2024 College Football Heisman Trophy Candidate Arrested – Could This Lead to Suspension?

There are still two months until the 2024 college football season, but the Heisman Trophy debate is already getting interesting. On Sunday, June 30, it was reported that 2023 Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and speeding.

Ollie Gordon was caught speeding despite having alcohol in his car

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol report, Gordon was caught driving a .65 car at 82 mph and had alcohol in the vehicle. The full report reads as follows:

“The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says Gordon was stopped on Interstate 35 south of Oklahoma City after a trooper said Gordon was driving 82 instead of 65 and weaving through traffic.

According to an affidavit, the officer who stopped Gordon discovered a half-full bottle of vodka and a half-full bottle of tequila.

According to OHP, Gordon had a blood alcohol content of .11 and .10 when tested in jail.”

The legal limit in Oklahoma is 0.08%.

Ollie Gordon is a college football candidate for the Heisman Trophy in the preseason

Last season, Ollie Gordon won the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in college football, after rushing for 1,732 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He scored 21 touchdowns on the ground and added 550 receiving yards with 39 catches and a touchdown. All of this was accomplished while being the secondary running back for the first three games of the season.

This season, Gordon is considered one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. After a strong quarterback class last year, this year seems to be the season in which a non-quarterback could win the award.

According to Bet MGM, Gordon’s odds of winning the Heisman bet are -4000, which ranks 20th nationally. While that feels very low, it’s worth noting that Gordon is the first non-QB on the list, and preseason lists always favor QBs because that position attracts bettors.

However, if quarterbacks struggle this year, Gordon has a good chance of bringing the trophy back to the RB position. No running back has won the award since 2015, when Alabama’s Derrick Henry won the award.

https://x.com/JCooperTV/status/1807952721699320232

Will Oklahoma State suspend Gordon?

Any award or trophy is based primarily and technically only on on-field performance; however, voters are human, and off-field things play at least some role, albeit unintentionally. With this already potentially affecting his Heisman value, the next question is whether Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State will suspend Gordon for any period of time.

A suspension would all but end Gordon’s chances of winning the Heisman award. To win the award, he’ll likely need to put up stellar numbers like 2,000 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns, and another solid receiving stat line. To accomplish that, getting over 150 yards in the opening game against South Dakota would likely help.

But will Oklahoma State suspend him?

Most likely not. Last year, Trey Rucker, who played safety, was arrested for DUI during the season after a loss to Iowa State. He was reinstated for the next game, even though it was his second DUI charge.

Gordon, however, is different. Gordon is talked about and in the spotlight. Sometimes when the spotlight is bigger, the consequences are bigger. It’s also possible that Gundy will suspend Gordon for the first game of the season, as they likely won’t need his services to take care of the Jackrabbits.

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