The Heisman Requirements — Picking a Loser

Each and every year the great Heisman debate comes into the college football world. Whether you’re watching a game, chatting at work, or sitting in class, you are likely to hear some debate over which player is going to take home the trophy. While some people will always select the best player on their team and declare them the winner, there are always a few distinct names that are thrown out each year. The Heisman is one of the biggest trophies a person could ever win as it guarantees your status in football immortality. But the Heisman is more than a bragging right; it is a pinnacle piece for recruiting, money, and in some people’s minds, pro-readiness. Before I dive into who I believe is the early favorite for the trophy, let’s look at recent history to see if we see any trends.

Year	Player	Pos	Team	Result	NFL Pro-result
2000	Chris Weinke	QB	Florida State	Lost in Championship game	Out of Pros
2001	Eric Crouch	QB	Nebraska	Lost in Championship game	Out of Pros
2002	Carson Palmer	QB	USC	Dominated Iowa in Orange Bowl	Starter
2003	Jason White	QB	Oklahoma	Lost in Championship game	Out of Pros
2004	Matt Leinart	QB	USC	Won Championship	Backup
2005	Reggie Bush	RB	USC	Lost in Championship game	1-2 back
2006	Troy Smith	QB	Ohio State	Lost in Championship game	Backup
2007	Tim Tebow	QB	Florida	Lost to Michigan in Capital One Bowl	NA
2008	Sam Bradford	QB	Oklahoma	Lost in Championship game	NA

It doesn’t take a brainiac to analyze this data. To be a Heisman Winner in the current times, you have to be the losing QB in the Championship game. You also have to be a fan-favorite who is nowhere close to being a top player in the Pros. The only good player to translate to the pros was Carson Palmer, and I have had my doubts about Carson for longer than most. This to me means that this years Heisman winner comes down to around five obvious candidates.

• Colt McCoy-Texas

• Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

• Tim Tebow- Florida

• Terrelle Pryor- Ohio State

• Other prestige team QBs- (USC’s starter, Jimmy Clausen, etc.)

Whoever starts for USC will likely be fine on a team that recruits players like the Raiders collect top-10 draft picks. USC has no concrete QB yet, and I doubt they will be able to get to the big game this year. Jimmy Clausen is someone that I think will be amazing this year, but I just don’t think he will put up Big-12/Pac-10 stats to compete for it yet. If he comes back in 2010, he might be an early favorite.

Terrelle Pryor is a sexy pick and a young player that could shock the NCAA for the Heisman. He plays for a coach that that is a punch line for losing the championship games, but I think that Ohio State is a year or two away from being back in the top-5.

Tim Tebow already has a Heisman under his belt, and the SEC will be even stronger this year. It also doesn’t help that he won’t likely lose a championship game, and has potential to play QB at the next level.

This cuts the list down to Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. Bradford plays for one of the best coaches in the game. Bob Stoops is also the best in the world at losing BCS games. Sam Bradford has major potential to play at the next level, and that is what distinguishes him from getting the repeat Heisman title. I think that Texas will be able to beat Oklahoma, win the Big 12 championship, and go to the BCS Championship game. Colt will likely falter against a strong 2-loss SEC team, and will show the world that he is not pro-ready. He is a slightly more exotic, more mobile version of Sam Bradford and a more accurate QB than Tim Tebow. He will put up huge numbers in his non-pro-style offense, and will take the trophy this year on his way to busting at the next level.