Tuesday November 10, 2009

Heisman Candidates and Balloting

Heisman Candidates and Balloting
The P word was not a welcomed one around Clemson for the last few years of the Tommy Bowden era. The previous head coach sometimes talked about parity and how the playing field was level and how close in talent so many teams had become and those statements may have been true but Tiger fans did not want to hear it.

But has parity hit the Heisman race this season? No one is having a blockbuster season to date. Can one guy separate from the pack this November?

In years past we have seen some remarkable numbers put up by Heisman winners. Last season Sam Bradford was 328 of 483 for 4,721 yards and 50 touchdowns with only eight interceptions.

In 2007, Tim Tebow was 234 of 350 passing for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns with only six picks. Tebow rushed for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns. He accounted for 55 touchdowns that season.

In 2005, Reggie Bush 2611 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy is presented to the “individual who deserves designation as the most outstanding football player in the United States.” But it has turned into a trophy for the best player on the best teams. Seven of the past 11 winners have played on a team that played for the national championship.

Alabama’s sophomore running back Mark Ingram is the front runner according to the group think that happens with the media but his stats are not that impressive. Sure Alabama is 9-0 and ranked number three in the country but how many games would they have won without Ingram? He 175 carries for 1,148 yards and eight touchdowns. Are those eye popping numbers?

Ingram has four of Alabama’s nine opponents have held him under 100 yards. He has averaged 127 yards rushing per game. Are these Heisman numbers?

Ingram does have 24 catches for 216 yards and three touchdowns which gives him 1,364 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. How did he get to be the front runner for the Heisman? I guess 127 rushing yards per game and eight rushing touchdowns are more impressive than I give him credit for.

Some voters will give their vote to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. In my opinion, Tebow is one of the best college football players to ever play the game but to give him the Heisman this season would be a shame. When he won it as a sophomore Tebow had 4,181 yards and accounted for 55 touchdowns. This season he is just 114 of 173 through the air for 1,531 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has run the ball 115 times for 78 yards and nine touchdowns. That gives the senior 2,109 total yards and 20 touchdowns which is far below his 4,181 yards and 55 touchdowns he had as a sophomore.

Some will vote for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy but does he deserves the Heisman because he plays on the nation’s number two team? So far this season the Longhorn signal caller is 231 of 317 for 2,447 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air. He has also rushed for 317 yards and one touchdown. That gives McCoy 2,764 total yards and 18 touchdowns. These numbers are a big drop from last season where he had 4,420 total yards and 45 touchdowns.

Darren McFaden had a better year when he did not win it. The same can be said for Graham Harrell, Vince Young and Adrian Peterson.

I would much rather see Houston quarterback Case Keenum win it rather than Tebow or McCoy. At least Keenum has had a Heisman-worthy season. The junior has completed 325 of his 458 passes for 3,815 yards and 28 touchdowns and only five interceptions. I know his team is not ranked in the top five in the country but he has had the best season among quarterbacks.

I honestly think C.J. Spiller belongs in the conversation if the award goes to the best football player. He has 135 carries for 739 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Spiller has 21 receptions for 334 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He has 15 kickoff returns for 530 yards and three touchdowns and six punt returns for 191 yards and a touchdown. For the season Spiller has 1,784 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns. He has three 100-yard rushing games, a 100-yard receiving game, a 100-yard kickoff return game and a 100-yard punt return game.

Spiller has done it in Clemson’s biggest games too. He broke the school record for the all-purpose yards in the Tigers overtime win at Miami when he went for 310 yards and broke his own record with 312 yards in the win over Florida State last weekend.

How can any member of the media in Florida who has seen Tebow and Spiller play this season vote for Tebow over Spiller? Tebow has three games where he has passed for over 200 yards. He has thrown for over 250 yards once. He has only one 100-yard rushing game this season.

Anyone from the Sunshine State who has watched Tebow this season then saw Spiller’s two games against the Noles and Canes then there is no doubt who they should vote for.

Heisman ballots will be mailed out Wednesday, November 18th. There will be 926 eligible voters this year including 870 media voters, 55 former winners of the trophy and one public vote to be determined online (no news to Tigernet readers).

I was surprised to see the number of ballots each year that are not returned. The record for participation is only 97%. Who has a vote for the Heisman and does not send it in?

Last year 93% voted online and most did so late in the process. If Clemson, Texas, Florida and Alabama make it to their conference title games, Spiller, McCoy, Tebow and Ingram will have one last opportunity to impress voters in their biggest games of the season.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Ann Fallaw, Bob Pollock, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs, Mike Kingsmore,Perrin Seigler, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee.