It’s college football folks, anything can happen at any moment. Right now, no one knows it better than the Boise State Broncos RB Ashton Jeanty. Just a few weeks back, he was pushing Colorado Buffaloes dual-threat Travis Hunter to take a backseat in the Heisman race. Well, looks like Jeanty’s good times are over.

As his chances lay loose like a thread of string on the verge of snapping off any moment, no one is blaming his athletic skills. And here comes a disheartening reality check for the Boise State fans, your fav RB does not have the privilege that the other contenders like Hunter and Miami Hurricanes’ QB Cam Ward enjoy. But atleast Jeanty has his teammates by his side.  

The roadblocks in Ashton Jeanty’s path to Heisman glory

When the 2024 season kicked off, the CFB fans were more than sure about the Buffs dual-threat Hunter reigning the Heisman race all throughout. But there came a time when Jeanty took entry and in one go replaced the two-way phenom. He shot to the limelight after Boise State defeated Utah State Aggies 62-30 where the RB himself carried the pigskin 31 times for 217 yards paired with a rushing touchdown. And soon his odds peaked. But the current situation hints how Jeanty’s Heisman ride is going to be a tough one. On the CBS Sports podcast, analyst Mckenzie Brooks started with, “And for Ashton Jeanty, it’s about winning out, winning that regular season. But then going on and winning that conference championship again.” So what makes the path rough for the RB?

Brooks then cut to the chase and came up with a harsh reality check, “Boise State, when you’re not a power four school, you have to do this in style.” So Brooks is talking about the Big 12 privilege that Hunter enjoys being with Colorado Buffaloes and the Power 5 conference privilege that Ward is lucky to have with Miami Hurricanes. Also for the analyst, for Jeanty to match up to the “historical precedent” of Barry Sanders, the RB will have to run for over 180 yards. And Brooks points out that there’s “only a 15% chance” of him checking off every box. Well, is that even doable?

Can Ashton Jeanty catch up to Barry Sanders’ numbers?

Get a look at the numbers. Eight games into the season, Jeanty remains on track to challenge multiple records. This fall, the Boise State junior has run for 1,525 yards and 20 touchdowns on 190 carries. Now let’s take a look at Sanders’ stats who owns the NCAA Division I single-season rushing record. For that, we will have to go back to 1988 when the RB ran for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in just 11 games to lift the Heisman trophy.

In order to match up Sanders’ stats Jeanty will need multiple big games down the stretch. The nearest is the Mountain Time showdown with Nevada on November 9. Looks like Boise State is in a good position to qualify for the Mountain West Football Championship. And what about Jeanty’s teammates take on his chances?

The Broncos WR Latrell Caples believes that the RB has been targeted to derail from the Heisman race but will ensure to help their teammate win: “They are trying to let it hang a little bit and stop Ashton from winning the Heisman Trophy. All in all, we are trying to win the game, so we are out there winning the game by executing our fundamentals at a higher level than they are.” Will that bring Ashton Jeanty the bronze-cast stiff-arm trophy? Let your opinion pour in!