That time of year again. For the life of me I can't understand why McFadden name has been left out. He doesn't even get a mention. Sorry but there's not any better than him.
Actually he's #3 on the ESPN Heisman Watch, solid #3 at that. He's got big games comming up with LSU and and the SECCG to give him a platform. But he's only a soph so if he finishes strong and a solid #3 he will start the year next year in the conversation from the begining and be in the top 5. If Smith slips against Mich and Quinn against USC and he has big games for Ark vs LSU and Fla then he could win it. Terry
My top three are: 1. Smith 2. Quinn 3. McFadden That's for now, but these things are usually decided at the end in the biggest games. Smith needs to put away Michigan. Quinn needs to upstage Troy in Los Angeles. McFadden as a sophomore needs to upstage both LSU at home and then Florida in the SEC title game. Smith has the easier road and McFadden the most difficult, but none of these players has an easy task...
Brady Quinn has had an amazing year, he plays behind an OL that is average at best, and has no running game to speak of as a result and gets sacked 4 or 5 times a game. He does have sure handed WR's, but while Carlson has good speed for a TE, neither McKnight or JeffS have outstanding speed to scare a defense into backing off. Yet he has carried this team to 9-1 record (soon to be 10-1). To me there is not a better Offensive Football Player in the NCAA. Those other guys are great players as well, so I won't be upset if he doesn't win. He's going to make a lot of money as a top draft choice in the NFL, possibly even the overall #1. Terry
Players from non Big Name schools who are instrumental in their teams success and having better years than the top 3 mentioned above. QB Colt Brennan Hawaii # 1 QB in the country in pass efficiency 380 attemps 273 completions 72.3 % !!!!! 3753 yards 43 TDS 7 Ints 266 rushing yards 52 attempts 4.3 average RB's Johnson Boise State 1466 yards Slaton WVU 1363 yards 7.5 average !! Ray Rice Rutgers 1334 yards against 9 man fronts all year As much as I hate to say it, Smith does not have Heisman #'s and imho there are far better candidates. He's had too many 11-20 100 yard games. Colt Brennan is my # 1 choice. Every team they faced knows he is passing and he still connects @ 72 % . He's a threat to run as well. Heisman is for the best player, but we know that it is just a popularity contest. Unfortunately the best player does not always win and performance is ignored.
AJ, The only question I have about Colt Brennan is that he sort of plays in the minor leagues. Hawaii had another QB recently, Timmy Wang I think was his name, he had incredible stats as well. So while those are incredible stats, I just wonder if he is truly as good a QB as either Smith or Quinn? I might ask where Timmy Chang is right now and where was he drafted, but really Pro career considerations shouldn't really factor into it. As far as those RB's go, I don't have an argument there esp with regards to Slaton and Rice, as well as the Ark kid. I am one of those guys who liked it better when the award was restricted to Sr's. A lot of Texas fans were getting worked up over Colt McCoy starting to get some Heisman notice, but I agree with Mack Browns comment that Freshman should not even be considered. Can you imagine what it would be like to be a freshman and win the Heisman, you migh have peaked a little early!! Those soph running backs will all be back next year and maybe next year will be a year where the RB's dominate the Heisman talk.
:?: Uh, how many would that be? Well, make up your mind, AJ my friend, is it about the numbers or about being the best player? Hey...they can give it to whomever they want...all those other guys are great candidates. But Troy Smith is an incredible talent and he's the major reason that we are where we are. All he does is win football games. Promote your guys all you want but please spare me the usual "he is not worthy" stuff.
As a master of the obvious, I will say unequivocally that the best player most often is not the player with the best stats. You will get no argument at all from this Brady Quinn advocate if Troy Smith wins the Heisman, regardless of the outcome of the OSU-MI game, IMO he deserves it for what he has contributed to his team's outstanding success this year. So does Brady Quinn, but there is only one winner. No one else is even in the same ballpark. Not the Arkansas kid, who fumbled on the goal line. Not anyone else. BUT they need 4-5 finalists to put on a good show, so the media needs to promote 2-3 more "candidates".
I agree there is a lot of difference between a great college career and a great Pro career. Brady was a good, not great, College QB. Which is why he wasn't a Heisman candidate, and why he wasn't drafted very high. Some like Joe Montana have great college careers, but nobody thinks that they have a strong enough arm to make it as a Pro, which was why he was drafted in the 3rd round...we all know how that turned out. As far as winners go, not biggest arm, Joe is one of if not the greatest Pro QB of all time.