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2006 Heisman Discussion (merged all)

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Wow, Brady must feel so proud to win an award given to him out of pity knowing that Troy will win the Heisman.

Oh, and Weis can go fuck himself. I can't believe anyone would ever want to play for that slimy sleazeball. If Tressel was in his situation he would've had nothing but praises for Quinn while Weis knocks Smith and pimps his own QB. I hate that asshole. :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash:
 
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Handicapping the Heisman
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By Richard Cirminiello

Posted Dec 4, 2006

You know the drama that gripped the country for about 18 hours this weekend as everyone wondered whether Florida or Michigan would face Ohio State in the National Championship game? Yeah, you?re not going to get anything remotely like that this week as the Heisman Trophy gets set to name its 72nd recipient.

Troy Smith had this award in the vault weeks ago, leaving his margin of victory and who?d accompany him to New York City as the only areas for serious debate between now and Saturday night. Still, the lack of suspense is no reason to poo-poo Smith?s crowning moment of a brilliant and improbable college career. When he?s at that podium this weekend, just keep in mind that this is a player that wasn?t even the highest-rated quarterback in Ohio State?s class of 2002. In fact, he wasn?t even labeled a quarterback at that time, wearing the ?athlete? tag instead. It wasn?t until 2004, when starter Justin Zwick was injured, that Smith got his chance to shine, never dimming since. Yeah, there?ll be no drama when the envelope is unsealed on Saturday, but that can?t detract from Smith, who?s undergone a rather dramatic transformation in Columbus over the last two years.

The following ranking is not a personal opinion, rather a handicapping of how the contenders would fare if a vote was taken today.

1. QB Troy Smith, Ohio State ? When the smoke clears this weekend on another Heisman race, consistency will be cited as the hallmark of Smith?s senior season. Once he took the lead after Ohio State toppled Texas in week two, he never gave voters a reason to stray from his side. Not once. With each Buckeye win and each crisp, mistake-free performance, the gap between No. 10 and the rest of the field seemed to widen.
Last Week: Idle
2006 Season: 199-of-297 for 2,507 yards, 30 TDs and 5 INTs ? 62 carries for 233 yards and 1 TD
Defining Moment:: Leading the Buckeyes to a third straight win over Michigan, which sealed a perfect season and a spot in the National Championship game.

2. QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame ? Give Quinn credit for battling back after a Sept. 16 Michigan game that many felt had already sealed his Heisman fate. He got back in position to contend for the award, but Smith never buckled and Quinn was just average against USC in his last ditch effort to increase his base of support.
Last Week: Idle
2006 Season: 274-of-432 for 3,278 yards, 35 TDs and 5 INTs ? 2 rushing TDs
Defining Moment:: Leading the Irish back from a 16-point fourth quarter deficit against Michigan State just a week after losing badly to Michigan.

3. RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas ? McFadden probably could have vaulted Quinn with a monster game against Florida, but a Hog loss and a pedestrian 73 yards on the ground will keep him from ascending beyond No. 3. A rebound game in the Capital One Bowl will solidify his position as the front-runner heading into the 2007 season.
Last Week: 21 carries for 73 yards ? 1-of-3 for 2 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT (Florida)
2006 Season: 265 carries for 1,558 yards and 14 TDs ? 6-of-8 for 72 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT ? 1 TD catch ? 1 kick return TD
Defining Moment:: Running for 181 yards and two scores and adding a touchdown pass in a 31-14 rout of Tennessee.

4. RB Mike Hart, Michigan - Hart developed enough of a following as the offensive MVP for one of the nation?s three best teams to be a strong contender to return to his Empire State roots in two weeks. He probably can peak as high as No. 3 in the vote, but is unlikely to drop any lower than fifth place. An early end to the regular season and no league title game spoils some of the momentum for Big Ten candidates.
Last Week: Idle
2006 Season: 301 carries for 1,515 and 14 TDs ? 15 catches for 127 yards
Defining Moment:: Keeping Michigan in its finale with Ohio State by running for 142 yards and three touchdowns.

