The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog » 2009 Heisman Trophy

Alabama’s Mark Ingram wins Heisman

Anthony Stalter — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:27:31 +0000

Alabama running back Mark Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy, which was handed out Saturday night.

From ESPN.com:

Ingram finished 28 points ahead of Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, the tightest finish in the 75-year history of the award.

Ingram wiped away tears before starting his speech and his voice wavered throughout.

“I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” he said. “I’m just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner.”

Ingram received 227 first-place votes and 1,304 points. Gerhart got 222 first-place votes and 1,276 points, while Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, last season’s runner-up, received 203 and 1,145.

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fourth and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman two years ago, was fifth.

Gerhart was an absolute beast from start to finish this season, but at times, Ingram was all the offense Alabama had until the final couple games of the season. (Plus, he helped get his team to the national championship.)

Between him and Gerhart, both well deserving of the award and it’s not surprising that the final vote was so close.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

2009 Heisman Barometer: Week 12

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:51:10 +0000

Draft Zoo.com writes that Stanford’s Toby Gerhart and Alabama’s Mark Ingram has seen their draft stock rise over the past couple weeks and now ranks them No. 1 and No. 2 on their Heisman Barometer.

1. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
Once again, a guy who might not have a real shot at winning the award. Mark Ingram looks poised to become Alabama’s first Heisman recipient ever, and I’m not trying to take anything away from him, but I don’t think the Tide would struggle without him. Stanford, on the other hand, doesn’t beat USC without their junior tailback. He’s a deceptively quick bulldozer who has the Cardinal on the right track to getting back to the Rose Bowl. One loss from Oregon, and a Pac 10 title could be just enough help to give Gerhart the hardware. At the very least, he’s my number one.

Last Week’s Stats: 178 Rushing Yards, 3 TDs

2. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
He’s probably the realistic frontrunner right now, and it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it. 1297 rushing yards, 13 total TDs, and a 6.7 ypc average. Not bad at all, especially through only 10 games. But the biggest reason that Ingram’s looking like a lock to become the second sophomore to win the Heisman is the fact that his team is undefeated. One big test left against Florida in the SEC championship. Win that one and head to Pasadena for the big game and Mark can vote for himself next year.

As Draft Zoo points out, Gerhart is unlikely to win the award but the way he has come on as of late, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t at least deserve some mention.

If you haven’t see Gerhart play, you’re really missing out. He’s a load to bring down and looked damn near unstoppable against Oregon and USC the past two weeks. He’s one of those guys that can put his entire team on his back and carry them and it’s no wonder that more pundits are starting to talk about him as a legit NFL prospect.

People keep talking about how Tim Tebow is the front-runner to win this year’s Heisman, but I just don’t see it. Can anyone objectively say that Tebow has done enough to merit the award? Considering how much talent he has around him (and I’m not just talking about offense), I’m not sure you can.

Unless he comes out and puts on a show against Alabama and whomever Florida plays in the national championship if the Gators can beat the Tide in the SEC title game, then I don’t see Tebow taking home the hardware this season.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Heisman Barometer: Week 10

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:41:49 +0000

DRAFT ZOO thinks Florida’s Tim Tebow and Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen’s stock has risen again in this year’s Heisman race.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
There it was, that’s what he needed. A vintage Tebow game from the Gators’ QB. Two touchdowns through the air, two touchdowns on the ground. All against a rival team. Tebow has the most impressive stats of any of the preseason “big three,” and his play finally has Florida looking like the number one team in the nation. If he can go on another run and continue to drive the UF offense to the SEC title, he’ll have the inside track to winning his second trophy. This award has become more about being the face of the best team than being the best player in the nation.

2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
If only, if only. If only Clausen had beaten USC then he’d be atop the list. Still, like always, he’s got the best stat line of any BCS quarterback and the voters have been dreaming of giving this award to a Notre Dame player since Tim Brown won it back in ‘87. Clausen may lose out to a player on a better team, but right now he’s a lock for an invite. If he can somehow get the Irish to the BCS, he’ll have a puncher’s chance of winning the award. More than likely, he’ll have to settle for being the top pick in next April’s draft.

I’m interested to see how Clausen finishes the year and whether or not he bolts for the NFL. The fact that he plays in a pro style system for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame will endure him to some scouts, but fair or unfair he’ll draw comparisons to Brady Quinn, which could hurt him given how bad the Browns’ QB has played this season in the NFL.

I’m also interested to see if Alabama running back Mark Ingram can continue to play as well as he has, because to me (and I think our friends at DRAFT ZOO would agree given that they had him in their top spot last week) he is leading the Heisman race right now.

I know Tebow played well last week against Georgia, but the Bulldogs haven’t stopped anyone this year and have one of the worst defensive backfields in the SEC. I’m still waiting for the Gator quarterback to play more consistently and he only has a month to do it.

Heisman Movers & Shakers: Week 5

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:00:03 +0000

In their Week 5 recap of college football, the Draft Zoo writes that Miami’s Jacory Harris and Minnesota’s Eric Decker are risers in this year’s Heisman race.

