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Corey Davis set the NCAA all-time receiving mark. The Broncos were able to go undefeated on their way to winning the MAC, earning a bid to the Cotton Bowl. Miami made history by winning 6 in a row after starting the season 0-6. Logan Woodside led the country with 45 touchdown passes.
It was a huge season for the MAC, and a huge season for Woodside. The quarterback from Frankfurt, Kentucky, threw for 4129 yards to go along with the 45 touchdowns. He also completed 69.1% of his passes, nice. His season was good enough to earn him first team All-MAC honors in a season loaded with good quarterback play.
Going into 2017, the expectations are high. The Heisman Trust named him a Heisman Trophy candidate. He was placed on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell, O’Brien, and Manning awards. While he is missing his top touchdown target from a year ago, tight end Michael Roberts, he still has plenty of weapons that return. Both receivers, Cody Thompson and Jon’Vea Johnson, made our top 30 list. So did his running back, Terry Swanson, who has proven to be a weapon in the passing attack as well.
The million dollar question, literally, is how Woodside handles all of these accolades and expectations. I have read multiple national articles about Woodside and all were impressed with how he handles himself. For the Rockets, it should mean a chance to compete for the MAC West and overall crown. For Woodside himself, a great season could mean a nice little payday when the NFL comes calling.
A little side note that will work in his favor is the success Cooper Rush, who was Third Team All-MAC last season, is having this preseason. An undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan, it now looks as though he will be the number 2 quarterback on the Dallas Cowboys. The more success MAC players have in the NFL, the more opportunities they will get. Certainly the success players like Antonio Brown and Khalil Mack are having directly helped the near record number of players the MAC had drafted this past season.