On Tuesday, the watch list for the Doak Walker Award was released, and Ollie Gordon made his expected appearance. While Gordon will enter the season as a favorite to win the award, matching his elite sophomore campaign will be a tough task.
Last season, Gordon surged throughout the final few weeks of the season to run away with the Doak Walker Award. After spending the first three weeks in a battle for the starting job, Gordon burst onto the scene in OSU’s first conference game and had at least 100 yards in nine of the final 11 contests.
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His best stretch came in the middle of the Cowboys’ five-game winning streak. Gordon had at least 200 scrimmage yards in three consecutive games against Kansas, West Virginia and Cincinnati. Against West Virginia and Cincinnati, Gordon combined for 553 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
While he earned numerous weekly honors for his October dominance, Gordon likely secured the award in the final week of the regular season. With 166 yards and five touchdowns, Gordon helped OSU overcome an 18-point deficit against BYU to punch a ticket to the Big 12 Championship. Although OSU did not win in Arlington, the team capped a 10-win season in the Texas Bowl and sent the Cowboys into the offseason with momentum.
As Gordon looks to become the fourth player to win the award multiple times, he will lead an OSU team trying to win the Big 12 and make its first College Football Playoff. Although expectations are high going into 2024, the Cowboys’ superstar in the backfield has the potential to meet them.
