Heisman Trophy Update

After rivalry week the Heisman campaigns of some received a major boost while some took a step back. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who exploded for 304 yards passing with 4 TDs and another 175 yards rushing in a hard-fought win over rival Texas A&M, saw his campaign roar back to life. He now stands as a serious contender when only a few weeks ago he was on the outside looking in. Clemson running back C.J. Spiller, who became the NCAA all-time leader in kickoff returns for touchdowns, accomplished little else in a 34-17 beatdown by the University of South Carolina. Spiller had a fumble, 18 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving. He did secure the kickoff returns record on an 88-yard return for a score in the first quarter but had little else go his way on Saturday. The same can be said for Alabama's Mark Ingram. He managed only 30 yards rushing on 16 attempts against Auburn as the Tide narrowly escaped the upset. Freshman running back Trent Richardson actually received the bulk of the work late in the game as the Tide clawed back to win the game.

Florida quarterback took advantage of the lowly Florida State defense in his last appearance at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a.k.a. "The Swamp" in their 37-10 thwarting of the Seminoles. Tebow finished 17-21 for 221 yards passing and added 90 yards to go with 3 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing in the contest. Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart had a monster game to push the Cardinal past a pesky Notre Dame squad as well. Gerhart ran 29 times for 205 yards en route to finding the endzone three times.

After this past Saturday it's very long shot odds now for Spiller. He would have to come up huge in the conference championship game against Georgia Tech, who themselves were upset by rival Georgia. Even with a monster game against the Yellow Jackets, Spiller will still be on a 4 loss team in a mediocre conference. While no one questions his incredible ability and impact on the Tigers' success, few will give the award to a noteworthy player on just a "good" team. The same can be said for Tebow, in my opinion. While he plays on a great team he has only good numbers. He is projected to throw for only 18 touchdowns this year, which is certainly not a bad year but a far cry from a Heisman year. Nevertheless, when on an undefeated team a big performance in the SEC title game could put him back in the top 3. Especially since the winner of that game earns the right to play for the national title.

At this point my vote would go to Gerhart. He has put up huge numbers for a team that clearly would not be where they are without him. McCoy was also very impressive against the Aggies and can further add to his chances with a similar performance against fellow Heisman competitor Ndamukong Suh and Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship. If his undefeated squad wins, then they will face the SEC Champion for the BCS national championship. My order at this late juncture would be as follows:

1.) Toby Gerhart
2.) Colt McCoy
3.) Mark Ingram
4.) CJ Spiller
5.) Tim Tebow

Heisman Trophy Candidates

As the college football season comes to an end, the postseason award race begins to heat up. No award is bigger in college football than the Heisman Memorial Trophy. This year, unlike season’s past, the race is still somewhat up in the air and there is no clear-cut favorite or favorites. Oddly enough all three finalists for the award last season returned to school and it is very likely none will be returning this year. Sam Bradford, last year’s winner, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and has been out of the race for some time. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is having a very good season for the undefeated and 3rd-ranked Longhorns, but not a spectacular one. The same goes for Florida’s Tim Tebow who became the first underclassmen to win the award in 2007. Despite the Gators top-ranking and undefeated season, Tebow is not having the kind of individual statistics that usually accompany the winner of the Heisman.

This season it appears that the award may go to one of a bevy of talented running backs. Gene Menez of CNNSI.com has running backs as his top 3 spots as of November 16th. Leading the way for Menez, and many other pundits, is sophomore Mark Ingram of the 2nd-ranked (and undefeated) Alabama Crimson Tide. Ingram has rushed for 1,297 yards (6.6 ypc) and 10 touchdowns. He also has 25 receptions for 225 yards and 3 more scores. He has been the workhorse for the Tide who will play Tebow’s Gators for the SEC Championship in a game laden with subplots.

Toby Gerhart is a 235 lbs. bruiser who is spearheading Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford team. His stock has soared in recent weeks as the 14th-ranked Cardinal have beaten then-number 8 Oregon and then-9th-ranked Southern California in consecutive weeks. He has rushed for 1,395 yards and with 19 trips to the endzone. His team has Rose Bowl hopes, which would only strengthen his case, and ends their regular season on the national stage on Nov. 28 against beleaguered Notre Dame.

CJ Spiller has done it all this season for the 18th-ranked Clemson Tigers. He has 836 yards rushing, 382 yards receiving, and a combined 734 on returns with a combined 15 total touchdowns after his touchdown pass this past Saturday. He is 3rd in the nation in all-purpose yards and had an incredible string of a big-plays early in the season where he had a play of 60 yards or longer in the Tigers’ first 6 games. Hindering his chances are the fact that his team is 7-3, but they control their own destiny in their division and can reach the ACC Championship Game with a win Saturday over Virginia. A big game to clinch the division followed by stellar performances against rival South Carolina and 7th-ranked Georgia Tech in the conference championship would bolster his chances.

Jordan Shipley is a player I am surprised is not higher on many lists. The senior wide receiver for the Longhorns is McCoy’s favorite target and roommate. After battling serious knee injuries throughout the early part of his career, the 23-year old has 81 receptions for 1,096 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also has 2 touchdowns this season from punt returns. I have to speculate that his chances are hurt by the fact that he is on the same team with McCoy and voters may speculate is he a fortunate recipient of a great quarterback?

Ndamukong Suh is the only defensive player on many lists. The Nebraska defensive tackle has been a dominant force upfront all season and has 13 tackles for loss to go along with 5 sacks and 56 tackles. He has also blocked 3 kicks this season. Ultimately, there is a very slim chance that any defense-only player will ever win this award, especially an interior lineman that may well dominate the game by tying up the opposing teams offensive linemen and allowing his linebackers free to roam and make plays. Those are not the kinds of plays that make Sportscenter’s Top 10.

Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Tennessee safety Eric Berry has had a fantastic season for the Volunteers. Berry, who is on pace for an 84 tackle season, who has 2 interceptions just won’t have eye-popping enough numbers for a defensive player to win the award on a team that is 5-5.

If I were voting, I would probably give it to Ingram but Spiller makes a strong case. Even without my Clemson bias I can see that he is the best overall football player in the nation. He has done it all and he has incredible physical talent. He is one of the fastest players in the country and is the biggest home run threat in the country. I ultimately give the nod to Ingram however due to his consistency and ability to step up and carry his team in big games this season when their passing game wasn’t getting the job done. The next month should be very interesting in how the Heisman race unfolds. If Ingram fumbles away the SEC Championship or Spiller runs away from the Cavaliers, Gamecocks and Jackets then we may have a different verdict. Same goes for a Gerhart-led Cardinal making its way to the Rose Bowl.