Heisman Watch: Saquon Barkley's unmatched game still deserves a Top 3 finish

Saquon Barkley certainly has his grip on Nation's Best All-Around Player status.

That doesn't mean he will win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday — because he won't.

Or that the Penn State junior should win college football's most prestigious award. Because, in most ways, he should not.

You must be judged on how you produce on a weekly basis and, even better, how you help your team achieve its greatest end.

That is why Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield will win this Heisman in a landslide. He is arguably the most accurate and proficient big-time college quarterback of all-time. He is a mass producer, as seen yet again in last Saturday's Big 12 title game that lifted the Sooners into the College Football Playoffs.

He also repeatedly lifted up his team in crunch time, saving it from ugly, playoff-eliminating defeats.

He ripped apart Ohio State early and defensive-minded TCU twice later on. His 41 touchdowns against five interceptions this season are off-the-charts superb.

The real intrigue is the race under him.

The Top Three in this race matter most because they will be invited to the New York City awards show this coming weekend and gain their deserved appreciation. They are the ones remembered.

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And this is where the debate over Barkley heats up. He deserves to be a finalist despite his lessening workload, despite a sharp change in game plan beyond his control.

Because there was no player more explosive, more game-changing, more spectacular, and productive, in the first half of the season. He displayed generational skills.

He was your Heisman favorite for a handful of weeks.

His fading rushing numbers, most evident, are actually a testament to how he's handled himself since.

For starters, Penn State's offensive line has not opened enough room for him and yet has not performed as poorly as some would indicate. Rather, when opponents shifted to swarm Barkley at all-costs by late September, that pressure overwhelmed the Lions' front five.

So they simply adjusted and threw the ball more, which produced three easy victories down the stretch and wonderful openings against Ohio State and Michigan.

That shift just didn't bode well for a Heisman Trophy tailback's resume.

Barkley became more of a blocker, a decoy and a pass target. Teams refused to even kickoff to him after the Ohio State game.

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He seemed to embrace that role and still flourished becoming one of the few players in recent years to top 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season. He also was No. 2 nationally in all-purpose yards.

There also is the possible injury factory — though one not as severe as the ankle of Stanford's Bryce Love, another top contender.

Barkley's straight-ahead speed has looked fine all season but not his vertical cutting and shifting abilities, at least not to his status. Not since knifing up an Iowa defense set to stop him in every way possible.

He just hasn't looked as dominating in all facets since then.

And yet he's still Heisman-worthy for his steady, all-around performance as much for his highlight leaps, hurdles and breakaway runs. He contributed in most every way possible — he even completed both of his passes — to will his team within four points of an undefeated season.

He's a more versatile performer than the exquisite Love at Stanford or Wisconsin true freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor. He's a more powerful version of San Diego State's all-around dominator Rashaad Penny, who, unfortunately, was not tested against nearly enough legit competition.

In the end, Barkley is on par with Lamar Jackson, Louisville's Heisman winner from last year — another candidate who wrongly faded from view.

Jackson's passing and rushing numbers were video game stuff, arguably better than when he won last year. But his supporting cast was inferior and, unlike Mayfield, he struggled to carry them at the end when needed most.

It's the toughest call between candidates two through five.

But Barkley must be there, higher than all but one, maybe two. That is if you look deeper than results and surface numbers.

Because those will never tell the best part of his story.