The Weekender: Travis Hunter wins the Heisman Trophy over Ashton Jeanty by the narrowest margin since 2009, the transfer portal pandemonium begins in the Big Ten
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The Weekender: Travis Hunter wins the Heisman Trophy over Ashton Jeanty by the narrowest margin since 2009, the transfer portal pandemonium begins in the Big Ten

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Join The Weekender in the group chat highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors and a look at what’s next.

Jeanty is narrowly robbed of the Heisman

A generational season from Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty could have won him the Heisman Trophy if he had been at a bigger school. He almost made it anyway.

After rushing for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024, the fourth-most and sixth-most in a season in NCAA history, Jeanty lost the Heisman race to Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. Hunter received 2,231 points in the voting while Jeanty scored 2,017, the narrowest margin for a winner since 2009, when Alabama running back Mark Ingram scored 1,304 points, beating Stanford running back Toby Gerhart (1,276) and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (1,145) defeated.

There is no doubt that Hunter had a great season for the Buffalos. He collected 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns while securing four interceptions and 11 pass breakups on defense. But Jeanty had, simply put, one of the best seasons a running back has ever had.

Jeanty led the nation not only in the traditional triple crown of running back stats – yards, yards per carry and touchdowns – but also in stats that show a running back’s value beyond the offensive line and the offense surrounding him. Jeanty led all of college football in yards after contact and broken tackles.

All while leading Boise State to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, securing the No. 3 seed and receiving a bye to play the winner of sixth-seeded Penn State and 11th-seeded SMU. So close yet far away for college football’s most prestigious award.

“I really felt like I should have taken the award, but kudos to Travis for the win,” Jeanty told reporters Saturday after Hunter was announced as the winner. “But yeah, it’s that simple. Work harder, give harder.”

B1G is moving in the transfer portal

While the College Football Playoff is set to begin this week, preparations for the 2025 season are already underway as the first window of the transfer portal opened on December 9th of this week. Big Ten teams have already seen significant changes.

Former Purdue star safety Dillon Thieneman, the top safety in the portal, is the newest member of Oregon’s defensive backfield after committing to the Ducks on Friday. Thieneman is coming off back-to-back 100-tackle seasons for the Boilermakers and intercepted six passes in 2023.

Nebraska lost the No. 4 player and No. 1 defensive end in the portal, Princewill Umanmielen, although his production over two seasons in Lincoln, totaling 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks, may not match those rankings. Also gone is James “Sack Man” Williams, a former walk-on with five sacks this season.

The Huskers responded by adding Willaims Nwaneri from Missouri, the No. 2 defensive end and No. 13 player in the portal. As a freshman, Nwaneri was a five-star prospect and the No. 6 player in the 2023 recruiting class.

One player who is not playing is Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola. The five-star freshman and former Ohio State and Georgia recruiting officer was linked to Miami but posted on his Instagram Story that he was “all in” with the Cornhuskers.

USC quarterback Miller Moss transferred to Louisville after being traded nine games into the season in favor of Jayden Maiava. Moss spent all four years of his college career with the Trojans, completing 64.4% of his passes for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine interceptions during his time starting in 2024.

The Navy crushes the Army in the Army/Navy game

The annual college football bowl season opener was played on Saturday with the Army/Navy game, which is ironic because the no.

Things didn’t go well for the Black Knights against their famous water rivals. A three-loss Navy squad handed Army just its second loss of the 2024 season, 31-13.

Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was the hero of the contest, recording 204 rushing yards and three total touchdowns while also rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns. His first two points, a 1-yard run and an 18-yard pass, gave the Midshipmen a 14-0 lead, and Army was never able to tie the game.

The win was Navy’s second in a row and sixth in the last eight meetings over Army. Navy now leads the all-time series between the teams at 62-55-7.

ICYMI

Luke Montgomery and Josh Padilla could shake up Ohio State’s OL

The Buckeyes rate their best lineup for the CFP due to two poor performances from their offense following a season-ending injury to Josh Simmons. Padilla and Montgomery are competing for their opportunity as second-year center backs.

Leaked pre-sale code drives up ticket prices

Tickets for Ohio State’s first-round playoff game against Tennessee sold out in minutes on Thursday, leaving fans looking for higher prices on the resale market if they want a seat. One of the reasons for the quick sell-out and the increased prices is a pre-sale code that was leaked before the tickets were released and which Volunteer fans in particular jumped on.

24 names you should know in the transfer portal

Looking for a guide to Ohio State University’s goals and ambitions in the transfer portal? Look no further than this list compiled by Eleven warriors Own Dan Hope. Given that the Buckeyes will be losing so many contributors after this year, getting new contributors back through the portal will be critical for the 2025 season.

What’s next?

  • Football: vs. Tennessee, Saturday, 8 p.m. on ABC/ESPN
  • Women’s basketball: vs. Grand Valley State, Tuesday, 12 p.m. on B1G+
  • Men’s Basketball: vs. Valparaiso, Tuesday, 8 p.m. on Peacock
  • Men’s gymnastics: Intrasquad meeting, Friday, 4 p.m
  • Wrestling: 2024 Collegiate Duals, Saturday

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