Alright, we realize it was a bit low to leave Texas Tech's pair of stars quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree off the finalists list, but maybe all is forgiven when pondering perhaps the closest Heisman Trophy race in several years.Check around to the pundits with the best record on these things. The Heisman Pundit called this race "soooo close" several days ago before reluctantly calling it for Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, albeit with just 75 percent confidence instead of his usual pomp and certainty. Elsewhere, StiffArmTrophy.com, which aggregates known ballots and projects a winner, shows an increasingly tight race between Bradford, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and hard-charging Tim Tebow, last year's winner out of Florida. And then there's the reputable Scripps Howard straw poll that went with Texas junior quarterback Colt McCoy.
Two things we know: 1) this race has been exciting, and close; 2) the winner will likely reshape traditional thoughts about victory with the award.
Getting back to Heisman Pundit for a moment, several years ago he wrote up the "10 Heismandments", seemingly ironclad rules dictating who qualifies to be a winner. Over time, the award's history shaped these unspoken rules, but last year Florida's sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow helped break through one of them. Heismandment No. 2 stated "The winner must be a junior or senior."
I guess it was inevitable, an underclassman winning, particularly in this age where players are seeing success earlier and earlier in their careers. But here comes Sam Bradford, well known yet only a sophomore. If he wins, that will mean success for the second underclassman in as many years.
Then there's Tim Tebow, last year's winner. He'll likely clean up in the award's southern voting region, and may challenge in other parts of the country. After smashing Heismandment No. 2 last year, he may be up for an encore if he succeeds again. That is because Heismandment No. 9 states "there will never be another two-time Heisman winner."
That rule seemed safe until Tebow came along, but then he's a special, special player who has captured peoples' attention in a way few college football players ever have.
The only player who won't realign the planets is Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. He's a junior, he's from a traditional Heisman power, he's a quarterback, his numbers easily meet traditional Heisman benchmarks for a quarterback, and he's well-liked, so there's a lot going for him on the traditional Heisman scale. Problem is, he may be just a bit boring in comparison to Bradford and Tebow after the last few games they've had. That, and his team was left out of the Big 12 Championship game and thus the BCS National Championship game, leaving him one less chance to impress voters.
Crazy stuff, but that's college football and we're left with a great field of finalists. My hunch is that Bradford wins the award, but like everyone else I'm not quite certain yet that he's for sure the guy.
One thing that should be of special intrigue is the regional voting. At times in the award's history, voters in particular regions have gone for their guy, and then left his challengers completely off the three-player ballot in a high-stakes game of knockout. We could see a ton of that this year with Southern voters sticking with Tebow, and folks in the Southwest going with Bradford or McCoy first and leaving all challengers off the ballot. This could prove chaotic, and throw the race to second and even third place votes, as speculated by Heisman Pundit. Frustrating and controversial, but part of what makes college football and the Heisman Trophy so interesting.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
IF GRAHAM HARRELL WOULD HAVE HAD THE HIGH PROFILE COLLEGE TEAM WITH THE SAME TOP NOTCH RECRUITED PLAYERS ====HE WOULD HAVE DOMINATED THE COLLEGE SPORT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. FOR THE VOTERS TO NOT INCLUDE HIM IN THE GROUP OF FINALISTS IS TOTALLY IDIOTIC. THEY ALL MUST WAKE UP AND TAKE A BATH IN BAYOU DUMBASS. HE DID MORE WITH LESS BACKUP THAN ANY OTHER OF THE 3 FINALISTS. PISS ON THE VOTERS AND THE BCS SYSTEM, WOULD LOVE TO LINE THEM ALL UP AND HEAD BUTT THE IDIOTS ONE AT A TIME
You know Tim, I have to agree with you there. If they are going to judge a quarterback, then they need to do it based on pure skill, and not statistics. I haven't watched much big 12 football so I don't know if Graham is better than Colt or Sam, but I daresay if OU's line was not as strong as it is, then would Sam have the same stats that he has now? If you give a quarterback enough time to think, then he can usually throw great passes--OU's line gave Sam all day to throw. Let's put Sam at QB behind TT line, would he have the numbers he has today? Doubtful. Let's put Graham behind OU's line, would either Graham or Colt have Sam's numbers (you don't know for sure, but odds are more in favor of yes than no).
Another thing I wanted to add. I have watched to OU games. Against TT and Oklahoma State. TT offered no defense whatsoever, hence the blowout. In the beginning of the game, the Oklahoma State defense had some success at pressuring Sam--it was so bad that during one drive, he actually threw five consecutive incomplete passes. There was some success with the OU running game which eventually opened up the passing game. I don't know about Graham or Colt, but I know that Tebow has not thrown five consecutive incomplete passes. And it is a fact that Florida has played tougher defenses than OU. Another thing with statistics, they are not always accurate. Tebow has thrown for less yardage, but he's also played less than either McCoy or Bradford. In some games, Tebow was out all of the fourth quarter and sometimes even most of the 3rd. Florida also has a great running attack, so Tebow even gets less of a chance to throw and pump up his stats. Sam may own the stats this year, but Tim owns the intangibles. Either way, I'd give it to McCoy long before Bradford. McCoy was also Texas's leading rusher and OU has a better line than Texas. My vote would be Tim, and if not Tim then Colt. They say Bradford will make a great NFL QB...all I have to say is BS. They also said the same about Jason White, Leinart and Crouch....great QBs my @rse.