5. RB Steve Slaton, West Virginia ? Forgettable games against Louisville and South Florida will keep Slaton from seriously contending for the award, however, his total body of work should be enough for a top 5 finish. He finished the regular season third nationally in rushing and second in all-purpose running, putting up big numbers in nationally televised games.
Last Week: 23 carries for 112 yards and 2 TDs (Rutgers)
2006 Season: 245 carries for 1,733 yards and 16 TDs ? 25 catches for 340 yards and 2 TDs
Defining Moment:: Blowing up Pittsburgh for 345 total yards and four scores in a primetime Thursday night affair.

6. QB Colt Brennan, Hawaii ?To ascend much higher, Brennan needed to cap a Warrior win over Oregon State by breaking David Klingler?s single-season record for touchdown passes. Neither happened in a less than stellar performance, making an invite to the awards ceremony in New York City doubtful.
Last Week: 37-of-50 for 401 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs ? 1 rushing TD (Oregon State)
2006 Season: 373-of-517 for 4,990 yards, 53 TDs and 11 INTs ? 79 carries for 351 yards and 5 TDs
Defining Moment:: Throwing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, rallying Hawaii to a 42-35 win over Purdue.

7. RB Ray Rice, Rutgers ? Rice played well against West Virginia, as he?s done all year, but a Rutgers loss with a Big East title and a berth in the Orange Bowl on the line may have stunted his momentum at a most inopportune time. Getting named a Maxwell Award finalist is an indication he likely won?t fall any lower than here.
Last Week: 25 carries for 129 yards and 2 TDs (West Virginia)
2006 Season: 311 carries for 1,624 yards and 19 TDs
Defining Moment:: Running for a career-high 225 yards and a touchdown in a pivotal upset of Pittsburgh.

8. RB Ian Johnson, Boise State ? Western region voters looking for someone to champion have a very viable option in Johnson, who led the country in scoring on a team that?s headed to the Fiesta Bowl. He didn?t just beef up on WAC defenses, saving his most prolific effort of the year for No. 25 Oregon State of the Pac-10.
Last Week: Idle
2006 Season: 253 carries for 1,613 yards and 24 TDs
Defining Moment:: Searing Oregon State for five touchdowns and 240 yards in front of a national TV audience.

9. QB John Beck, BYU ? Beck takes the place of West Virginia?s Pat White, who was physically unable to play against Rutgers Saturday night. Beck was brilliant all year leading the Cougars to a sweep of the Mountain West, but may have sealed a spot in the top 10 when he scrambled from pressure and found TE Jonny Harline to beat Utah on the final play of the game two weeks ago.
Last Week: Idle
2006 Season: 261-of-371 for 3,510 yards, 30 TDs and 6 INTs ? 5 rushing TDs
Defining Moment:: Beating rival Utah on with a miraculous 11-yard touchdown flip with no time left on the clock.

10. WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech ? There are enough savvy voters that recognize Johnson is one of the best all-around players in America to land the junior in the top 10. Those same voters realize that when Johnson had poor numbers in a game, it had more to do with the quarterback throwing him the ball than a cornerback that shut him down.
Last Week: 8 catches for 117 yards (Wake Forest)
2006 Season: 67 catches for 1,016 yards and 13 TDs
Defining Moment:: Hauling in two touchdown receptions in the Sept. 30 upset of Virginia Tech.

Also Getting Votes .?. QB Chris Leak (Florida), WR Ted Ginn (Ohio State), WR Dwayne Jarrett (USC), QB Zac Taylor (Nebraska), QB Pat White (West Virginia), QB JaMarcus Russell (LSU), QB John David Booty (USC), QB Chad Henne (Michigan), RB Marshawn Lynch (Cal), RB P.J. Hill (Wisconsin), RB Garrett Wolfe (Northern Illinois)
 
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Buckeyes QB Smith favored to win award

December 6, 2006
By Rusty Miller the associated press
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Having come so far in such short time, Troy Smith knows he can't rest now.
There is one more game in his college career, one more chance to show a lot of people they were wrong about him, one more chance to prove he's not just a football player, he's a quarterback.
The chance to win a Heisman Trophy this weekend is just another step along the way.

