Heismanpundit Posts

Check out this cool story from The Wichita Eagle about the three generations of Oklahoma Heisman winners: Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978) and Jason White (2003):

Three players who amassed 16,104 yards of offense during their OU careers and own a list of records that would stretch from Guymon to Tahlequah. Three players who aren't just former football players, but OU icons.

White is the latest to get his Heisman. He remembers how nervous he was on that night in New York, but not nervous about his name being called.

There was no way that was going to happen, even though he had thrown for 40 touchdowns.

Then, of course, his name was called. He remembers losing all sensation and becoming numb from head to toe.

If not for an unfortunate injury this past Saturday, Adrian Peterson might have had that feeling, too.

Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith once again leads the Scripps Howard News Service Heisman poll.

Smith is a unanimous pick by the 10-member panel comprised of Heisman voters (two from each region) who pick their top five in the Heisman on a weekly basis.

Compiled by The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, The SHNS Heisman Poll is the longest-running weekly Heisman poll in the country.

The tally, with total points and first-place votes in parentheses:

1. Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State: 50, (10).

2. Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia: 30.

3. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame: 18.

4. Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois: 10.

5. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma: 8.

Others: Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee: 7; Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech, 7; Michael Hart, RB, Michigan, 5; P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin, 5; Marshawn Lynch, RB, California, 4; Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State, 2; Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee, 2; Tray Blackmon, LB, Auburn, 1; Chad Henne, QB, Michigan, 1.

The poll is a good indicator of what the 'working media' portion of the Heisman electorate are thinking. The vast majority of the Heisman voters don't follow the race this closely, which is why bigger names like Brady Quinn and Michael Hart will finish higher in the actual vote.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt has declared sophomore Razorback running back Darren McFadden to be a Heisman Trophy candidate for 2006.

With runs like this, it makes sense:

From the story:

"I believe Darren will be a Heisman candidate, " Nutt said. " I really do. "

This year?

" Yeah, this year, " Nutt replied.

McFadden, the sophomore from Little Rock via Pulaski Oak Grove High, leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing, 625 yards with 6 touchdowns on 107 carries.

A lot of things are working against McFadden. First, he is a sophomore and no sophomore has ever won the trophy. Second, he just doesn't have the numbers and the name recognition to be a real factor.

There is a value to a McFadden campaign, though, in that it is never too early to get ready for 2007. Any effort to raise McFadden's profile now could pay dividends later, when he is an upperclassman and, hence, can actually win.

While most Heisman lists out there continue to talk up several candidates as if they still have a legitimate shot, the reality is that there are only two players left who can still win.

Think about it. Adrian Peterson is done for the season with a broken collarbone. Steve Slaton is just a sophomore and therefore can't win. Garrett Wolfe was knocked off his record-breaking pace after rushing for just 25 yards last week. Calvin Johnson is a receiver who doesn't also return punts or kicks. Michael Hart is a nice back who won't put up the numbers needed to challenge.

That leaves Troy Smith and Brady Quinn.

Simply put, if Smith's Buckeyes beat Michigan on Nov. 18, he will cruise to the trophy.

If Ohio State loses and Quinn's Irish beat an undefeated USC, it will be Quinn's name on the base of the statue.

If the vote were held today, it would look something like this:

1. Troy Smith, Ohio State
2. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
3. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois
4. Steve Slaton, West Virginia
5. Michael Hart, Michigan
6. Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
7. Chris Leak, Florida
8. Marshawn Lynch, Cal
9. Erik Ainge, Tennessee
10. Ray Rice, Rutgers

The latest Scripps Howard News Service Heisman poll is out and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith has taken a commanding lead.

For those of you not familiar with SHNS's poll, it is made up of 10 voters, two from each of five regions of the nation, who vote for five players each week.

While it is not always an accurate gauge of the Heisman race, it is a good indication of where the hard-core working-media portion of the electorate is leaning.

This week's poll, with each players points (first place votes in parentheses):

1. Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State, 49 (9).

2. Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia, 30.

3. Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois, 22.

4. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma, 18.

5. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame, 13.

Others: Chris Leak, QB, Florida, 9 (1); Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee, 3; Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech, 2; Reggie Nelson, DB, Florida, 2; Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan,2.

The voters: Kirk Bohls (Austin (Texas) American-Statesman); Scott Cain (Arkansas Democrat Gazette); Dennis Dodd (CBSSportsLine); Vahe Gregorian (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Mike Griffith (Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel); Randy Holtz (Rocky Mountain News); John Lindsay (Scripps Howard News Service); Michael Lewis (The Salt Lake Tribune); John Rohde (The Oklahoman); Michael Vega (The Boston Globe).

After last Saturday, there are still only four players who can win the Heisman, but they are not the same players as before.

That's because Florida quarterback Chris Leak has officially been eliminated.

The reasons:

1. All three Gator touchdowns in the win over LSU were the result of plays by his freshman backup, Tim Tebow. While Tebow was scoring and throwing touchdowns, Leak was watching on the sideline.

2. Auburn's loss to Arkansas effectively deflates the overall hype and importance of this week's game with Florida, thus robbing Leak of a grand stage upon which to make a Heisman statement.

So, for the 10th season in a row, no SEC player will be winning the Heisman.

Replacing Leak on the Heisman Watch is Northern Illinois running back Garrett Wolfe, who remains on pace to break Barry Sanders' single-season NCAA rushing record of 2,628 yards. As long as the diminutive dynamo from DeKalb keeps doing what he's doing and as long as the rest of the Heisman field continues to perform the way it has, he will remain in contention.

Now, on to this week's list. Here are the four players who can still win the Heisman:

1. Troy Smith, Ohio State--He had 191 passing yards and 3 TDs on 17-of-20 passing against Bowling Green. No Heisman voters were watching, so the game had little effect either way. He moves into first place this week due to Leak's drop, which will have the effect of moving votes in Smith's direction.

2. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma--Peterson averted a death-knell to his candidacy by rushing for 109 yards and a TD on 25 carries in a loss to Texas. He needs to finish strong and OU needs to win out for him to have a shot. It hurts him that he will likely NOT have the Big 12 Title game in which to pad his stats before the Heisman votes are due. He is also hurt by the rise of Garrett Wolfe, who provides another running back option in the race.

3. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame--He is in relative hibernation for now, as Notre Dame has receded a bit from the spotlight. He threw for 232 yards and 3 TDs against Stanford on Saturday and continues to build his stat resume. One unfortunate turn of events for him is the relative weakness of USC. If the Trojans don't come into the Nov. 25 game with Notre Dame undefeated, Quinn may not be able to pull off the dragon-slaying performance he needs to make his case.

4. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois--He had 162 yards and two TDs on 29 carries against Miami (OH). Those are good numbers for most backs, but not what Wolfe has been used to accumulating this season. He'll need to get back on track this week or his time on the Heisman Watch may be short.

As Northern Illinois running back Garrett Wolfe starts to get more attention for his incredible performances on the football field, I am seeing a commensurate amount of naysayers in the press pooh-poohing his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy.

I am usually the first to put a kabosh in unrealistic Heisman runs. Raymell Rice? No way in hell. Steve Slaton? He's a sophomore and everyone knows that only juniors or seniors can win! Calvin Johnson? Puh-leez.

The understanding out there is that because Wolfe is from the MAC, he doesn't have a chance. But some observers are just being too sophisticated for their own good and aren't seeing the forest for the trees.

This way of thinking is almost always valid....unless you have a guy who is putting up superhuman stats.

Earth-to-journalists: Wolfe has a chance to rush for 3,000 yards. That's about as many yards as Reggie Bush and LenDale White had last year....combined.

It would be like averaging 45 points per game in basketball, or hitting 85 home runs.

It could be a record that will probably stand for a long, long, loooooong time.

If Wolfe does it, it won't matter if he plays for Northern Illinois. His incredible accomplishment will drown out all the disadvantages of being a MAC Heisman contender.

