boomersooner28
4/4/2006, 09:41 AM
Tuesday Question
Give five early Heisman favorites and one wacky choice
Pete Fiutak
Q: Give your top five Heisman candidates and one wacky, off-the-wall pick.
A: To be a true Heisman candidate you need to be a quarterback or a running back with three things. 1) Ridiculous stats, 2) a national-title caliber team to play on and 3) national attention that only comes from TV. You might assume that the last part automatically screws over players likely Cal's Marshawn Lynch, but it hurt Vince Young last year, too. How many were able to find Texas games on a regular basis on their local channels? With that in mind ...
5. QB Drew Weatherford, Florida State - It's a bit nutty, but the Heisman race usually is. Weatherford has been fantastic so far this spring and he should be in the hunt for ACC Player of the Year if Florida State plays as well as expected. A win over Miami in the season opener would set the Heisman wheels in motion.
4. QB Brian Brohm, Louisville - He has the schedule, he has the offense, he has the receivers, and he has two monster showcase games against Miami and West Virginia that'll have the entire college football world watching.
3. QB Mark Sanchez, USC - The only question for the starting USC quarterback is whether or not there will be a Trojan backlash after winning three of the last four Heismans. John David Booty should be back from his bulging disk surgery in time to roll for the start of the season, but it might be too late. Sanchez is a big-time talent with the nation's best receiving corps to throw to. 35 touchdown passes shouldn't be a problem, and neither should another good run for a national title. Put Booty in this spot if he ends up starting.
2. QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame - November 25th at USC. That will either make or break the Award for Quinn, who'll have several big chances to shine on a national stage early in the season against Penn State, Michigan, UCLA, and others. The skiy's the limit now that he knows what he's doing in the Charlie Weis offense.
1. RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma - He probably should've won it two years ago and voters will realize that now. Peterson might be one of the few players who doesn't need his team to go unbeaten to win the top prize as long as he flirts with the 2,000-yard mark and goes nuts against teams like Oregon and Texas.
(Note: No Troy Smith. Why? Average stats and a predicted loss at Texas. A win over the Longhorns puts him in the top three.)
My off-the-wall pick ... QB Zac Taylor, Nebraska - Getting chances to put up big stats won't be a problem in the Husker offense, even with more balance this year. If the Huskers beat USC at USC on September 16th, look for Taylor's profile to go through the roof.Have a TQ? E-mail us with your ideas.
Richard Cirminiello
Q: Give your top five Heisman candidates and one wacky, off-the-wall pick.
A: 1. QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – Let’s see. Notre Dame quarterback. Returning finalist for the award. Future high first-round draft choice. Second year in a fine-tuned offensive system. Favorite target is back. Yeah, the Irish Heisman machine is already hitting on all cylinders and has enough fuel to last the entire season.
2. RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – We hope you got a good snapshot of Peterson’s brief bout with mediocrity in the first half of 2005. It may have been the final time we’ll see that until the tail end of his NFL career. Peterson is the best all-around college football player in America, but he still needs quarterback Rhett Bomar to elevate his game in order to keep opposing defenses from crowding the box to stop No. 28.
3. QB Chris Leak, Florida – Leak’s up-and-down 2005 season saw him account for 26 touchdowns, 3,000 yards and just a half-dozen interceptions. He should be much more comfortable in his second season in Urban Meyer’s offense, and if he winds up being downright cozy, look out.
4. QB Troy Smith, Ohio State – Few quarterbacks were better than Smith from the end of last September on, and if the Buckeyes are up to their lofty pre-season ranking, he’s a safe bet to be in the mix from start to finish. Like Vince Young last September, this fall’s game between Texas and Ohio State will be an early harbinger of Smith’s Heisman viability.
5. RB Michael Bush, Louisville – Bush and Heisman just seem to belong in the same sentence these days. Plus, Louisville just might wind up being the Beast of the East in 2006 that most of us thought they’d be a year ago. Bush scored 24 touchdowns in only 10 games last year, and as the focal point of the Louisville attack once again, will be equally prodigious.
Wacky, off-the-wall pick – QB Mark Sanchez, USC – These days, if you’re the starting quarterback at USC, you should automatically begin the Heisman race in the Top 20. Sanchez is a monster talent, and if John David Booty’s back problems linger, those skills could be on display as early as this fall. The redshirt freshman has never thrown a collegiate pass, but then again, neither did Matt Leinart the year before he went ballistic for 38 touchdowns and more than 3,500 yards.
John Harris
Q: Give your top five Heisman candidates and one wacky, off-the-wall pick.