Ok everyone is sitting here growling about no graham harrell or michael crabtree for the heisman, But WHAT ABOUT SHONN GREENE!!?? i mean seriously folks, why shouldnt he be included. I agree that graham harrell should be in the vote, but shonn greene should be there. This has all just turned into a friggin popularity contest. Forget the heisman trophy, its all bs.
It belongs to Sam. All the others are worthy, but it belongs to Sam. Tebow's a great leader and Colt's a great sympathy vote and Graham Harrell's great in Mike Leach's system, as were all the others before him (not to mention their improved defense,) but it belongs to Sam. ESPN has created the drama and over hyped this award and gotten everyone all bent out of shape, at the expense of these worthy young men, but it belongs to Sam. ESPN bored the hell out of me and if you ever want to believe "talk is cheap" just turn it to ESPN. Sam Bradford is a protege quarterback who continued where he left off last year, but now holds more records and calculates his offense to the endzone with such leadership and precision, no other quaterback comes close. ESPN should have hyped a running back and threw Crabtree in there and kept the hype going and invited five, but remember, last time we had five finalists there, that was just awful. Not inviting Harrell tells everyone, Sorry Graham, he just didn't impress anyone, including me. Like all quarterbacks in Leach's system, anyone can do it and you might lead the nation in passing, but the best, you see what Oklahoma did to him. And that wasn't his fault, either. Crabtree and that valuable O-line were all absent, too. The Big XII is changing college football today with the spread and and the no huddle, the defenses haven't caught up to them yet, but we defend these offenses better than everyone else also. It's kind of like this, what do you want to see, 40-0 or 75-35, what's the difference???? The defenses are vulnerable, nawww, it's the offenses that rule the day, this Florida will learn the hard way. I'm glad Tebow can't wait for a Big XII defense, because he will learn this the hard way also. Just ask Harrell and Daniel. Bradford should win the Heisman and I'm sure Leach would say, "They ought to quit giving it out if Bradford don't win," because it belongs to Sam...and if he don't win the heisman, who cares!
Prototypical quarterbacks don't take all their snaps from the shotgun. Do you think it is coincidence that their are 3 quarterbacks with big numbers in the Big 12? No defense makes average offenses and players look good!
As with the previous years the SEC has no competition. These games are getting boring.
Dr Ron,
That was very thought out and inciteful, however you must be joking right? Tebow is going to take the Gators all the way again. Whether you like it or not he is coming back next year, and we will more than likely be having this same conversation so get used to it. GO GATORS ! ! !
Neither the Heisman process nor the BCS are interesting. In fact, they are down right unfair, corrupt, and insulting to one's intelligence. Hopefully, congress will convince the NCAA to change this maddness into some form of sanity.
Has to be Colt McCoy:
Both Bradford and Tebow have future NFL recievers and running backs around them, Colt doesn't.
McCoy led his team to 3 final offensive drives in their 3 biggest games to put Texas in the lead. A freak play as the clock ran out against Texas Tech, by a two time Biletnikoff winning receiver cost them the game in their lone loss, and McCoy wasn't even on the field.
Both Florida and Oklahoma were preseason top 3 teams based on their returning talent...Texas is super young and was projected to finish 5th in their conference. They're 11-1 and #3 largely because of Colt McCoy.
McCoy was the leading rusher on his team.
He completed an all time NCAA record 77% of his passes--that is wacky and unheard of, especially considering that they have no running game and their recievers are not NFL caliber.
They're all good, but MVP and Heisman's gotta go to McCoy.
ITS VERY EASY IF YOU OPEN YOUR EYES, TIM TEBOW AND THE FLORIDA GATORS, Gooooooooooooo GATORS
The Sehas faced 32 non major opponents while sporting a 5-11 record vs the major ones. The Big Twelve has 5, eight win teams. The Pac Ten has 4 eight win teams. The ACC has 5, eight win teams. The Big East, who knows while the Sec has 4, eight win teams. Hence the many Sec teams who were ranked undermine the accuracy of their validity.
Sam Bradford will win the Heisman trophy!
He has the most talent as Quarterback and is a great leader of the #1 Sooners. Oklahoma will win the BCS championship over Florida! Boomer Sooner!!!
Harrell should have been in there and possibly have won it. Makes no sense!
Colt McCoy SHOULD win the trophy, but, with the hard on everyone gets over Tebow, he might be given it again. This is nothing more than a popularity contest any more. Watch when these 3 players go to the NFL, Colt McCoy is the only one that will be playing there. Bradford is way to slow and takes minutes to check down, he gets that at OU because he gets all day to throw. Tebow will never be able to run in the pros as now, and his passes are terrible, I don't care what all else says of it, he cannot pass the way you need to in the NFL. McCoy will be a great NFL QB, you will see, the next Manning, smart, and poised.
I've been following TT for 45 years. I live in NC now, and it's a shame when you lead your team to the best record in 70 years...break all kinds of records, win the quarterback award from Mr. Quarterback himself...Johnny U and you don't even get an invite to the Heisman!!!! A sad day for College Football and sports in General...when money and politics ruin the dreams, hopes and accomplishment of anyone not at a "Big" program. ESPN....Sorry...time to switch the channel!
Oklahoma averaged 47 points a game and gave up 21. Texas average 38 points per game and gave up16. Only a 4 point diference. Texas won 45-35 over Oklahoma. BCS is just about voting. Head to head Texas should easy be in the BCS Championship game.
Truth be said, we need someone with balls to have a 8 team playoff like Obama suggested.
In my book Colt McCoy carried Texas to its 11 and 1 record. Gets my vote!
All the votes are in and It belongs to Sam. All the others are worthy, but it belongs to Sam. BOOMER SOONER!!!!