Who For Heisman?

The Heisman finalists were released today, and The Optimist is all geared up and ready to go for Saturday's ceremony. Here is how The Optimist would have voted if someone had enough sense to give him a ballot or three. (Keep in mind, the finalists are just the highest-finishing vote-getters, not a limited pool of selections. In other words, a voter can rank anyone on their ballot, not just the finalists--the whole concept of "Heisman finalist" is just a contrivance to make for a more interesting awards ceremony. By the time the finalists are named, the winner is known. Wow, that explanation was way too long.)

Left off--Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin; Case Keenum, QB, Houston; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/KR/PR, LSU; Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State; Matt Barkley, QB, USC. Quick note on each of these guys. Really wanted to include Wilson, but ran out of room and there isn't enough statistically to merit jumping him over someone else. Keenum tore up the likes of UAB before getting blowed up in the C-USA championship game by the "intimidating" Southern Miss defense, and belongs nowhere within ten miles of the legit contender discussion. Mathieu is a flashy player but by no measure accomplished enough statistically to justify his inclusion as a finalist. Richardson, Weeden, and Barkley are big names whose actual numbers and other accomplishments are simply nowhere near the cream of the crop at their respective positions (we'll get there).

Honorable Mention--Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma. Broyles is absolutely dirty, and would have been a bona fide Heisman candidate if he hadn't torn his ACL in the fourth-to-last game of the year against Texas A&M. Anyone who finishes 15th in receiving yards despite missing three and a half games and whose absence affects his team as much as Broyles's did Oklahoma clearly is a stud. That team is not losing to OSU by 38 and probably not losing to Baylor, period, if Broyles is around to haul in 100+ yards and a couple of TDs.


5. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State. What can you say for the poor guy? His moron kickers keep shanking game-winners, and he gets screwed in the process. Every year, he puts up impressive numbers, even when he has to play real defenses (28-34 for 3 TDs and 250-plus yards against Georgia, 28-37 for 2 TDs and 300-plus yards against TCU). If Boise's defense and special teams don't lay an egg against TCU, the team is playing for a championship and Moore is probably winning a Heisman.

4. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State. Fine, this is The Optimist and literally no one else in the world, but where's the love for Klein? K-State pulls a 10-win season out of seemingly nowhere and all people want to do is throw Coach of the Year awards left and right at Bill Snyder? Klein rushed for the second-most touchdowns in the nation of anyone, running backs included, and finished a yard short of 1100 rushing on the year. He wasn't a great passer, fine, but he was decent (passer rating over 120), and the Wildcats obliterated their expectations in large part thanks to him. Tim Tebow has the same exact season and goes to New York for the award ceremony, right?

3. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford. The Optimist is as big a Stanford football fan as anyone, and as big a Luck fan as anyone (guess who's the background on The Optimist's phone?) So while he would love to rank Luck first, he can also testify to the fact that Luck was simply underwhelming for the entire second half, particularly in the games he was needed most (Oregon, but also a potentially disastrous pick-6 against USC that could have cost the season. Anyone who says it was even more impressive that he threw the pick and then led a comeback is an idiot.) Luck will probably be the best pro player of anyone in college football this year. But was he the best college football player? Sadly, no.

2. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor. Rob-Griff is a boss like no other, and an unstoppable weapon in NCAA Football 2010, 2011, and 2012 to boot. Not sure what's up with these dudes who come devastatingly close to yardage milestones, but Griffin finished with 3,998 passing yards on the year, along with an unthinkable 192.3 passer rating. He also added 35 passing touchdowns and 9 on the ground, which go with his over 600 rushing yards. Statistically, RGIII is certified platinum, and he certainly passes the eye test as well (by the way, who called this? Just ignore the totally blown predictions and skip to the part about Griffin.)

Here's the problem: quarterbacks, more than anyone else, need a signature win. Oklahoma seemed like one, but then you look at the carnage that was Bedlam and you stop and wonder. Add in an overtime loss to K-State, blowouts against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State and no other particularly impressive win, plus the fact that the Big-12 has notoriously soft passing defenses and Baylor played nonconference stat-padder games against Rice and Stephen F. Austin... Ugh. It's tough. Especially given the little bonus not-quite-a-signature-win-but-really-impressive 5 TD season-opening upset of TCU, Griffin is a very viable candidate. But in The Optimist's mind, he's number two, behind the most under-the-radar-but-totally-qualified guy since Toby Gerhart (who was only two years ago, which kind of dulls that statement a bit.)


1. Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin. Alright, if Collin Klein rushed for the second-most touchdowns, who scored the most (receiving included)? Montee Ball... by 12 TD's. No one finds that incredible? Montee Ball scored 38 touchdowns this year. 38. And rushed for 1759 yards, with an average of 6.4 yards per attempt. Trent Richardson's numbers? 20 touchdowns, 1583 yards, and 6.0 per attempt. We can play the SEC-is-the-hardest-conference-ever-and-that-makes-Richardson-better game all day long, but take a look at the only common opponent, Penn State. Ball: 25 carries, 156 yards, 4 TDs. Richardson: 26 carries, 111 yards, 2 TDs.

You can split hairs and say Richardson was the better receiver (327 yards to 255), but the difference is negligible. The difference in rushing achievement is not. (By the way, Ball crushed everything Mark Ingram and Toby Gerhart did in their Heisman-winning/runner-up season, save for the yardage total recorded by Gerhart, who should have won anyway and was handicapped by playing on a much crappier team. So why can't we have another running back winner?) And arguing Ball didn't contribute to as good of a team is also ridiculous. Two fluky finishes don't happen and the Badgers play for the championship. The SEC-Heisman-candidates-suck-and-Montee-Ball-is-a-boss bandwagon is leaving the station. Hop on before it's too late.


Don't forget to become a follower! The Optimist has been receiving compliments (believe it or not) from readers who are not followers. Don't let this be you! The steps are all there on the right and easy to follow. Show your support for a ridiculously follower-obsessed but well-intentioned blogger! Thanks.