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4 reasons why Baker Mayfield won the Heisman

Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images Sport / Getty

In one of the most lopsided wins in the history of the award, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield captured the Heisman Trophy for the 2017 season on Saturday night.

Mayfield received a whopping 86 percent of the total points available, easily claiming the honor over last year's winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville and Stanford's Bryce Love.

Here are four reasons why it's no surprise Mayfield took home the hardware:

Insane stats

In the high-octane college football world we now live in, a Heisman winner needs to have incredible statistics that jump off the box score. Mayfield has certainly had that the past two seasons, but his numbers from 2017 are absolutely absurd.

Completion % Yards TD Interceptions
71 4340 41 5

He's first in the country in yards per attempt, quarterback rating, and completion percentage, while ranking second in the nation in passing yards and touchdown passes. He finished the season with eight games of 300-plus yards passing and threw at least two touchdowns in every contest.

Outstanding team

While the Heisman is an individual award, it rarely goes to a player who plays on a struggling team. Jackson's numbers were exceptional yet again, but Louisville was never really in the national picture this year, something that definitely hurt his chances to repeat. Oklahoma had no such trouble, with a narrow loss to Iowa State representing the team's only setback. Massive wins over Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and twice over TCU were instrumental in helping Mayfield secure the votes for the win.

Clutch performances

While it's easy to post good numbers against inferior competition, one of the major things the Heisman voters look at is performance against top teams. Mayfield rose to the occasion every single time the Sooners faced strong competition this season.

Opponent Passing Yards TD Interceptions
Ohio State 386 3 0
Texas 302 2 1
Oklahoma State 598 5 2
TCU 333 3 0
TCU 243 4 0
TOTAL 1862 17 3

His numbers against Oklahoma State in the "Bedlam" rivalry were especially ridiculous. Mayfield threw for a remarkable 598 yards and five touchdowns in a massive road win.

Heisman moment

The Week 2 road win over Ohio State in Columbus provided Mayfield with an early 'Heisman moment' that kept him at the forefront of the conversation all year. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder completed 77 percent of his passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns in the Sooners' 31-16 win, but it was his emphatic planting of the Oklahoma flag at midfield that was engrained in the minds of voters.

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