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Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this Saturday.
ap file photo


"This is the beginning of the end, but no one is looking at it like that," he said, referring to No. 1 Ohio State's Jan. 8 date with Florida in the national championship game. "Everyone on the team is focused on finishing out the season. We're getting ready to play on the biggest stage and I know we'll be ready." Smith is 25-2 record as a starter at Ohio State. His numbers suggest he may be the best at his position in school history -- a record 30 touchdown passes and 67 percent completion rate this season with only five interceptions.
More than that, he's at his best when stakes are highest. He is only the second Ohio State quarterback to go 3-0 as a starter against archrival Michigan -- Tippy Dye (1934-36) is the other. In those games, plus showdowns with No. 2 Texas this year and No. 6 Notre Dame in last year's Fiesta Bowl, Smith has averaged 50 yards rushing, 294 passing yards with 11 TD passes with one interception.
His defining moment -- and top play on his Heisman highlight reel this season -- came when he avoided two pass rushers, reversed direction and pinpointed a long pass for a 37-yard scoring strike to Brian Robiskie in a 28-6 win over Penn State.
"That play that Smith made when we almost had him, he threw that ball on the button in the end zone," Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno said. "That was a super play."
Smith, who graduated last spring with a degree in communications and is working on another in black studies, is the epitome of a team player.
"His determination, he had that all his life, whether that was on the good end or the bad end," says his high school coach and father figure, Ted Ginn Sr. "He has a strong mind. But people like Troy … you can be so strong in knowing something sometimes that you might bypass something that you really need to have."
The 22-year-old Smith had a tough childhood. His mother, Tracy Smith, raised three kids; his father wasn't in his life.
Sports proved a respite, and Smith thrived from the beginning -- a scrawny, whippet-fast kid playing on the streets, parks and sandlots of Cleveland. That's when he started dreaming of being a big-time quarterback. But there were rough spots along the road.
During a high school basketball game in 2000, witnesses said Smith purposely elbowed a white player and knocked him unconscious. Years later, Smith told Sports Illustrated he lashed out because racial slurs were thrown at him during the game.
He was dismissed from the team at private St. Edward High School in suburban Lakewood. He soon transferred to inner-city Glenville, where he starred in football and basketball.
"You have to remember what the perception of Troy was," Ginn Sr. said. "It was, 'You don't want him on your team.' "
Smith blossomed at quarterback. And Ginn Sr. told recruiters Smith wouldn't be an "athlete" in college -- he was a quarterback. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel agreed.
Early in his college career, Smith was involved in a fight outside an Ohio State dormitory in the fall of 2003 and was found guilty of disorderly conduct.
Then an NCAA investigation determined he took $500 from an Ohio State booster in the spring of 2004. He had to repay the money, sit out the Buckeyes' bowl game and the 2005 opener.
There were also roadblocks on the field. Just more than two years ago, he failed to play in three straight games while watching big-name recruit Justin Zwick -- who was in the same class -- play quarterback. Smith could read the handwriting on the gray walls at Ohio Stadium.
Hurt and seemingly forgotten, he hinted that he might transfer. Then the Buckeyes fell into a three-game swoon, Zwick injured a shoulder injury and Smith stepped in. Except for the two games he was forced to sit out, he's been in charge of the offense since.
 
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Heisman trophy already in Smith's hands

By Ricky Treon
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Media Credit: AP
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith looks downfield during the Buckeyes college football game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Nov. 11. The talent was always there for Smith, Ohio State's run-pass star, who has a sterling 25-2 record as a starter for the top-ranked Buckeyes.

I wish I had something profound to say about the Heisman race.

I wish I could wow everybody with my crazy prediction or create controversy with an off-the-wall comment about the frontrunner.

I wish I could do all of those things, but Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith tied my hands quicker than his touchdown strike to Ted Ginn Jr. before the half against Texas.

From the minute he jogged victoriously off of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Smith was a strong choice for this year's Heisman.

But it wasn't until Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn laid an egg in the middle of his home field against Michigan that Smith became the favorite.

It's unfortunate, too. Everyone loves an interesting Heisman race.

Take last year, when everyone this side of Los Angeles knows Vince Young was the best college football player on any field in the nation, especially after the national championship game.

But Texas' lack of campaigning - which is the team's policy for any individual player - combined with Reggie Bush's position as star of Hollywood's most publicized football team meant he ended up hoisting the trophy in a landslide.

That's the kind of thing that stirs up controversy and gets sportswriters like me questioning the Heisman committee's decision.

This year there will be no such luck. Quinn came on strong in the end, performing well against the teams he had to and having a solid individual game in the Irish's loss to USC.

But in the end it's a race for second now. Quinn is winning that race by the same margin Smith will win the Heisman, which probably won't make his or Notre Dame's performance this year any more memorable.