A: Last year, this one was easy, well, at least the top three anyway. This year? It ought to at least be interesting. “George Mason in the Final Four” interesting? Maybe not that steep, but ‘fun’ any way you slice it.
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State – Similar to the leverage that Vince Young used off of the Longhorns’ Rose Bowl victory over Michigan in 2005, Smith can utilize his dominating finish to 2005 to boost his stock in 2006. He’ll get the Texas game on the road early as Young did. Oh yeah, Vince didn’t win it, but then again, there’s no Reggie Bush to take it away from Smith.
2. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – With a consistent senior year, Quinn will be in the mix. Shoot, with a less than dominating year, Quinn will be in the mix. But, he should have a year more toward the former, not the latter. With another strong year under Charlie Weis, a 3,800+ yard effort with 30 to 35 touchdowns is a definite possibility. Finish the season undefeated? It’s his.
3. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – If healthy – heard that one before – he’s downright scary. With an improved Rhett Bomar able to keep 1,000 guys out of the box, Peterson should be on track to 1,900 yards in a 12 game season. What we saw in the Holiday Bowl, Peterson pimp slapping anything in a different color jersey :D , is what we should see throughout the 2006 season.
4. Steve Slaton, West Virginia – Since the Virginia Tech game last season, I’ve been on the Slaton bandwagon, but the bandwagon got a bit more cramped after the show that he put on in Atlanta against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. He’s as explosive as any back in the nation and the fact that he has QB Pat White to take some pressure off of him could keep running lanes wide open.
5. Jamaal Charles, ***** – This might be a little off the wall, before my off the wall candidate, but Charles, when healthy, was dominant last year. He has track star speed and doesn’t fear contact in the slightest. The loss of Vince Young may ultimately help him as he should get more carries, but that means seeing more guys in the box to stop him (and Ramonce Taylor when he plays RB).
Off the wall Heisman candidate – Derrick Williams, Penn State – Seems that health is a bit of a factor for a lot of these guys on the board and Williams was a guy who missed the last 1/3 of the season. Regardless, Williams makes the Nittany Lions’ offense such a different unit when he’s one of the eleven on the field. When he’s in the lineup, he’s Reggie Bush Lite, and Galen Hall and the offensive staff need to increase his touches throughout this season. When they do, there’s no question about what he can do – rushing, receiving and/or returning.
Give five early Heisman favorites and one wacky choice
Pete Fiutak
Q: Give your top five Heisman candidates and one wacky, off-the-wall pick.
A: To be a true Heisman candidate you need to be a quarterback or a running back with three things. 1) Ridiculous stats, 2) a national-title caliber team to play on and 3) national attention that only comes from TV. You might assume that the last part automatically screws over players likely Cal's Marshawn Lynch, but it hurt Vince Young last year, too. How many were able to find Texas games on a regular basis on their local channels? With that in mind ...
5. QB Drew Weatherford, Florida State - It's a bit nutty, but the Heisman race usually is. Weatherford has been fantastic so far this spring and he should be in the hunt for ACC Player of the Year if Florida State plays as well as expected. A win over Miami in the season opener would set the Heisman wheels in motion.
4. QB Brian Brohm, Louisville - He has the schedule, he has the offense, he has the receivers, and he has two monster showcase games against Miami and West Virginia that'll have the entire college football world watching.
3. QB Mark Sanchez, USC - The only question for the starting USC quarterback is whether or not there will be a Trojan backlash after winning three of the last four Heismans. John David Booty should be back from his bulging disk surgery in time to roll for the start of the season, but it might be too late. Sanchez is a big-time talent with the nation's best receiving corps to throw to. 35 touchdown passes shouldn't be a problem, and neither should another good run for a national title. Put Booty in this spot if he ends up starting.
2. QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame - November 25th at USC. That will either make or break the Award for Quinn, who'll have several big chances to shine on a national stage early in the season against Penn State, Michigan, UCLA, and others. The skiy's the limit now that he knows what he's doing in the Charlie Weis offense.
1. RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma - He probably should've won it two years ago and voters will realize that now. Peterson might be one of the few players who doesn't need his team to go unbeaten to win the top prize as long as he flirts with the 2,000-yard mark and goes nuts against teams like Oregon and Texas.
(Note: No Troy Smith. Why? Average stats and a predicted loss at Texas. A win over the Longhorns puts him in the top three.)
My off-the-wall pick ... QB Zac Taylor, Nebraska - Getting chances to put up big stats won't be a problem in the Husker offense, even with more balance this year. If the Huskers beat USC at USC on September 16th, look for Taylor's profile to go through the roof.Have a TQ? E-mail us with your ideas.
