For most kids that who played football, there is a dream of scoring the game-winning touchdown and throwing up the Heisman Trophy pose. It is the greatest individual honor in college football today, but does it necessarily go to the greatest player?
Out of the last 10 years that the Heisman has been presented (excluding in 2005 when Reggie Bush won, then lost the Heisman), nine trophy-winning players have played in a national championship, if not won a national title.
Also, nine out of those 10 winners have been quarterbacks, with the only exception being Mark Ingram. Only three of those quarterbacks are still starting in the NFL.
So what? The trophy goes to the greatest college football player, not who is going to be the best player in the NFL, right? That is exactly right.
This year, the Heisman Trophy candidates have been narrowed down to six likely winners according to ESPN.com. Those candidates are Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones.
If the voting continues to uphold the same formula that it has for the past decade, then we can eliminate Richardson for being a running back, Moore for going to a non BCS school and Griffin III as well for playing for a smaller program.
That’s right: Eliminate Griffin III even though he has more touchdowns and a better completion percentage than any other quarterback on this list.
Moore is 44-2 as a starter and can tie Colt McCoy’s career record for wins this weekend against Air Force. Not to mention that he has been a major reason for an otherwise obscure program to receive national attention.
Richardson ran for four touchdowns last week and should break the 1,000-yard marker for the season this weekend when the Tide faces off against Tennessee.
As for Luck, Wilson and Jones, they have all had tremendous seasons as well. Every one of these quarterbacks has led his team to an undefeated season so far. That is what is expected from elite quarterbacks.
In the next couple weeks it will be interesting, as it always is, to see what quarterbacks finish off the regular season strong and which ones fade away. As the ESPN special has been running all year long, it is, after all, the Year of the Quarterback.
Blair Elliott is a senior studying communication studies and an online columnist for The Post. Email him your Heisman thoughts at be375607@ohiou.edu.
