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2006 Heisman Discussion (merged all)

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cnnsi.com

Troy's trophy

Will Ohio State QB win award by largest margin ever?


t1_smithobrien.jpg

Troy Smith already took home the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.

In a year in which he made throwing touchdown passes and winning football games look unusually easy, it's only fitting Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith will cruise to the 2006 Heisman Trophy in what has been the least competitive Heisman race in recent history.
The biggest cause for intrigue Saturday night at the Nokia Theater in Times Square will be whether the Cleveland native achieves the most lopsided victory in the award's 72-year history.
As of Thursday, the Web site StiffArmTrophy.com, which has projected the Heisman voting totals with incredible accuracy the past four years, had solicited ballots from 111 actual voters. All but five gave their first-place vote to Smith. If that trend were to hold up over 892 ballots (the amount received last year), he would finish with 95.5 percent of the first-place votes, shattering Reggie Bush's record of 84.9 percent just last year.
But here's the most amazing part: Smith could actually come within striking distance of O.J. Simpson's 1968 records for first-place votes (855) and margin between first and second (1,750 points) despite the fact there were nearly 300 more registered voters then (1,200) than there are now (924).
All this may come as a bit puzzling to some fans who, while acknowledging Smith's achievements this season, don't necessarily feel he's had one of the greatest seasons of all time, either. I don't necessarily disagree. The lopsided nature of his victory probably says more about the quality of the rest of the field (which took a severe hit when potential candidates Adrian Peterson and Michael Bush went down with season-ending injuries) than it does about Smith. But even if another legitimate candidate had emerged, I find it hard to believe he would have toppled the Ohio State quarterback, who did everything you could have asked him this season -- literally.
Statistically, Smith's pre-bowl numbers (67 percent completions, 2,507 yards, 30 touchdowns, five interceptions) were extremely similar to those of the last winning quarterback, USC's Matt Leinart in 2004 (67 percent, 2,990 yards, 28 TDs and 6 INTs), but stats aren't what won him this award. Since the start of this decade, the Heisman has become almost exclusively the domain of players whose team played for the national championship (the lone exception: USC's Carson Palmer in 2002). As the quarterback of the nation's No. 1 team from start to finish who entered the season at or near the top of most Heisman watch lists, it would have been nearly impossible for anyone to dethrone him.
Every Heisman voter has his own set of criteria that he holds important. For me, the No. 1 point of emphasis is how a guy performs in big games -- and Smith has proven himself over the course of his career to be an unflappable big-game player. Against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 9, he threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, including a 29-yarder to Ted Ginn Jr. to give his team the lead just before the half. Against then-No. 13 Iowa on Sept. 30, he torched the Hawkeyes for four touchdowns to deliver a 38-17 rout. And in the Game of the Year against Michigan, the nation watched as he torched the Wolverines' previously impregnable defense for 316 yards and four TDs.
About the only thing missing from those performances was a signature moment -- but I wouldn't hold it against him, either. The fact is, OSU was so dominant this season that its leader was never required to, say, throw a game-winning touchdown with two minutes left or rack up 500 yards just to survive. Smith's season felt more like one long, sustained highlight reel -- kind of like this one.


My 2006 Heisman ballot

1) Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
2) Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Had he not gotten shut down and/or hurt in the SEC championship game, I think you would have seen the Razorbacks sophomore receive quite a few more first-place votes. But even with injury-limited showings in his first (USC) and last (Florida) games, he still squeezed in more than his share of huge performances against big-time foes.
Against then-No. 2 Auburn on Oct. 7, his 63-yard second-quarter touchdown run put his team up 17-7 en route to an eventual 28-10 upset. Against Tennessee on Nov. 11, he ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns, the most yards the Vols had allowed an opposing rusher in more than three years. And in one of the greatest individual performance this season, on Nov. 25 against LSU, McFadden ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns (including an 80-yard fourth-quarter dash) and completed two pass attempts for 33 yards. In addition to his rushing heroics (1,558 yards, 14 TDs), he threw three touchdowns out of Arkansas' "Wildcat" formation.
3) Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State
The powerful sophomore announced his emergence on the scene in a Thursday night game the second week of the season, rushing for 240 yards, catching a 21-yard pass and scoring five touchdowns in a 42-14 rout of Oregon State. Ponder those numbers for a second, and remember, this was the same Beavers team that went on to beat USC and finish 9-4. Incredible.
And as you know, all Johnson did from there was lead his team to an undefeated season and Fiesta Bowl berth, rushing for at least 89 yards in every game he played and going over the 100-yard mark eight times, including a 147-yard, three-TD performance in the Broncos' BCS-clinching finale at Nevada. For the season, he led all runners nationally with 24 touchdowns (the next closest: Ray Rice with19) and finished second in yards per game (146.6). His 1,613 total yards was good for fourth, despite the fact he played in one less game than his competitors (a partially collapsed left lung caused him to miss the game versus Utah State).
Three who barely missed the cut

Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame: Statistically, the Irish star had another fine season, but like I said earlier, my single biggest criteria is performance in big games, and Quinn mostly struggled in his two biggest of the season (at Michigan and at USC) before tacking on yards and touchdowns in garbage time.
Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii: His numbers are absolutely off the charts (4,990 yards, 53 TDs) and I had him ahead of Johnson for the third spot until his final game against Oregon State. Unfortunately for guys like Brennan, they don't get as many chances to shine as a Smith or McFadden, and in his lone televised game of the season, Brennan threw two costly picks.
Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia: Slaton was the most impressive athlete I saw in person all season. His Thursday night shows against Maryland (195 yards) and Pittsburgh (215) were incredible. For most of the year, I assumed he'd wind up on my ballot. Those two fumbles against Louisville and an awful performance in the loss to USF ultimately doomed him.
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I've seen this stat a few times now, regarding the highest percentage of first-place Heisman votes:

Reggie Bush's record of 84.9 percent just last year
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I don't think it reconciles with this information from the 1993 balloting:

Place...Name..........School.............Class..Position....1.....2.....3.....Total
1st.....Charlie Ward....Florida State......Sr........QB.........740...39....12....2,310
2nd....Heath Shuler....Tennessee.........Jr........QB...........10..274..110......688
3rd.....David Palmer....Alabama............Jr........RB...........16....78....88......292
4th.....Marshall Faulk..San Diego State..Jr........RB............7....74....81......250
5th.....Glenn Foley......Boston College...Sr........QB............5....47...71......180
6th....LeShon Johnson.Northern Illinois..Sr........RB............5....51....59......176
7th....J.J. Stokes........UCLA................Jr........WR...........3....37....48......131
8th....Tyrone Wheatley.Michigan..........Jr.........RB...........2....31....32......100
9th....Trent Dilfer........Fresno State.....Jr........QB............2....28....29.......91
10th....Eric Zeier........Georgia.............Jr.........QB...........0....24....37........85

Charlie Ward became the first player from Florida State to win the Heisman. With 919 ballots mailed out, Ward captured all six sections.

Among the top 10, Ward received 740 of 790 first place votes, or 93.67%.
740/919 = the 80.52% that Ward is credited with.
I don't know what happened to the other 129 first-place votes, but it seems that in this discussion, Ward may have been victimized by many of the 919 ballots not being returned.
 
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Dennis Dodd's ballot. I only copied part of the article, leaving out the part where he hypes Russell for 2007.

sportsline

My official Heisman ballot

1. Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State: Remember how tough Michigan's defense was supposed to be? Smith threw four touchdown passes. We have to wait 51 days between games to see him again, but it will be worth it. Florida's tough D is up next in the BCS title game.

2. JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU: All this, and the kid has a soul, too. Remember how he housed 20-something relatives and friends in his apartment during the Katrina disaster?

3. Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii: Off-field trouble at Colorado eventually found him walking on at Hawaii. It was the best thing that ever happened to him. Playing under noted quarterback maker June Jones will probably get him an NFL shot.

Four more for you consideration

Michael Hart, RB, Michigan: Ran toughest in the big games. Might be Russell's main competition next year.
James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State: If he stays in school, this sophomore winner of the Nagurski Award (best defensive player) could be a three-time All-American.
Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas: Would have been higher, but in the season's two biggest games (USC and Florida) he was nicked up and rushed for a combined 115 yards.
Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia: The nation's speediest back officially has a fumbling problem.
 
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Canton

2006 Heisman trophy presentation
Saturday, December 9, 2006

8 p.m today

TV ESPN

Darren McFadden
Running back
Arkansas, sophomore
Credentials School-record 1,558 yards rushing, 16 total touchdowns. ... Also has thrown for three touchdowns.