This could be a very special year for the Heisman.

Things were fairly uneventful in the Heisman world last Saturday.

Troy Smith had a good day and remained a solid contender for the trophy, while Brady Quinn and Chris Leak did nothing to hurt their chances.

Adrian Peterson and Oklahoma had a bye week.

Meanwhile, out on the edges of the race lurks Northern Illinois running back Garrett Wolfe. He had another monster day and is on pace to shatter Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record.

Expect the campaign for the 72nd Heisman to take some interesting twists and turns in the next couple weeks, starting with this Saturday's games.

For now, here is now the race shapes up:

1. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma--He's got a huge game with Texas this weekend and he could take control fo the race with a good performance in a Sooner win.

2. Troy Smith, Ohio State--He threw for four TDs against Iowa and now gets Bowling Green. He is in good shape and is biding his time until the showdown with Michigan on Nov. 18.

3. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame--Another strong day for Quinn. By season's end, he will have great numbers. The Irish need to beat USC for him to have a shot, though.

4. Chris Leak, Florida--Beating LSU will be key in his candidacy. Until that happens, no one will really believe he has a shot.

5. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois--You are starting to see writers around the country flashing their sophisticated knowledge of the Heisman process by declaring that Wolfe has no shot. They don't get that if he rushes for 3,000 yards, it won't matter what school he goes to.

The Heisman is all about exposure and name recognition.

One of the reasons that Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is a leading contender for the Heisman is that he is perhaps the most well-known player in college football.

Another well-known name is Adrian Peterson. To many, it seems like he has been around forever.

Chris Leak was touted as the No. 1 quarterback coming out of high school and he is in his fourth year starting for a high-profile SEC program.

In comparison to these three, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith is a bit of a mystery man to those who follow college football.

Put these four players in a lineup and Smith would be the last to be recognized.

Part of the reason for this is that Smith really didn't come into his own until about midway through last season. He wasn't a huge recruit out of high school and his progress over the past four years has been steady rather than spectacular.

There's no doubt that Smith is beginning to make a name for himself in Heisman circles. He has been outstanding in big wins over Notre Dame last year and Texas this year and, as the quarterback on the No. 1 team, he gets a lot of attention.

The problem for Heisman voters is that just as they are beginning to get to know Smith, he's about go away.

Many voters tuned in to watch Smith play Texas and his impressive performance vaulted him into serious Heisman consideration. But he followed that game up with a lackluster effort against Penn State.

Now, Iowa looms on the schedule. It's a big game that will get a lot of notice.

But after that game, the bulk of Heisman voters won't be tuning in until November 18, when the Buckeyes take on Michigan.

That means that Saturday is Smith's last chance for quite a while to leave an impression.

If the Buckeyes get past Iowa, they'll follow with six games in a row where they will be at least three-touchdown favorites. Those are the kind of games that Ohio State fans will be tuning in to see, not Heisman voters.

So, this Iowa game is huge not only for Ohio State's national title hopes, but for Smith's Heisman aspirations.

In order to hold off Peterson, Quinn and Leak, this is the game where Smith needs to make a Heisman statement. He has to go out and throw for 300 yards and several touchdowns and make some dazzling plays with his legs.

If he does that, he'll keep pace in the race for the most prestigious award in sports.

If not, he could fall by the wayside as names like Peterson, Quinn and Leak pass him by.

Just a couple days after saying that a Heisman campaign was not forthcoming, Northern Illinois has released a web site promoting star running back Garrett Wolfe.

Granted, the site does not really tout the diminutive back as a Heisman candidate, but such a goal is pretty much implied.

It's an excellent web page that will provide a great resource for those who want to follow Wolfe as he continues his assault on Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record.

At the front of the site is this quote from Wolfe:

"I'm not in the business of trying to win a Heisman. I'm in the business of trying to win football games. The only personal satisfaction I get is being a winner. I want people to associate me with winning football games." -- Garrett Wolfe.

An anti-Heisman Heisman campaign. Interesting.