by Christian Roberts

Jordan Lynch

With all the Heisman hype being talked about on just about every sports site, sports show etc., one name that constantly gets lost in the shuffle is Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch. The 6-foot quarterback has put his team on his back and led them to a 12-0 record this year and to the MAC championship. Seemingly breaking a new record every time he touches the field, the QB doesn’t get the same respect as a Jameis Winston or Johnny Manziel. The level of competition is the big reason for that. With Winston and Manziel playing in two of the premier conferences in the nation, the level of competition is indeed different. But the way Lynch is performing cannot be discredited because of who he’s playing week in and week out. He doesn’t make the conferences or set schedules. He just plays and plays at a high level every single week.

The dynamic QB’s numbers on the season are even more evidence he should be among the Heisman finalists in New York this year. Having passed for 2,457 passing yards & 22 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,755 yards & 20 touchdowns, you would be hard-pressed to find a more productive QB in the nation. Johnny Manziel put up similar numbers last year when he won the Heisman Trophy. So for Lynch to be a long-shot for the award is downright disrespectful. There is no doubt in my mind he would succeed in a top college conference. Northern Illinois’ first win and highlight on the season this year was their 30-27 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. In that game, he proved he can play with the bigger teams in the country, passing for 275 yards, 3 touchdowns, and rushing for 56 yards. Granted, Iowa isn’t Florida State, Texas A&M, Alabama, etc, but they are one of the better teams in the Big Ten and a respectable opponent.

We need to stop short-handing these top performers in college sports just because of who is on their schedule or what conference they are in. Not everybody can do what Lynch is doing. If that were the case, you would see more players putting up his kind of numbers. You don’t, because it’s not an easy thing to do, no matter who you are facing.

Simply put, Jordan Lynch is just a blue-collar football player. He might not have the prototypical size you want for your starting QB, but you can’t measure competitiveness and heart. He gets the job done and is a general on the football field. This is a guy you want in your huddle every Saturday. And this incredible season he is having deserves as much praise as the other top QB’s in the country. Appreciate the high level he is performing on and not the name of the conference or team on the jersey.

Christian Roberts of Sportz Overtime, for War Room Sports