Brady Quinn
Quarterback
Notre Dame, senior
Credentials 274-of-432, 3,278 yards, 35 TDs, five interceptions. ... Holds 35 school records. ... Fourth in voting last year.


Troy smith
Quarterback
Ohio State, senior Credentials 199-of-297, 2,507 yards passing, 30 TDs, five interceptions. ... Leader of top-ranked, unbeaten Ohio State.
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ABJ

Winning Heisman emotional

Griffin knows tears could flow if OSU's Smith receives honor

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

NEW YORK - Archie Griffin thought there was no way he'd cry.
The Ohio State tailback was the only athlete invited to the Downtown Athletic Club when he won a still-unprecedented two Heisman Trophies in 1974 and 1975. On his first trip to New York, he was shown around the banquet room before the ceremony and a member warned him that past honorees had been known to get emotional when they stepped to the podium.
No. 45 vowed that wouldn't happen to him.
``I got up there to speak and I didn't get five words out before the tears started flowing,'' Griffin recalled this week. ``I was overwhelmed by my emotions.
``When I got back to campus, my roommates Steve Luke and Cornelius Greene said, `That was a great speech, but did you have to cry?' ''
Tonight, Griffin thinks Troy Smith might need a good handkerchief. The senior quarterback is the heavy favorite to be named the 72nd Heisman winner and become the sixth Buckeye player to capture the coveted trophy at the Nokia Theater in New York.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden are the other finalists.
``That could happen with Troy,'' said Griffin, president of the OSU Alumni Association since 2004. ``He could start thinking about how he got to where he is. He was pretty emotional at the (team) banquet on Sunday. Either it's all out of him or he could have that situation again.''
Among those in the audience will be his mother, Tracy, who had to give him up for four years while she got her life in order; his older sister, Brittany; and former OSU center Rod Smith, stepson of Irvin White Jr., the man who took in Troy Smith when he was 9. Rod Smith got his ticket from former teammate Eddie George, the last Buckeye to win the Heisman in 1995.
Also attending will be OSU coach Jim Tressel, director of athletics Gene Smith and quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels, along with their wives.
Smith would also join Howard ``Hopalong'' Cassady (1955), Vic Janowicz (1950) and Les Horvath (1944). Ohio State would tie USC and Notre Dame for the most winners with seven (counting Griffin's two).
The Big Ten has produced more Heisman winners (15) than any other conference, but Troy Smith would be the league's first true quarterback.
Last week, Smith said he knew he would think back on how far he's come if his name is called. The last player to sign in OSU's class of 2002, Smith didn't become the starter until game seven of 2004, when Justin Zwick was injured. He sat out the Alamo Bowl in 2004 and the 2005 opener for taking $500 from a booster.
With a 25-2 record as a starter, including 3-0 against Michigan, Smith set an OSU single-season record with 30 touchdowns in 2006. He ranks fourth nationally in pass efficiency (167.87) and has thrown just five interceptions in 297 attempts. He led the top-ranked Buckeyes to a 12-0 mark and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game against Florida on Jan. 8.
``Seeing my mother's face, getting the chance to take her, her and I have never been to New York,'' Smith said. ``My family will be around me. I'll definitely be thinking about all I've been through.''
Griffin said Monday night's Heisman dinner at the New York Hilton, where the winner officially receives the trophy, will also be an amazing experience for Smith. About 1,500 people will attend. The two-row dais includes former winners on the bottom and on top, the honoree and his group, which Griffin said would include Tressel, Smith and university President Karen Holbrook.
The former winners ``all turn and look at him,'' Griffin said. ``It's a wonderful feeling. I remember seeing Hop and Vic and hoping they were proud of me. For a kid, it's hard to realize at the time. but some of the best players in college football are in that room and they're welcoming you into this group. That's pretty special.''
Griffin said he and Smith never talked about the Heisman. But before big games, especially Michigan, Griffin made a point of checking Smith out on the field. Smith is 5-0 in starts against Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas.
``I'd see his eyes and for some reason I can tell he's ready, he's going to have a good game,'' Griffin said. ``It's his eyes and the smile he had. Not anything cocky. I'd go up to my seat and felt real good because of the confidence I knew Troy had.''
If he wins, Griffin said, the Heisman will change Smith's life. Even at age 52, Griffin said every day he's reminded of it when someone asks for an autograph or mentions a game that is probably more vivid in the fan's mind than his.
``He's no longer going to be just Troy Smith,'' Griffin said. ``He'll be Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith.''
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Dispatch

