset to Penn State. While these players have had fantastic years, no one has been better in their role than Love. His play has made him undoubtably the best running back in the country, and he may just be the best offensive player in the country. This season, Love is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and will likely hit 1000 yards on the season this Saturday versus Pitt. He is also sitting at 16 total touchdowns, which is tied for first among non-quarterbacks. When it comes to Love, it is not just about the stats. It is the highlight reel plays he makes every week, the freakish athleticism he displays, and the burden he carries for one of the better offenses in the country. Love may not win the Heisman this year, but he has earned the right to be considered for the award bestowed to the best player in the country.
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