If I told you only two players from the B1G were listed as favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2017, you’d probably be able to name them.

So, it’s really no surprise that Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley were the only players from the conference listed on NFL.com’s 17 for ’17: Top Heisman candidates for 2017

Both Barrett and Barkley have been regarded as two of the biggest playmakers returning to the B1G for the 2017 season. To make their cases even stronger, Ohio State and Penn State are the favorites to claim the conference title this fall.

Barrett is listed at No. 8 while Barkley is two spots ahead at No. 6.

Here’s NFL.com’s explanation for each of the two players.

On Barrett:

From an optics standpoint, Barrett’s candidacy has a lot going for it. He’s a fifth-year senior and the leader of a blue-blood program, and he’ll get lots of national exposure from a number of high-profile games, starting with a Week Two home date vs. Oklahoma on Sept. 9. OSU’s reliance on a sound running game won’t allow Barrett to keep pace statistically with some other quarterback contenders, but if he makes the plays that win the Buckeyes’ biggest games, he can make up for that. His rushing skills can help, too — his worst three passing performances of the regular season last year (vs. Indiana, Michigan State and Michigan) were his best three days as a runner.

And on Barkley:

The Nittany Lions will ride Barkley heavily this fall, and there’s no reason not to. When we last left off with Barkley, he blistered USC for 194 yards on 25 carries in a losing Rose Bowl effort. To the extent that the Heisman has become a quarterback’s award, it won’t be easy for Barkley to contend. But along with Derrius Guice of LSU, he’s one of two running backs who figure to have the best chance. Back-to-back October games against Michigan and Ohio State will go a long way toward determining whether Barkley makes the trip to New York as a finalist.

After big years, both Barrett and Barkley are expected to be team leaders this fall. Barrett is projected as one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football while Barkley might be the top running back in the game.

Whoever wins that head-to-head match-up on Oct. 28 might increase his Heisman chances substantially.