2008 Heisman Candidates

[Pony Soup]

Well the football games are finished and it's time to pick a winner. What do you guys think?


Tim Tebow - Defending Heisman winner, has a vote. 28 TDs, 2 INTs, & a 66.2% completion %. 12 more TDs on the ground along with >560 yds rushing. Impressive numbers in the SEC, where they play a little more defense than the big 12. Clearly the team leader and delivered a big game performance in a battle of #4 vs #1 for the SEC title and a shot at the NC.

Trend: Gaining

Sam Bradford - 53 combined TDs this year, including 5 on the ground. Thre for more than 4,400 yds and a 68.3% completion % with only 6 INTs . OU has put up 60 plus in the last 5 games, if you care. Regardless, led the team through a mess of a division and stole the Big 12 championship, despite TONS of negative media arguing they didnt deserve it. Pretty impressive performance, though I continue to be unimpressed when they stick a microphone in his face. No question the extra game is an edge over other big 12 contenders.

Trend: Gaining

Colt McCoy - 42 combined TDs, 10 on the ground. 3,400+ passing yards with an incredible 77.5 completion %. Colt threw 7 INTs this year. He also led the team in rushing. Sitting out saturday hurts, but I am glad I haven't see him in front of a mic in the past two weeks - nothing he could have done.

I think Colt was the man to beat and championship saturday proved Bradford and Tebow the extra game as well as the national stage to strut their stuff. This could cost colt the trophy, which I believe he would have won after last week.

Texas Tech: Crabtree/Harrell - Two impressive guys on the field. I think Crabtree may be the best player in the country. That being said, the Heisman vote is often driven by regional biases - much like the tie breaker in the B12S! Both clearly fell behind after getting thumped in Norman, but I believe these two split any votes going toward Texas Tech, effectively eliminating them from the conversation (just like the OU beat down did from the B12S title race).

More to that point, I am curious to see how the vote goes because it is quite possible Colt and Sam split the vote and both lose out to Tebow, who hasn't been afraid to grab a mic and make his case, which doesn't really impress me but I don't have a vote yet.

Would Tebow be deserving? Perhaps. I think this comes down to Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. I personally do not care about the number of points Oklahoma scored this year. Bob Stoops, in my opinion, shows little respect for the game or his opponents by running up the score with his first team offense in the game with three minutes left. It was not uncommon to see Colt on the sideline with 10 minutes left in the 4th, so not all stats are comparable.

Given the mess that is the B12S, I also discount any "he led his team to the conf. championship game" argument, although it was an impressive performance in the first half, as I sated before.

I think between these two QBs, as with the Big 12 S, we should look at head to head performance on a neutral field. OU came in #1 in the country and #5 Texas took them wire to wire. If you were there, I think everyone thought OU was about to stomp UT when they went up 14-3 before the Shipley run back. 2.5 minutes later Bradford threw 52 yards to Jermaine Gresham to take a 21-10 lead. Colt responded with a methodical, 6:44 minute TD drive of his own. Texas then pulled within one, kicking a FG as time expired in the first half. In the second half, OU tried to pull away again, scoring just 3 minutes into the half, using only 1:45s. Colt responded with another 6 minute, systematic march down the field, pulling Texas back within 1 point. Even after a FG took the lead, OU responded with another explosive, 76 yd TD drive, led by Bradford, to take back alead of the Horns, 35-30. Colt's offense responed, scoring twice more in the 4th to win 45-35.

What is clear is that Sam Bradford leads a dangerous offense that can score at any time. But in the fourth quarter of that game, Oklahoma was forced to punt and turned the ball over on downs twice more.

In the Colt vs Sam race, I take Colt for his performance on that day. Forget the stats, forget the scores. And don't mention a loss in Lubbock because, if you watched the game, you know the only reason Texas EVER had a chance to win that game is because of Colt McCoy.

Both of these guys are unbelievable athletes who have earned the right to be in this discussion. Colt took over that game like I never would have expected out of a kid that I never thought would make it at UT after his big game debut against Ohio State in 2006. I vote for McCoy this year, though being left out in the cold by the tie break may cost him the trophy.


All that being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tebow steal it from one of these guys as they split the regional vote.

[smupony94]

Tebow did say yesterday that he is switching his vote from McCoy to himself yesterday

[ponyfan84]

As an OU fan, I'd say McCoy would probably get it, but because he didn't get that extra game like Bradford did to impress the voters, he could lose out on it.

Tebow won't get it because of that very mediocre September he had. He wasn't putting up great numbers like he did last year that month and he's been a 4th/5th place guy at best since.

Harrell, McCoy and Bradford will all be top 3 and I bet it comes from one of those.

[smupony94]

I am leaning towards Bradford at this point although Tebow was getting media love all day yesterday

[expony18]

All that being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tebow steal it from one of these guys as they split the regional vote.

i hate Florida more then any other team in the country (grew up in florida as a seminole fan), but to say that Tebow is going to "steal it" based on the regional vote is ridiculous. This is line with the normal bickering that goes on between SEC and Big XII fans... But after watching a number of florida games this year and more big XII games then I can count I would say Tebow has EARNED the Heisman. kirk herbstreet (who i love with his sweet blonde tips ) made a good point last night that Tebow is gets "overlooked" a lot because he doesn't play with the same type of style as the other guys you have mentioned. Everyone talks about how tough Tebow is, how athletic he is, and how well he manages a game, but never says anything about him being a passing QB. Well after watching Tebow last night against a very good alabama defense, he has solidified my opinion that he is the best qb in college. Does that mean has the most talent? no. Does that mean he will have the best nfl career? no. But the guy can flat out play. He can make any throw needed to be successful in college, he runs harder then any QB I have ever seen (fighting for extra yards, etc.), and he has the ability to put a team on his back.

[Pony Soup]

All that being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tebow steal it from one of these guys as they split the regional vote.

i hate Florida more then any other team in the country (grew up in florida as a seminole fan), but to say that Tebow is going to "steal it" based on the regional vote is ridiculous. This is line with the normal bickering that goes on between SEC and Big XII fans... But after watching a number of florida games this year and more big XII games then I can count I would say Tebow has EARNED the Heisman. kirk herbstreet (who i love with his sweet blonde tips ) made a good point last night that Tebow is gets "overlooked" a lot because he doesn't play with the same type of style as the other guys you have mentioned. Everyone talks about how tough Tebow is, how athletic he is, and how well he manages a game, but never says anything about him being a passing QB. Well after watching Tebow last night against a very good alabama defense, he has solidified my opinion that he is the best qb in college. Does that mean has the most talent? no. Does that mean he will have the best nfl career? no. But the guy can flat out play. He can make any throw needed to be successful in college, he runs harder then any QB I have ever seen (fighting for extra yards, etc.), and he has the ability to put a team on his back.

I didn't mean Tebow would steal it as in he isn't comparable with those guys at all. I just meant that it would be a steal because the other guys split votes. and he isnt competing against other SEC players.

I dont think there is a regional/conference bias among the voters/media/etc out there. I just think the only way tebow gets it this year is because there are so many candidates in the big 12. Won't bother me either way - I am not too big on individual trophies.

[J.T.supporta]

bradford is a beast

[Pony Soup]

bradford is a beast

Disagree. The OU offense is a BEAST.

[J.T.supporta]

bradford is a beast

Disagree. The OU offense is a BEAST.

too bad its not a system offense. some QB stud has to run it...

therefore making bradford a BEAST

as lee corso would say, "YO!"

[Pony Soup]

umm no