3.) Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
He’s back too. Harris was wiped from this list after a poor performance in a loss to Virginia Tech, but he rebounded in a big way. His second half against OU was a microcosm for his season. Despite rugged starts, he’s coming through in a big way for his team. Beating OU was a signature moment for Harris.

Week 5 Stats: 19/28 202 yards 3 TD 2 INT, 4 carries -30 yards

5.) Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota
I don’t care that he has no chance to actually win the award. I don’t care that receivers are an afterthought. And I don’t care that Minnesota is no place for a Heisman candidate to call home. Decker is the most consistently uncoverable wideout in the country, and he is single handedly making the Golden Gophers an interesting team. He hasn’t caught fewer than eight passes in a single game this season.

Week 5 Stats: 8 catches 140 yards 1 TD

Outside of Miami’s Week 4 loss to Virginia Tech when the Hokies constantly harassed him with pressure, Harris has been outstanding this season. He just doesn’t panic and with him under center, the Canes have a shot every week.

I absolutely love Decker and I couldn’t agree more with the guys at the Draft Zoo. If you haven’t watched this kid play, you’re truly missing out because he is Minnesota’s offense.

Every time the Golden Gophers need a play in the passing game, he’s there. Every time they need a huge first down in the second half, Decker is the one making the catch. He has NFL-caliber skills and I can’t wait to see what he does on Sundays.

The only knock on him is that he’s a tad injury-prone. But he’s a tough kid and he’s always giving up his body to make a catch.

Top 10 Heisman Hopefuls Version 1.0

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:04:31 +0000

Every couple of weeks during the 2009 season, I’ll rank the top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates based on their chances of winning college football’s most prestigious award. Players will either rise or fall in the rankings based on their performances throughout the year.

Below is Version 1.0. Obviously with no games being played yet, I’m mostly projecting with this top 10. These types of rankings always stir up a lot of debate, so I encourage readers to tell me which players should be rated higher or lower. I’ll update the list after the first week or two of the season.

Without further ado…

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
After Sam Bradford edged Tebow out in last season’s Heisman race, some will argue that the Oklahoma QB deserves to be at the top of this ranking. But I’m giving the slight edge to Tebow right now after he absolutely destroyed the competition in the second half of last year. Florida will incorporate the no-huddle into their offense this season, which should only benefit Tebow’s style of play and give him even more scoring opportunities than he already had. Outside of Florida having to replace tackles Phil Trautwein and Jason Watkins, there’s little reason to believe that Tebow will take a step back in 2009 and considering the Gators are once again national title contenders, he should be the front-runner to win this year’s Heisman.

2. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
After throwing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns last season, I don’t doubt that the reigning Heisman winner could be even better in 2009. But the Sooners’ offensive line is a major question mark entering this season with the losses of Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson, Jon Cooper and Brandon Walker. That’s a lot of change in one offseason and while OU should light up the scoreboard once again, I could see Bradford taking a backseat to Tebow when the final Heisman results are tallied.

3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
McCoy is one of the nation’s best and is truly exciting to watch each week. He could once again lead the Longhorns in both passing and rushing yards this season, which only helps his cause for winning the Heisman. But does he have enough pieces around him to get Texas to the national championship? Quan Cosby should emerge as a solid go-to receiver, but the Longhorns would benefit from having Vondrell McGee, Chris Ogbonnaya or Foswhitt Whitaker step up in the running game. Plus, the defense lost some talent with the departures of Marcus Griffin and Frank Okam, so with Tebow and Bradford also in the mix, McCoy’s numbers alone might not carry him in the eyes of voters. He may have to get UT into the title game, if not win it, to snatch this year’s Heisman.

4. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
With a year of seasoning under his belt, Pryor should take the next step in 2009. He reportedly has embraced a leadership role for the Buckeyes and given his athletic talent, he could become one of the nation’s best players as a sophomore. But the problem in his quest to win the Heisman is that he probably won’t post the kind of numbers Tebow, Bradford and McCoy will. So he’ll likely have to lead OSU to the national title to win the award. If the Buckeyes do reach the title game, Pryor will have played a huge role, so his chances of winning the Heisman might be tied to whether or not OSU can make a run. As long as he doesn’t experience the arm fatigue that hurt him down the stretch last season, Pryor and the Buckeyes have a shot at a tremendous season.

5. Jahvid Best, RB, California
Following his 1,580-yard, 15-touchdown performance last season, Best could become a household name this year. The Cal running back rushed for 8.1 yards per carry last season and was also a factor in the passing game, totaling 27 receptions for 246 yards. He reminds some of the Titans’ Chris Johnson in that he’s small, but he’s got amazing speed and is incredibly dangerous in the open field. The only problem is that the Bears lost offensive linemen Alex Mack and Noris Malele this offseason and that could hinder how successful Best is. He’ll put up great numbers, but will they be enough to give him an edge over the other candidates?

6. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Most of the college football world is focused on whether or not Charlie Weis will hold onto his job this season, which takes away how good Clausen could be this year. Weis is now calling all of the offensive plays for the Irish, which could mean big things for Clausen, who threw for 401 yards and five scores in a 49-21 win over Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. Given Weis’ play calling, ND’s favorable schedule, as well as having weapons Golden Tate and Michael Floyd at his disposal in the passing game, Clausen is a sleeper candidate to win this year’s Heisman.

7. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
Dwyer was highly productive in Tech’s offense last year, rushing for 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns on 200 carries. And unlike fellow Heisman candidate Evan Royster, he didn’t wear down at the end of the season as he rushed for 145, 157, 128 and 144 yards against Florida State, North Carolina, Miami and Georgia, respectively. Those numbers are pretty impressive considering the defenses he faced. It’s a long shot, but as long as an offseason hip injury doesn’t slow him down, Dwyer could come out of nowhere to claim this year’s Heisman.

8. Evan Royster, RB, Penn State
Royster often took a backseat OSU’s Chris “Beanie” Wells and MSU’s Javon Ringer last year, but he was just as valuable to his team as his fellow Big Ten backs were to theirs. On 191 attempts, he rushed for 1,236 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also catching 17 passes for 155 yards. But after totaling over 100 yards in five of his first eight games, he failed to crack the century mark in any of PSU’s final five contests, including their Rose Bowl loss to USC. Was it a product of fatigue or does he struggle against tougher competition? It’ll be something to keep an eye on this season.

9. Charles Scott, RB, LSU
The bruising Scott rushed for 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. Les Miles thinks his running back is set up for a huge season, although his success could be tied to how well Jarrett Lee performs at quarterback. Scott will once again be the backbone of LSU’s offense and will be aided by a solid offensive line. But if Lee can’t keep opposing defenses honest via the passing game, Scott could have trouble posting Heisman-worthy numbers.

10. Jevan Snead, QB, Ole’ Miss
Snead is one of the more intriguing names on this list given that he’ll be the leader of what should be a dynamic offense this season. Ole’ Miss made some noise last year by beating Florida (on the road), Auburn, LSU and Texas Tech (Cotton Bowl). If the Rebels climb the rankings this season, Snead will be one of the main reasons why and he could certainly post passing numbers similar to Tebow’s this year, making him a viable Heisman candidate.

Other players receiving consideration: Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State; Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State; Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State; Max Hall, QB, BYU; Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State; Stafon Johnson, RB, USC.

Heisman voting done too early?

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:00:53 +0000

Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times makes a great point that the Heisman Trophy shouldn’t be voted on until after the bowl games have been played.

Every year, the voters are forced to decide the winner too darned early.

For years, this has been the most annoying thing of all about the Heisman. The committee just can’t wait to give it out. The movie is still going on, and already, these guys want to toss Academy Awards at the screen.

This year, for instance, voters are supposed to have their ballots returned by Dec. 10. At least the voters can wait until after Tebow and his Florida teammates play top-ranked Alabama for the SEC title and until either Bradford or Harrell or Texas’ Colt McCoy play for the Big 12 title.

On the other hand, the national championship game won’t be played until Jan. 8, almost a month after the deadline. Who knows? Perhaps it will be Tebow vs. Bradford. Maybe Tebow vs. Harrell.
Just asking here, but shouldn’t that game be factored into the voting?

In his article, Shelton has a table that illustrates how several winners in the past decade (Ohio State’s Troy Smith, USC’s Reggie Bush, Oklahoma’s Jason White, Nebraska’s Eric Crouch) all won the Heisman and then turned in average to atrocious bowl game performances.

He brings up a fantastic point – why isn’t the national championship factored in to Heisman voting? It’s supposed to be the most important game in the college football season, yet it doesn’t play a factor in determining who the best player in college football is? It’s not fair for a player to lose the Heisman with one bad performance, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to (and I’m borrowing Shelton’s point) hand out season awards when the season isn’t even over.

Oklahoma State proves they’re for real, upsets Missouri

Anthony Stalter — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:41:59 +0000

Coming into Saturday’s action, people were wondering whether or not No. 17 Oklahoma State was for real or not. Sure their offense was averaging 530 yards and over 50 points a game, but their toughest opponent prior to this week was arguably an unranked Troy team.

But no longer do we have to wonder if the Cowboys are for real after they beat No. 3 Missouri 28-23 in Columbia. They picked off Heisman candidate Chase Daniel three times in the second half, including on MIZZOU’s final drive when the Tigers were in range to possibly take the lead late in the fourth quarter. The job OK State’s defense did in getting pressure on Daniel was outstanding and the trio of QB Zac Robinson (19 of 28 for 215 yards, 2 TDs), RB Kendall Hunter (154 yards rushing, 1 TD) and WR Damian Davis (3 rec., 76 yards, 2 TDs) came up with big plays all night.

Now that Missouri, LSU and Oklahoma all lost, the top 10 in college football will undergo a major shakeup. It’ll be interesting to see how everything takes shape when the new polls are released. How far will MIZZOU fall?