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| Published: Oct 19, 2009 3:35 AM EST |
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Heisman Watch |
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1. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
I can't think of anyone else that has been as consistent week in and week out and as important to their team as Pike has been to Cincinnati. He's lead the Bearcats to a 6-0 record and they're ranked No. 5 in the BCS. He's thrown for 1,633 yards, 15 touchdown passes and he only has three interceptions. He may not of been on many preseason radars, but he should be on everyone's radar right now. Despite those credentials, I see two major obstacles in his way. Cincinnati plays in the soft Big East and Heisman voters will hold that against him. Against the best team that they've played, Pike got hurt. That would be apart of obstacle No. 2. He could miss next week's game and he needs to be on the field if he's going to seriously challenge Tebow the rest of the year. The margin of error for Pike is slim at best.
Stock: Up
2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
One of the subplots in this season continues to be the rise of Clausen. He's playing himself into first-round consideration when it comes to the NFL draft and is arguably the best passer in college football right now. He's thrown for over 1,800 yards and has 14 touchdown passes.
What's missing?
A big win. I know that sounds hypocritical coming from the guy that lists Tony Pike as the No. 1 player on his Heisman Watch, but Notre Dame's Super Bowl was this past Saturday against Southern California. Everything was aligned for Clausen to have another Heisman moment and he came up just short. That might be the best way to describe Clausen's Heisman campaign. He'll have the numbers, definitely the name recognition, but he'll likely just miss out.
Stock: Up
3. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Tebow doesn't deserve the Heisman. Not if it was given out this week. That's right I said it and I'm as big as a Tebow fan as there is. I think he's a once in a generation type of college player on and off the field. However, this year, he's not the reason why Florida is winning. Their defense is. The story leading up to Florida's showdown against Louisiana State was Tebow, but the difference in the game, was Florida's defense. The numbers are also missing from Tebow's run at a second Heisman. He has 13 total touchdowns, but only eight through the air. Half of them came against Troy. In fact five of his 13 touchdowns came in that single game. Still, Tebow has much more upside than anyone in the race. We know he's very capable of going on a stretch of touchdown binges and Florida vs. Alabama part two for the SEC Championship will undoubtedly be the biggest game of the year. That spotlight plus a big game out of Tebow will go along way in cementing Tebow as the favorite to win the Heisman.
Stock: Down
4. Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
Where is the hype for Williams? He continues to carry Virginia Tech this year, yet nobody outside of Virginia seems to care. The Freshman has rushed for over 800 yards which is No. 6 in all of college football. He has ten touchdowns on the ground and he's averaging six yards a carry. The loss to Georgia Tech hurts Williams' chances, but Virgina Tech is still in the ACC championship hunt and Williams will be the key to getting them to the championship game. He remains a darkhorse, but only for now.
Stock: Steady
5. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Ingram might be making the quietest run at the Heisman in recent memory. The SEC leader in rushing yards ran for 246 yards against a good South Carolina defense last Saturday. He now has 140, 172, and 246 rushing yards respectively in his last three games. It's also worth noting he's doing this against the SEC and not some soft non-conference schedule. Perhaps his most impressive stat is the fact that he's scored at least one touchdown in every single game this year. Yet, he's not making any Heisman noise at all. It's not like his team is bad. Alabama just recently passed Florida in the AP poll to become the No. 1 ranked team in the country. What's the deal then? I think it's consistency and if he continues his run that he's on, the rumblings will start.
Stock: Up
6. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
If only it wasn't for UTEP. That might be the story of Houston's season. The Cougars were primed to make a run at a BCS bowl and Keenum was undoubtedly going to get some Heisman buzz if they did just that. Now, that buzz is just hanging in there. It has nothing to do with the lack of effort, as Keenum threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns last week while leading Houston to a 44-16 victory. Without a big win or an undefeated season, Keenum is probably just battling for an invite to the ceremony.
Stock: Up
7. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Is McCoy even the top Heisman contender on his team? That's a serious question. Jordan Shipley deserves as much recognition as McCoy does. In fact, McCoy hasn't looked that good. Not like he did a year ago. He has 11 touchdown passes, but seven interceptions and he clearly wasn't on his game against Oklahoma this past Saturday. In fact, his numbers against the Big 12 are bad. In three games versus the Big 12, he's thrown for 597 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. Texas is still unbeaten though and like Tebow, McCoy can put up a lot of big numbers in a short time. He'll need to if he's going to make a serious run at the Heisman.
Stock: Down
On the Bubble
Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas
Jacory Harris, QB, Miami (FL)
Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Todd Reesing, QB, Kansas
Jahvid Best, RB, California |
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| Published: Oct 19, 2009 3:35 AM EST |
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