It had become apparent last week that there was just too much anti-freshman sentiment to allow Johnny Manziel to win the Heisman. They'd invite him to New York, but he'd have to smile while Collin Klein gave his acceptance. Hmmm... Klein just threw THREE picks and got smoked by the WORST defense in the FBS!!! So, who will be put forward now as the upperclassman that should win it instead? BTW, yesterday Manziel became the first freshman in FBS history to pass for 3000, and rush for 1000...
He has my vote but because he has changed the whole Aggie offense and turned them into an elite team.
That could work out to be an extremely bad coaching decision... one that could backfire on his heisman hopes.
So... I'm seeing Teo getting a lot of play suddenly. I sense the "old guard" is desperate to find a way to keep the freshman from winning. I did a little research cuz I figured the numbers must be off the chart to get this guy up to #1A on the Heisman watch. And here they are. Total Tackles: 98 Tackles for loss: 5.5 Sacks: 1.5 INT: 6 I then compared those to my favorite LB... Dat Nguyen's senior year. Total Tackles: 147 Tackles for loss: 20 Sacks: 4 INT: 2 Dat did win the Lombardi that year, but didn't get a sniff of Heisman love. (And I didn't consider that he should at the time) From what I see, Teo will probably finish a little behind Dat... but very close. So give him Lombardi and Butkus, but leave the Heisman to the kid who started off pretty good, and has improved leaps and bounds as the season has progressed.
JFF is a great story for sure, if he wins I won't be crying that Manti Te'o has been robbed. Manti is a great player and an even greater person, he's what is good about college football, he would be an outstanding winner if he did win, but if he doesn't nothing changes he's still a great player and person. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/n7UxpYMNd5w" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Te'o isn't getting 'recent' hype. He's been a steady nomination for well over a month now. He's been consistent and has led a stout ND defense. He's been our best defensive player for years now. Offenses in the past have been able to sucker him, or avoid him because we've had a deficiency at another spot. We place a tremendous amount of stress on our LBs in pass coverage (George has been lamenting this for more than a year, correctly). A big difference this year has been the return of Spond. Carlo hits you like you stole from his mother, but has been vulnerable in pass coverage. Fox can run with the WR when he remembers who he is covering, but had been weak in run support. Spond has locked down one spot. We have a monstrous rotation of Price Shembo and Ishaq Williams at one spot, the rotation of Carlo/Fox at the other LB spot is finally fluid due to the stability of Spond on the other end, so we've finally been able to let a lighter, quicker Te'o run around and do his thing. He's not covering for anyone's mistakes, they are all doing their jobs now. He's been a one man wrecking crew as a result. Another big help has been the play of our DL which doesn't get enough attention. Only KLM is a senior. The rest are 2 Juniors, 2 sophomores and a freshman. They're fast, physical and nasty.. They keep teams from sitting back in a deep pocket. If you try to go 3 step drop and throw the ball over Te'o and the LB corps, you have Zeke Motta just killing people at safety. We lost so many starters in the defensive backfield before the year, but the kids have stepped up at corner. Even Sophomore Matthias Farley has done well at safety. Still, the key there is Motta. He's a killer.. again, another cog in the defensive machine that forces you to go back underneath trying to exploit our LBs...and that's Manti's neighborhood. Good luck with that.
Sorry, wasn't implying he came out of nowhere - he's been listed as a top 5 for quite a while. BUT... he wasn't listed as a serious contender, as no other full defensive player has been in my lifetime until Klein gacked his shot away. I would say give it to him if Manziel wasn't playing this year... but he is. And he has done SO much more than just about anyone else AND he's on a team that was picked to finish 5th in the west, it seems utterly ridiculous to gloss over him just because he's a freshman... and that's what it looks like is happening.
So Scott let me get this straight...you are upset about the voters not wanting to support a freshman for the award, but are ok with the voters denying it to a defensive player if he was the best player in the Nation?
Corey's analysis was right on the money.The play of our CBs is the biggest difference on the edges. And this team is out of nowhere deadly in its tackling technique. How did you like the hit C4 put on #25 ? That kid didn't know who he was or how he got there?
Terry, Yeah, but only from the reasoning that's what the voters have made it. It's become "Best offensive" player. Defensive players just haven't won it.
I think Woodson got the Heisman (like it or hate it) based on his offensive contributions as well as his great defensive play. I think Woodson was a solid winner, although obviously Manning could have or should have won the statue just as well. Unlike a lot of other bad Heisman winners, I have a hard time ripping into Woodson. He's an 8 time Pro Bowl selection, he's been the NFC player of the year, led the NFL in interceptions twice and won a Super Bowl... all while remaining a dangerous return threat. That guy doesn't suck. He did have a mega media machine behind him and again Manning probably could have won, but it's hard to really say Woodson didn't deserve it or was worthy. Woodson donates a ton of money, has several charitable foundations and when President Obama said he was hoping the Chicago Bears would play in the Super Bowl in 2010, he sent the President an autographed jersey that read 'See you in the White House.' You gotta admit, that's funny.
Only one thing kept Manning from winning the Heisman. Was he a Heisman kind of player? Hell yes he was and I thought he did deserve it over Woodson but I admit I was a little mum with that opinion due to that one thing....and I witnessed that one shortcoming myself in person.
I get what Scott is saying. He is just wondering 'where is this ridiculous mindset that has gone to giving out this award?' In previous seasons it seems to use one of the following (non)logics: -QB of the best team -Best offensive numbers on one of the best offenses JFF is on my list of 5 no matter what. My only issue is that he has had inconsistent games in the past (this should be known as the Manning Exclusion), but honestly without this kid A&M isn't in the spot they are in. Honestly, I'm kinda with JOCO on this one. The 2 best overall players in the country are Te'o and Alabama's Barrett Jones. If I am drafting a college football team and I get the 1st 2 picks free, those would be my 2 choices.
I was for Peyton winning the Heisman, but he's done pretty well without it I'd say. Even has Denver playing on a higher level than they did with Tim Tebow at QB. :roll: But I would agree that Woodson was a great player and has proven that he was no college fluke, he's a future HOF in both Pro and College.