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Heisman vote could be rout
Smith?s margin of victory might challenge record

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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NEW YORK ? Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith looked too tired to be thinking much about winning the Heisman Trophy tonight.
After his first few hours in the big city yesterday, he was beat. He settled wearily in a chair, his black pinstripe suit a bit rumpled.
Smith arrived here on an early-morning flight from Orlando, where he attended the college football awards show Thursday night. He did a few radio and television interviews before returning to his Midtown Manhattan hotel, just a few blocks from Times Square, where the Heisman ceremony will take place.
"It has hit me to know that this is the cream of the crop, this is the top of the chain in terms of recognition," he said, "and I wouldn?t have it any other way. I?d rather be busy than sitting on my butt somewhere.
"But once I get some free time, I know I?m going to get some rest as opposed to sleeping at a 90-degree angle on the plane."
Quarterback Brady Quinn of Notre Dame, a Dublin native, and running back Darren McFadden of Arkansas are here, as well. But Smith is the nobrainer choice to win the award by a landslide.
He doesn?t want to think about that, though. He said he doesn?t have an acceptance speech prepared.
"I don?t believe in writing stuff down and reading it, I might stumble over one of the lines," he said. "I wouldn?t say I?m going to wing it, I?m just going to say what?s on my heart and on my mind and how I really feel in that situation."
Former Ohio State running back Eddie George, the last Buckeye to win a Heisman (in 1995), said the tough part for Smith is yet to come.
"The ceremonies down in Orlando are pretty exhausting in itself, all the anticipation of who wins the awards," George said. "And (today) is probably going to be the longest day. You?ve got to wait all day just to find out (who wins)."
George paused and smiled.
"I?m pretty sure he knows who?s going to be named, but just making it official."
Smith might come close to breaking the record for most points and most lopsided Heisman victory in the trophy?s 72-year history.
O.J. Simpson of Southern California has those marks, gaining 2,850 votes in 1968 to thump Leroy Keyes of Purdue by 1,750 votes.
Howard "Hopalong" Cassady in 1955 had the biggest margin of victory among the Buckeyes? six winners. Archie Griffin posted the 10 th and 11 th-biggest margins in 1974 and 1975, respectively.
But Griffin?s experiences were much different than that of Smith.
"The first time (he won), I went to New York on a Tuesday and I was the only one there and they made the announcement that I won," Griffin said. "The second year, they called and told me on a Monday that I had won but to keep it a secret."
Today should be another busy day for Smith, with friends and family arriving. He is expecting his mother, Tracy, and sister, Brittany, and possibly his coach at Cleveland Glenville, Ted Ginn Sr.
Also, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels and athletic director Gene Smith and their wives will arrive.
In between welcoming all those people, Smith has a lunch to attend and a walkthrough at the Nokia Theatre, where the ceremony will take place.
And he still hopes to sneak in some shut-eye.
"Once I get some time ? some ?me? time ? I?ll sit back and hopefully be able to reflect on everything that has happened," Smith said. "And take a nice, solid nap."
[email protected]
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Dispatch