Past Smith and Quinn, the disparity between those two and anybody else is staggering for a Heisman race.

But by no means is that the fault of the other candidates. Oklahoma's NFL-ready running back Adrian Peterson was the biggest threat to Smith's trophy, but an unfortunate dive into the end zone broke his collarbone and erased him from the ballot.Though not everybody agreed on this point, Texas' own Colt McCoy was starting to become a viable candidate until he, too, fell victim to injury. His pinched nerve squeezed him out of the Heisman picture, leaving only three other viable candidates.

West Virginia running back Steve Slaton was solid this season, helping his team start some serious national title talk. In any other year, he might not have gotten as much attention, but like I said, that's not a knock on him. He deserves anything he gets this year.

As does Michigan running back Mike Hart, Rutgers runner Ray Rice and - in my mind at least - Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. They are the other candidates after Quinn, Smith and Slaton.

But one of the biggest stories in this year's Heisman race is who's not there. Florida is facing Smith and the Buckeyes on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., for the BCS title. And yet, the leader of the Gators isn't even in the Heisman talk.

And neither is Tim Tebow.

Chris Leak is the perfect example of what the Heisman is about. A player has to be the man - that's singular - to hoist the trophy. Leak is taken out and replaced regularly during games, especially near the goal line.

That says one of two things. Either Leak isn't good enough to handle the load by himself, or he doesn't display enough confidence for Gator coach Urban Meyer to trust him to punch it in the end zone.

Neither of those scenarios is worthy of a Heisman candidate. But what Leak lacks is exactly what sets Smith so far apart from everybody else.

Smith is the man at Ohio State. Not only does he do what's needed to win, he has a few plays every game that makes his personal highlight reel.

That's why he will undoubtedly be the winner of this year's Heisman Trophy.
 
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Turn out the lights, the Heisman party's over

Ohio State QB Smith a lock

By RANDY HOLTZ

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

Some of the closest Heisman Trophy races in the esteemed award's history have come in the past few years.
This time around, though, there will be a pronounced absence of drama at the Downtown Athletic Club's annual announcement ceremony in New York City on Saturday night.
Troy Smith of Ohio State, a near-unanimous pick in the final weekly Scripps Howard Heisman poll, figures to win the national voting by one of the largest margins in Heisman history, the senior quarterback holding off all challengers in a brilliant season.
When early favorite Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn faltered early and then Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson suffered a season-ending injury at midseason, the trophy became Smith's to lose. He never came close to losing it.
Smith received nine of 10 first-place votes from our panel, Arkansas do-it-all running back Darren McFadden getting the other. The Scripps poll has forecast the winner 16 of its 19 seasons, and the announcement Saturday likely will make it 17 of 20.
McFadden, whose candidacy picked up steam as his Razorbacks kept winning, edged Quinn in a close race for second, with Michigan's Mike Hart and West Virginia's Steve Slaton finishing fourth and fifth.
"From Game 1 through Game 12, Smith's consistent excellence and leadership made him the epitome of what a Heisman Trophy winner is supposed to represent," said poll voter Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Ohio State star needed no public-relations machine to boost his candidacy. The school's only Smith-for-Heisman reminder was an intentionally subtle mailing in early November. It was a bronze-colored postcard with a likeness of the trophy under the words "THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY." Next to the embossed drawing of the trophy were the names and years of Ohio State's six Heisman winners, with two-time winner Archie Griffin listed twice. Smith's name didn't appear on the postcard.
Ohio State's PR honchos knew they didn't have to do much to stoke their man's candidacy. They knew as long as the undefeated Buckeyes kept winning, and as long as Smith stayed healthy, he would likely be the winner.
The Scripps voters were particularly taken with Smith's remarkable knack for playing large in large games.
"Without Troy Smith, Ohio State doesn't win its two toughest games - Texas and Michigan," said poll voter John Lindsay of Scripps Howard News Service. "Sure, he's had a ton of help, but that's what Heisman winners do - play great in the biggest games."
Poll voter Scott Cain of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette realizes voting for McFadden for the top spot makes him susceptible to criticism for supporting a player he regularly covers. But Cain still went with the enormously talented Razorbacks sophomore, denying Smith a unanimous selection in the poll.
"I'm probably alone here, but I'll take Darren McFadden," Cain said. "Naturally, I become a homer by voting for a guy I cover. But are you a homer just because the most deserving player happens to play for the team you cover?
"A compelling case can be made for Troy Smith, and he will win. But did anybody else notice he didn't have to go against too many other bad boys, with a strength of schedule of 42nd? McFadden did equally impressive damage in the big games, too, with a tougher overall schedule (22nd).
"McFadden runs. He also throws, catches and returns kicks, scoring touchdowns each way. My guess is that if McFadden had Ohio State's talent surrounding him and the Buckeyes' defense giving him the ball back frequently, he'd have clinched this thing weeks ago, like Smith."
But Smith, playing the most visible position on the nation's No. 1 team, was too good to deny. He will shine in the spotlight in the Big Apple on Saturday night. The other candidates will be there to gawk at skyscrapers and ride in limos.
The final poll with statistics from last weekend:
Name, Position, School, Statistics, Points.
1. Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State, did not play, 49 (9).
2. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas, 21 carries, 73 yards, TD pass, 28 (1).
3. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame, did not play, 24.
4. Michael Hart, RB, Michigan, did not play, 14.
5. Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia, 23 carries, 112 yards, 2TDs, 10.
Others: Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii, 7; John Beck, QB, BYU, 6; JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU, 4; Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers, 4; Jared Zabransky, QB, Boise, 2; Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee, 1; J. Laurinatis, LB, Ohio State, 1.
The voters: Kirk Bohls (Austin American-Statesman); Scott Cain (Arkansas Democrat Gazette); Dennis Dodd (CBSSportsLine); Vahe Gregorian (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Mike Griffith (Knoxville News Sentinel); Randy Holtz (Rocky Mountain News); John Lindsay (Scripps Howard News Service); Michael Lewis (The Salt Lake Tribune); John Rohde (The Oklahoman); Michael Vega (The Boston Globe).
 
