DeVonta Smith Deserves Heisman Trophy Consideration
Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith needs to be mentioned in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Smith has been one of the most consistent and dynamic playmakers in college football throughout the 2020 season.
The senior wide receiver produced over 140 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns for the fourth straight game in Alabama's rout of the LSU Tigers on Saturday night.
Alabama's other playmakers also thrived at Tiger Stadium, as Mac Jones and Najee Harris ran rampant through the LSU defense during a 45-point first half.
Nick Saban's team also continued its high standard of play on defense by holding its fifth straight opponent under 20 points.
The 55-17 win will keep the Crimson Tide on top of the College Football Playoff rankings, and it should reinforce their candidacy to capture the national championship.
Smith Turned Heads Again with Playmaking Ability
Smith hauled in eight receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns against LSU.
The bulk of that production occurred in the first half, when he wrecked the Tigers secondary that features one of the best defensive backs in the nation in Derek Stingley Jr.
Smith took the top off the LSU defense with touchdown catches of 65 and 61 yards less than three minutes apart in the second quarter.
He finished his remarkable second stanza by making a terrific catch in the left corner of the end zone.
Former Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was one of the many observers impressed with Smith's performance, and he was even calling for him to hit the 300-yard mark.
In the last four games, Smith has 749 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches. It is arguably the most impressive individual stretch of the season.
Before Saturday, Jones was the Alabama player getting the most Heisman buzz, but now that focus should shift to Smith.
With a regular-season game against the Arkansas Razorbacks and the SEC Championship Game versus the Florida Gators ahead in the next two weeks, Smith could get close to 2,000 receiving yards before Heisman voters submit their ballots.
Smith currently has 1,305 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns and 16.3 yards per reception. While wideouts typically do not get as much Heisman love as quarterbacks, Smith should receive more votes than his quarterback because of how consistently dominant he has been.
If he continues at his current pace, Smith could win the national championship by himself by breezing past every defensive back that lines up across from him.
Mac Jones, Najee Harris Continued to Torture Opposing Defenses
Alabama has to be viewed as the favorite to win the national championship because it has a quarterback and running back playing at a remarkably high level as well.
If Smith was not putting up triple-digit yardage totals every week, Jones and Najee Harris would be the team's best Heisman candidates.
Jones torched the LSU secondary for 385 yards and four touchdowns, while Harris ran for 145 yards and three scores.
Saturday's performances pushed Jones over 3,000 passing yards and Harris above 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
Jones has 687 yards and nine touchdowns in the last two games. Harris reached at least 80 yards in all but one of his starts and now has 20 rushing scores.
With each of Alabama's three offensive stars playing at a high level, it is going to take a special defensive performance to eliminate the Tide from title contention.
Arkansas enters the Week 15 clash with Alabama off a 50-point concession to the Missouri Tigers, and it allowed 63 points to the Florida Gators on November 14.
Florida has the offensive firepower to keep up with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, but stops may be hard to come by since it let up 69 points to its two ranked opponents.
Alabama's Defense Did Not Let LSU's Offense Counter with Points
Alabama opened up an early advantage thanks to the performance of its defense.
The Crimson Tide forced a turnover on downs and a punt on LSU's first two drives, which allowed the offense to open up a two-score lead.
After LSU responded with two scoring drives, the Alabama defense tightened the screws and forced three consecutive punts before halftime.
The second half had far fewer big plays than the opening 30 minutes, but Alabama still enforced its will on the game defensively.
Alabama held LSU to three second-half points to earn its fifth consecutive concession of fewer than 20 points.
The Crimson Tide's defensive play is flying under the radar a bit with Smith, Jones and Harris putting up monster numbers every week.
Most of Alabama's recent opponents are near the bottom of the SEC standings, but it is still worth noting how well the Tide have played in preparation for the SEC Championship Game.
If this form carries into December 19, Alabama may be able to hold Florida under 20 points, which is something it could not do in early-season meetings with the Texas A&M Aggies and Georgia Bulldogs.
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Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.