Trophy?s home falls prey to 9/11
Attack forced club to go out of business
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20061209-Pc-E1-0800.jpg
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NEW YORK ? At the lower tip of Manhattan, a visitor can be forgiven for striking the Heisman pose in an effort to stiffarm the 30 mph frigid December winds blowing off New York Harbor.
Until Sept. 11, 2001, that pose often played itself out whenever college football fans visited the Downtown Athletic Club, located a stone?s throw from Battery Park and the dock where tourists gather to catch the Statue of Liberty ferry.
But when terrorists took down the World Trade Center towers, located four blocks to the north, the Downtown Athletic Club seemed to fall with them. The club?s 45-story building remained standing, but its future was doomed. The club, which began awarding the Heisman Trophy in 1935, was facing financial difficulties when 9/11 caused dozens of buildings to temporarily close shop.
At its peak during the 1980s, the DAC boasted a membership of 4,600. Before Sept. 11, the numbers had dipped to about 700. In the aftermath of the attack, the club could not survive as many companies moved uptown. Members followed suit.
"Prior to 9/11, we had a deal with a group to come in and refurbish the whole place. After 9/11, all bets were off," said Jim Corcoran, who was club president in 2001. "Not only did we lose 11 members that day, we also had tons of companies move and go elsewhere."
Unable to recover, the club ceased to exist. The Heisman Trophy Trust controls the trophy and runs the ceremony, which will take place tonight in the Nokia Theatre in Times Square.
With no club and no permanent location, the Heisman Trust has moved the ceremony from location to location since Sept. 11.
At one time, however, the DAC not only played host to the ceremony but also housed the finalists and their families on site.
"The building was a complete self-contained entity, a fullservice place," Notre Dame sports information director John Heisler said. "Once we were there, we never had to leave."
The building originally housed a golf range on the seventh floor, a basketball court on the eighth, a full-size swimming pool on the 12 th and a boxing ring on the 18 th. It?s most famous feature, however, was the Heisman Room with its wood-paneled walls on which hung portraits of all the winners. Those portraits are now in storage. Tonight?s ceremony will feature digitized copies.
The original trophy has been given to the National Sports Museum, which is scheduled to open in the next two years near Battery Park. Discussions are ongoing about moving the Heisman ceremony to the museum.
Today, the Art Deco building has been turned into luxury condominiums. Instead of listening to the acceptance speeches of former winners such as Archie Griffin and Doc Blanchard, visitors ? if they can talk their way inside the locked doors ? are greeted by six flatscreen TVs that show wealthy couples drinking wine and strolling the nearby Hudson River promenade. A sultry voice invites interested buyers to enjoy "the cosmopolitan atmosphere."
It?s enough to make Corcoran cry, which is why he has not visited the site in several years.
"I can?t go there anymore," he said. "It?s just sad."
[email protected]
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ToledoBlade

Smith may make Heisman a rout, too

ASSOCIATED PRESS


NEW YORK - Troy Smith figures to make this contest a rout, too.

The Ohio State quarterback is such a heavy favorite to take the Heisman Trophy tonight that the competition could be one of the biggest landslides in the award's history.

Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden are the other finalists for college football's most famous award. But it'll be a shocker if Smith doesn't become the sixth Ohio State player to win the Heisman.

"For so many years I've walked through the atrium and I've just looked at Heisman Trophies and took it for granted, not really thinking about the work that those guys had to do to get there," Smith said earlier this week. "Now I totally understand how much you have to be a team-oriented guy and how much work you have to put into it to be spoken of as one of the elite players."

Since Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago won the first Heisman in 1935, 14 players have won the bronze statue by a margin of more than 1,000 points.

Southern California tailback O.J. Simpson set the standard for landslide Heisman Trophy victories in 1968, receiving 1,750 points more than the runner-up, Purdue running back Leroy Keyes.

Then there were 1,200 Heisman voters. The number of voters decreased to 923 in 1988, so simple mathematics makes it difficult for anyone to touch that mark. A first-place vote is worth three points, a second-place vote two and a third one.

Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward came closest to Simpson's mark when he won the '93 award by 1,622 points over Tennessee's Heath Shuler. Two years later, Michigan's Desmond Howard was a 1,574-point winner over Florida State's Casey Weldon.

Last year, Reggie Bush, another USC star, was an overwhelming choice, getting more first-place votes (784) and points (2,541) than any other player but Simpson, who had 855 and 2,853.

But because Texas quarterback Vince Young was such a strong candidate - and appeared on so many ballots in second or third - Bush's margin of victory was 967.

Quinn was one of the preseason favorites - maybe the favorite - to win the award and become the eighth Heisman winner from Notre Dame, the first since Tim Brown in 1987.

A senior, Quinn had 35 touchdown passes and five interceptions this season. But he played poorly in Notre Dame's two biggest games against Michigan and USC - four turnovers in a 47-21 loss to the Wolverines and so-so 22-of-45 for 274 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-24 loss to the Trojans.

Another serious contender never emerged.

McFadden ran for a school-record 1,558 yards and scored 16 touchdowns for the surprising Razorbacks, and showed off his passing skills by throwing three TD passes in eight attempts. The sophomore's late-season breakout was good enough to make him the first Arkansas player to be a finalist and should make him the leading candidate heading into next season.

And while other top players were having their ups and downs, Smith was brilliantly efficient leading the Buckeyes through a 12-0 season, during which they rarely were challenged. Ohio State won 10 games by at least 17 points.

He's fourth in the nation in passer rating (167.9) and threw for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns with only five interceptions.

