Who will win the Heisman Trophy tomorrow evening? All five finalists have merited their trip to the finals, but they all have great reasons to not be the next one striking the Heisman pose. It’s time to analyze why each finalist should and should not get his name on the Heisman Trophy.
Heisman Candidates:
Why he should win the Heisman: 38 Touchdowns. That’s an impressive number, one less than the NCAA single-season record set by Barry Sanders. What’s a more impressive number? 45. There are 45 teams in FBS that have scored fewer touchdowns this season. FORTY-FIVE TEAMS! His average of 6.4 yards per carry is an unbelievable number, and he reaches the end zone once every 7.2 times he touches the ball!
He also has a great chance of winning because of his recent success. Voters always remember the recent instead of the distant past. He scored four touchdowns in each of his last two games, one against Penn State’s top B1G defense, and the other in the biggest game of the year against Michigan State in the inaugural B1G Championship.
Why he should NOT win the Heisman: He’s not even the MVP on his team if you were to ask the majority of coaches across the Big Ten. His QB Russell Wilson is responsible for six of Ball’s 38 touchdowns this year. Ten of his touchdowns came in the non-conference games at the beginning of the season. Two of his touchdowns against Penn State came in garbage time, and a similar story against Nebraska. But will the voters even know this? Or will they just be blinded by the number 38?
Why he should win the Heisman: The dual threat machine, RGIII scored 36 touchdowns in the air and another nine on the ground. An impeccable72% completion percentage is second to none. In fact, for a while, he had more TD passes than incompletions. College football loves a dual-threat guy, especially for the Heisman. Other notables in recent memory: Cam Newton, Troy Smith, Eric Crouch, and of course Tim Tebow.
Of all the talent in the offense heavy Big 12, RGIII stood out as the strongest and most consistent by far. He made a splash early with a 5 TD performance in a 50-48 victory over TCU. And, leading his team to 45, 66, and 48 points in the last four games, RGIII has proven down the stretch (always a big factor) that he deserves to be in the Heisman talk!
Why he should NOT win the Heisman: He’s not a big game player. Down the stretch against K-State, he throws a costly interception. Against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, the Bears weren’t even in contention. A three-loss Heisman winner is anything but normal, and his team’s lack of performance this year, especially in the big games, is something to concern Griffin fans.
Why he should win the Heisman: 3170 yards passing is 168 yards fewer than last year, but his increase in touchdowns to 35 this year makes Luck a strong candidate. He was the preseason favorite and his stats have supported those preseason predictions.
In a pro style offense with no superstars and a new coach, Andrew Luck still led his team to an 11-1 record and a Fiesta Bowl berth. Across the country, very few can name a player on the team or even the coach. But they know about Andrew Luck. That sounds like a voter’s thinking to me.
Why he should NOT win the Heisman: His numbers are down from last year, a non-Heisman year. Also, in the biggest game of the year against Oregon, probably the only game that voters would see from a west coast team, Luck got destroyed.
Tyrann Mathieu (So. DB – LSU)
Why he should win the Heisman: The Honey Badger has been everywhere on the field this year. He reminds me of Troy Polamalu. He started the year strong with one of his two fumble return TDs against Oregon in the opener. He stayed strong all year, recording over 70 tackles and two fumble recoveries throughout the year. He also had big fumble recoveries against both Arkansas and Georgia (again, late-year production is huge!). He’s the best player on the best team in the country. His main weapon undoubtedly is on special teams. Beyond his great fumble recovery TD against the Ducks, he has proven himself worthy as a great punt returner in the last two games. Down by two scores early in both games, “The Game Changer” did just that, providing the spark his team needed in both the Arkansas and Georgia games. Later on against Georgia, the Bulldogs decided to punt it to Mathieu again…big mistake as he returned it 47 yards, deep into enemy territory. Of his three punt returns mentioned here, the one that DIDN’T go for a TD might be the most impressive, as he made people miss left and right. This punt return to me is as Heisman-like as can be...reminded many of one Charles Woodson.
Why he should NOT win the Heisman: He was suspended for a game mid-season on drug-related issues. The team was mysteriously quiet about all of that, especially after the pre-season garbage with their quarterback and the bar fight. Also, let’s not forget that he’s a defensive player, and minus Charles Woodson in 1997, no defensive player has won the Heisman since 1949 with the two-way player Leon Hart. And, he might be a game changer on special teams, but he was burned many times on defense throughout the year.
Why he should win the Heisman: Richardson is a pre-season Heisman candidate who put up great numbers throughout the year. He ended with 23 total touchdowns, over 1900 total yards, and was the lone star performer in the “Game of the Century” against LSU, racking up over 160 total yards of offense against the Tigers. He reached the end zone in every game in 2011, except for the big game against the Tigers where nobody reached pay dirt.
His play since the LSU game has been stellar, averaging over 175 yards per game in the last three games of the year after playing the Tigers. He broke 100 total yards from scrimmage in every game this year except for the season opener, where he got three early TDs on only 13 carries against Kent State. He’s by far the best offensive player in the best conference in the land. His run against Mississippi is a perfect Heisman-quality video for the junior from Pensacola.
Why he should NOT win the Heisman: He’s not the best player in the conference, as Tyrann Mathieu has easily outperformed him this year (it’s tough to compare these two in terms of their performance, but in terms of who did more for their team, the choice is obvious for Mathieu). He’s also not the best RB in the league, as fellow Heisman finalist Montee Ball’s stats blow Richardson out of the water. He was just too quiet all year, and you need to be heard year-round to have a chance at the hardware.
3SN Heisman Predictions:
James: Tyrann Mathieu – Even being suspended for a game this year, he has been too strong this year to not be named as the Heisman Trophy winner. Every time his team needed a big play, it was the Honey Badger. And this is as a DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS player that he’s always able to provide the spark. Mathieu was the indisputable MVP of the best team in the nation.
Alex: Robert Griffin III – The numbers speak for themselves. He’s been the best player AND the most valuable to his team. No way stinky Baylor would be ranked number 15 without RGIII. But I wouldn’t be surprised if SEC bias came into play here….
Greg: Andrew Luck – Such a great player, he was in the Heisman contention last year and hasn’t done anything to jeopardize his chances this year. So consistent and a player who is without a doubt the only reason why the Cardinal are where they are.
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