ARLINGTON, Texas — There was little question about who Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark
would hand the game’s Most Outstanding Player trophy to after Arizona State’s 45-17 victory
over Iowa State.
Running back Cam Skattebo, who ran over the Cyclones all afternoon, easily won the balloting
by the media.
Now, a bigger question — may he find his way onto some Heisman Trophy ballots?
After he was given the WWE championship belt, given to the game’s MOP, he had each of his
offensive linemen sign it.
“They’re the reason for it (my success),” Skattebo said. “You know, even being in the Heisman
talk is awesome. Those guys are the reason, those guys up front, and I just want to keep
spreading love to those guys because they deserve it.”
Skattebo had an enormous afternoon on a stage in which the Big 12 Championship game was the
only one in action. So fans across the country got a look at the back that earned All-Big 12 First-
Team honors and helped propel the Sun Devils (11-2) to their first Big 12 crown and their first
College Football Playoff berth.
He finished with 170 yards rushing and two scores, along with 38 yards receiving and a
touchdown.
“He prepared the exact same way he prepares,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “He’s so
mature. He’s grown up so much this year. You can see the speed there throughout his game,
which he didn’t have last year. But that’s just the work he’s put in to get to this point.”
He entered the game with 1,398 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns, along with 35 receptions for
468 yards and two touchdowns. He did all of that, missing one game in the regular season due to
injury.
In rushing yards, he was ninth in the country entering Saturday. After the title game, he had
1,568 yards, putting him eighth in the nation. With 19 rushing touchdowns, he is one short of
being the seventh player in the country with 20 or more rushing touchdowns this season.
Per StatsPerform, Skattebo is the first Big 12 player in history to have 1,500 yards rushing and
500 yards receiving in a season. He is the first FBS player to do that since Christian McCaffrey
in 2015.
The Heisman front-runners are Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter and Boise State running
back Ashton Jeanty, the latter of who leads the country in rushing. Skattebo would be an unlikely
winner of the award.
But a performance like this could get Skattebo on ballots, perhaps as a third or a fourth choice,
and enough of those might get him to New York City for the ceremony as a finalist.
“I do think he should be in New York,” Dillingham said. “Just watch the tape.”
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