He heads into the BCS championship game against Florida on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., with a 25-2 record as a starter, and he's been at his best when the Buckeyes have needed him most.

In Ohio State's two 1 vs. 2 games against Texas and Michigan, Smith threw for 585 yards and six touchdowns with one interception.

He would also be the first senior to win the Heisman since USC quarterback Carson Palmer did it in 2002, breaking a streak of three straight junior winners.

So Smith won't have a chance to match Ohio State's Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman winner. But as the first quarterback in 70 years to lead Ohio State to three consecutive victories over Michigan, Smith already ranks with Griffin as one of the best and most beloved Buckeyes.

"I'll say this, every time I'm on the field before a game," Griffin said of Smith, "I look in his eyes and I can tell he's ready and he's going to have a good game. I'm really talking about Michigan games."
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Upvote 0
As part of the run up to the Heisman trophy presentation ESPN Classic is showing games highlighting the top 3 candidates.
On now is Arkansas vs South Carolina (McFadden)

Up next will be Sparty blowing 4th quarter chunks against ND (Quinn)

Then

at 5PM

your next Heisman trophy winner tosses 4 TDs against the mighty Michigan D. :)
:osu:
 
Upvote 0
cfn


The Heisman Coronation
384329.jpg


By Pete Fiutak
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Dec 8, 2006

Troy Smith is on the verge of winning the Heisman in what's almost certain to be one of the biggest landslides ever. It might not have been an exciting Heisman race, but Smith has proven worthy every step of the way.


By Pete Fiutak
They can't all be classic races.

The 2006 Heisman chase held about as much intrigue as an episode of Two And A Half Men, and generated enough buzz to elicit a great big national yawn with Troy Smith blowing away the field from the moment Ohio State beat Texas 24-7 on September 9th.

On the Heisman:
I think it would be a tremendous honor and it would be a tremendous reflection of the team I play for, the coaches I play for and the program I represent. If I get a chance to hoist that trophy and bring it back to The Ohio State University, it'll be great for everyone involved with this program. On problems recent Heisman winners have had in the national title game:
I don't buy into superstitions or buy into previous things that happened to guys that aren't me. I can't talk about the success of a Heisman winner because I'm not one yet. There's always a chance I might not win it. I just know we'll be ready for the national championship game.

On overcoming being originally labeled a running QB:
I don't take the field trying to prove anything to anyone. I just try to play within our system. I just try to prove to my teammates, those 10 other guys, that I belong with them and I'm worthy of wearing the scarlet and gray. It really makes no difference to me what people say about me.

On whether he's spoken with former Buckeye Heisman winners, Eddie George and Archie Griffin:
Yeah, we talk, but we never talk about the Heisman. It's always about the team. They say to worry about the team and everything else will take care of itself. I've bought into that because that's what football is all about.

On how far he's come to get to this point:
I try to live in today. I don't focus on the past. I'm enjoying it while it lasts because it's not going to be the same way next year. That's the way I approach things. I'm very lucky and very blessed to be here and I'm going to live it up while I can. If you try to harp on the past, you can't put your emotions in the present.

On where he's grown the most in his senior year:
My leadership skills and my ability to have an impact on every teammate in that locker room. You have to know everybody. It's hard, but anything worth achieving is never easy. It's worth putting in the time if you have the love of each of your teammates. Without every single player on this team, we wouldn't be where we are today.

There have been more awe-inspiring Heisman winners, better overall fields of candidates and more impressive statistical seasons, but it's not Smith's fault he'll win in a landslide. It's not his fault that Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn lost his two big games of the year (Michigan and USC) and was never really in the race past mid-September. It's not his fault Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson broke his collarbone, Arkansas RB Darren McFadden didn't come on in the race until late, or that no one appeared to pay attention to Michigan RB Mike Hart, Hawaii QB Colt Brennan or BYU QB John Beck.

Smith doesn't have to apologize for anything after being, far and away, "the most outstanding college football player in the Untied States for 2006.".

Not only was Smith the most deserving Heisman winner this year, there's not even a reasonable argument for anyone else in the most obvious vote since Florida State QB Charlie Ward got 740 of the 790 first place in 1993 beating out Tennessee QB Heath Shuler and Alabama do-it-all back David Palmer.

