Heisman Talk: Who are these guys?
It makes me physically nauseas when I watch
college football on Saturday and I still have to listen about the Heisman
frontrunners being Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Jimmy Clausen and Mark Ingram.
On that list, the only two players deserving
of being finalists are Ingram and McCoy. Ingram is the only one worth even
considering to win it. McCoy is having a very good year, completing 73 percent
of his passes. His yards (2,447) and touchdowns (17) aren't great, but being undefeated
and playing for the most consistent team in the country will make you look
better.
Ingram is fifth in the country in rushing
(1,168) and is averaging 6.6 per carry. He's legit.
I think the whole Clausen debate can be put to rest after losing to Navy. As Ben put it in an earlier conversation, he's just like a quarterback from Texas Tech in that he throws nearly every down.
Sure, he's thrown for 2,770 yards, good for fourth in the country, and he's thrown 20 touchdowns, but he wings it as much as most guys.
Tebow, well, let's not get started. The numbers are not good. 1,500 yards passing and 3.7 per carry? Are you kdding? That's a Heisman candidate?
Here are the real candidates.
Ingram and McCoy are on the list.
One guy not getting nearly enough mention is Case Keenum. Yes, he's a system guy. They are a run and shoot offense and they throw a hell of a lot.
With that said, Keenum is a big, strong kid who makes nice throws. It's hard to argue with a guy throwing for 500 yards all the time, and a guy who's got a small program like Houston at 8-1.
Keenum is already nearing 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. That's no fluke.
My new favorite for the most underrated player in college football, and a guy I love watching run is Stanford's Toby Gerhart. What a frickin' stud. Putting up 223 against Oregon should have got him some Heisman mention, but it didn't.
He's second in the country with 1,217 yards and leads all running backs with 16 touchdowns. Stanford plays a very decent schedule too, so him not getting mention is ridiculous.
So if Gerhart is second, then who is leading the country? One of my favorites, and has been for a while, Ryan Mathews.
He plays at Fresno State, so he'll got no love, but this kid is special. He's got what it takes to play on Sunday's. He's fast, physical and downhill runner and he's durable.
Any time you've got 14 touchdowns, you're averaging over seven yards a carry and you lead the nation (1,459) in rushing, you should get mention.
Last but not least is Dion Lewis. Pitt is very relevant on a national scale, and thanks mostly to this mighty mite. He is small, but very durable. He can carry it 25-30 times a game.
He's the best freshman in the country and one of the best back's period. He's got 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns and belongs in the discussion.
Others just outside the discussion (for now) are: Jonathan Dwyer and Golden Tate.
Dwyer needs another big game or two and he'll be right there with Gerhart, Lewis and Mathews in my mind. Tate, to me, is the best receiver in the country and is Notre Dame's best player by far. If he keeps putting up huge numbers even with Michael Floyd's return, he deserves some mention.
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Fuck little Colt McCoy.
p.s. why is "system guy" a knock on a player? Sure it's puts numbers into perspective, but it doesn't account for execution. Everyone is a product of a system.
Why is a system guy a knock on a player? How many system guys turn into good pro quarterbacks? Andre Ware, David Klingler, Danny Wuerffel, Graham Harrell, Chase Daniel... should I keep going? That's why being a system guy is a knock. You aren't good because you are good, you are only good because they system you are in makes you that way.
Peyton Manning, not a system guy.
Joe Montana...system guy.
You found one player making it an exception, not the rule.
And are you really comparing the West Coast offense to the spread and the run and shoot? Not nearly as gimmicky my friend.
It's okay to admit that most (not all) system guys earn that moniker for a reason.
most guys that are called system guys end up not being very good in the pros and I think a system guy is a bad thing. I think it means people are saying you can't do it in an offense that doesn't create the opportunities for you and for the most part they are right.
Joe Montana is an exception because the west coast offense is pretty normal compared to what guys from Texas Tech and schools like that are doing.