Richard Cirminiello
Q: Give your top five Heisman candidates and one wacky, off-the-wall pick.
A: 1. QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – Let’s see. Notre Dame quarterback. Returning finalist for the award. Future high first-round draft choice. Second year in a fine-tuned offensive system. Favorite target is back. Yeah, the Irish Heisman machine is already hitting on all cylinders and has enough fuel to last the entire season.
2. RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – We hope you got a good snapshot of Peterson’s brief bout with mediocrity in the first half of 2005. It may have been the final time we’ll see that until the tail end of his NFL career. Peterson is the best all-around college football player in America, but he still needs quarterback Rhett Bomar to elevate his game in order to keep opposing defenses from crowding the box to stop No. 28.
3. QB Chris Leak, Florida – Leak’s up-and-down 2005 season saw him account for 26 touchdowns, 3,000 yards and just a half-dozen interceptions. He should be much more comfortable in his second season in Urban Meyer’s offense, and if he winds up being downright cozy, look out.
4. QB Troy Smith, Ohio State – Few quarterbacks were better than Smith from the end of last September on, and if the Buckeyes are up to their lofty pre-season ranking, he’s a safe bet to be in the mix from start to finish. Like Vince Young last September, this fall’s game between Texas and Ohio State will be an early harbinger of Smith’s Heisman viability.
5. RB Michael Bush, Louisville – Bush and Heisman just seem to belong in the same sentence these days. Plus, Louisville just might wind up being the Beast of the East in 2006 that most of us thought they’d be a year ago. Bush scored 24 touchdowns in only 10 games last year, and as the focal point of the Louisville attack once again, will be equally prodigious.
Wacky, off-the-wall pick – QB Mark Sanchez, USC – These days, if you’re the starting quarterback at USC, you should automatically begin the Heisman race in the Top 20. Sanchez is a monster talent, and if John David Booty’s back problems linger, those skills could be on display as early as this fall. The redshirt freshman has never thrown a collegiate pass, but then again, neither did Matt Leinart the year before he went ballistic for 38 touchdowns and more than 3,500 yards.
John Harris
Q: Give your top five Heisman candidates and one wacky, off-the-wall pick.
A: Last year, this one was easy, well, at least the top three anyway. This year? It ought to at least be interesting. “George Mason in the Final Four” interesting? Maybe not that steep, but ‘fun’ any way you slice it.
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State – Similar to the leverage that Vince Young used off of the Longhorns’ Rose Bowl victory over Michigan in 2005, Smith can utilize his dominating finish to 2005 to boost his stock in 2006. He’ll get the Texas game on the road early as Young did. Oh yeah, Vince didn’t win it, but then again, there’s no Reggie Bush to take it away from Smith.
2. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – With a consistent senior year, Quinn will be in the mix. Shoot, with a less than dominating year, Quinn will be in the mix. But, he should have a year more toward the former, not the latter. With another strong year under Charlie Weis, a 3,800+ yard effort with 30 to 35 touchdowns is a definite possibility. Finish the season undefeated? It’s his.
3. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – If healthy – heard that one before – he’s downright scary. With an improved Rhett Bomar able to keep 1,000 guys out of the box, Peterson should be on track to 1,900 yards in a 12 game season. What we saw in the Holiday Bowl, Peterson pimp slapping anything in a different color jersey :D , is what we should see throughout the 2006 season.
4. Steve Slaton, West Virginia – Since the Virginia Tech game last season, I’ve been on the Slaton bandwagon, but the bandwagon got a bit more cramped after the show that he put on in Atlanta against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. He’s as explosive as any back in the nation and the fact that he has QB Pat White to take some pressure off of him could keep running lanes wide open.
5. Jamaal Charles, ***** – This might be a little off the wall, before my off the wall candidate, but Charles, when healthy, was dominant last year. He has track star speed and doesn’t fear contact in the slightest. The loss of Vince Young may ultimately help him as he should get more carries, but that means seeing more guys in the box to stop him (and Ramonce Taylor when he plays RB).
Off the wall Heisman candidate – Derrick Williams, Penn State – Seems that health is a bit of a factor for a lot of these guys on the board and Williams was a guy who missed the last 1/3 of the season. Regardless, Williams makes the Nittany Lions’ offense such a different unit when he’s one of the eleven on the field. When he’s in the lineup, he’s Reggie Bush Lite, and Galen Hall and the offensive staff need to increase his touches throughout this season. When they do, there’s no question about what he can do – rushing, receiving and/or returning.