So strong with Smith's year, and so weak was the field, that Quinn, McFadden, and others didn't even deserve mention. Smith took the nation's number one team wire-to-wire throwing 30 touchdown passes, five interceptions and ran for 233 yards and a touchdown. While those numbers were a walk in the park for Brennan, Smith's leadership and steady hand guided a team that had to replace almost all the defensive starters and had to deal with being the target game for everyone on the schedule. Not only did Smith and the Buckeyes go into Texas and beat the defending national champion in the big spotlight game of the early season, they won with ruthless efficiency making the game boring after the first half with Smith making play after play completing 16 of 26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. A few weeks later in a hornet's nest at Iowa, Smith threw four touchdown passes. Of course, his signature touch was the Michigan win throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns against one of the nation's top defenses. In other words, under more pressure than any player in America, he answered every challenge.

Of course, the Heisman is supposed to be about the season and not the career, but his winning cements one of the more intriguing college football rags-to-riches stories.

Considered a bit of an afterthought with everyone's sure-thing All-America high school prospect Justin Zwick expected to be the new star, Smith saw mop-up duty throughout his sophomore season before taking over late. He burst onto the national scene with a 241-yard, two touchdown, 145-yard rushing, one touchdown day in a stunning win over Michigan, but it appeared his era was over before it even began.

Known as a bit of a trouble maker before coming to Ohio State after being kicked off the basketball team at one high school and having all sorts of problems at another, he was still recruited by Jim Tressel to play quarterback, even though everyone else wanted him to be a defensive back or wide receiver. Once at Columbus, he got in trouble for getting into a fight, and most famously, was nailed for taking $500 from a booster which kept him out of the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State and the 2005 season opener against Miami University. With the nightmare of the Maurice Clarett saga still unfolding, it appeared Smith was destined to be another Buckeye star who wouldn't reach his immense promise and limitless potential, but then things turned around as he underwent one of the more dramatic transformations in recent college football history.

Instead of becoming another Clarett, Smith began to embrace the role as a team leader and the face of the team. He went from being the guy people had to make excuses for off the field, to a mega-watt playmaker who was engaging, entertaining, thoughtful, and really, really good.

Smith only completed five of 11 passes for 78 yards coming off the bench the in the 2005 classic showdown against Vince Young and Texas, but he threw a touchdown pass and ran well enough to get everyone wondering whether or not the Buckeyes would've won had he played the entire game. He went on to lead Ohio State to the Fiesta Bowl and a dominant win over Notre Dame while earning a reputation for being a clutch performer along the way. It didn't hurt to beat Michigan for a second year in a row in a last-minute thriller to set the tone for 2006.

While most Heisman candidates dismiss the hype and the talk with faux shyness or by deflecting the attention on to the team, Smith embraced the role realizing early on that if he's a top Heisman star, that would likely mean the team was winning like he wanted it to.

"[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]I'd rather be the guy from the beginning," Smith said early this year about his role as a Heisman favorite. "That lets everyone know nationally right away about your skills. Coming on late and coming on strong would be cool, but that probably means you weren't doing enough in the beginning."

[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]He had fun with the spotlight, seemed to enjoy the attention, and thrived off being what Clarett could've been: an Ohio State god spoken about in the same breath with legends like Woody and Archie. [/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]Now he'll go into history as a Heisman winner and for beating Michigan three times. Winning the top individual prize in all of sports might have seemed easy; now the hard part begins. If Ohio State beats Florida, and Smith finishes his career 27-2 as a starter, he'll have to be thrown into the mix along with Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Danny Wuerffel and Tommie Frazier in the Greatest College Quarterback of All-Time argument. To be there, he needs a national title.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]Until January 8th, being the best player in America, and more importantly, a symbol for how someone can turn things around in the biggest way possible, is good enough.[/FONT][/FONT]
 
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sandgk;683538; said:
As part of the run up to the Heisman trophy presentation ESPN Classic is showing games highlighting the top 3 candidates.
On now is Arkansas vs South Carolina (McFadden)

Up next will be Sparty blowing 4th quarter chunks against ND (Quinn)

Then

at 5PM

your next Heisman trophy winner tosses 4 TDs against the mighty Michigan D. :)
:osu:
Click to expand...
Highlight game for McFadden: an average SC team
Highlight game for Quinn: MSU's yearly implosion
Highlight game for Smith: 300+ yards, 4 TD's against the one of the best defenses in the nation

Just more proof that Troy will win the Heisman going away!
 
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