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Smith is lock for Heisman
Paul Oberjuerge, Staff Writer
Article Launched:12/05/2006 11:47:56 PM PST

Count on a huge victory for Troy on Saturday ...
Troy. As in Troy Smith. Which Troy did you think we were talking about?
Ohio State's senior quarterback is a mortal lock (do gamblers still use that expression?) to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday. The only question is whether he will break Reggie Bush's year-old record of receiving 87.9 percent of the first-place votes.
Smith is more than just the best player on the best team. He's had a huge season. To the tune of 2,507 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions. His QB rating, NFL-style, is 167.87, which is beyond Peyton Manning territory.
We cast our vote Tuesday, and it looked like this:
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State.
2. Colt Brennan, Hawaii.
3. Darren McFadden, Arkansas.
Colt Brennan was three touchdowns from making the 2006 Heisman a very interesting discussion. The senior quarterback out of Santa Ana Mater Dei led the Rainbows to a 10-3 record, and the three defeats (at Alabama, at Boise State, Oregon State) came by a combined 18 points. And Brennan was good in those defeats, throwing for 1,139 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
Brennan plays in a pass-pass-pass system, but even in that context he has Arena League-type overall numbers: 4,990 yards on 373-of-517 accuracy, with 57 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. His QB rating (182.8) beats Smith's. Darren McFadden pretty much was stuffed by USC back in September (nine carries, 42 yards), but thereafter the sophomore running back carried Arkansas to a 10-3 record. In 265 carries he gained 1,558 yards and didn't fumble once. He also threw three TD passes in eight attempts.
Where's Brady Quinn? Couldn't vote for the Notre Dame quarterback because he just didn't do much against opponents such as Michigan and USC. But his coach, Charlie Weis, seems convinced he will make a better pro QB than will Troy Smith.
 
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osugrad21;679008; said:
"Any time you have the quarterback at Notre Dame playing well, I think it's going to be good for college football. It's good for the university. It's good for everything really that the place stands for," Quinn said.
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Wow - seems like some of Chuck's "modesty" has rubbed off. How is having a good QB at ND good for college FB as a whole??? I can imagine there are about 116 schools who rather enjoyed the Holiday / Battle era.
 
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Then why is ESPN airing commercials showing Brady, Troy, Ray, Mike, and Steve? I thought that meant those were the 5 finalists.

If 3 are invited they should be Troy, Darren McFadden, and Colt Brennan. Brady does not deserve an invite.
 
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