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HEISMAN TOP 10 UPDATE
With a little (a lot!) help
from the BCS, Oklahoma's
embarrassing 35-7 loss to Kansas State in the Big-12
Championship Game did not keep the Sooners from earning
(?) a spot in this year's National Championship Game! The
question here for Jason White is, did the loss and his
less than stellar performance, damage his Heisman chances?
White was 27-of-50 for 298 yards with no TDs (only game
all season!) and two interceptions. White's first
interception came on an ill-advised throw (back across his
body) that was intercepted in the end zone. Oklahoma
trailed at the time just 14-7 and White was seemingly hurt
on the play. His second interception came early in the
fourth quarter with the Sooners already out of the game at
28-7 and was returned 27 yards for a TD! White's had a
remarkable season as have the Sooners who had dominated
just about every opponent and had held the nation's number
one ranking all year. I'll give my final rankings below
but first a quick look back at other major contenders for
this year's Heisman and their 'hiccups'!
I think most credible analysts (that eliminates all the
ESPN College FB guys other than Herbstreit) feel that
along with White, the Heisman favorites are Larry
Fitzgerald, Eli Manning and Chris Perry (in alphabetical
order). Matt Leinart and Mike Williams of USC as well as
Darren Sproles of Kansas State (but just this last week!)
have gotten some mentions but there does seem to be a
clear-cut top-four! I'll talk about each players positives
below but if one is going to make a HUGE DEAL out of
Oklahoma's loss to Kansas St as it relates to White's
Heisman credentials, don't forget these games either!
Fitzgerald's Pittsburgh team lost FOUR games in 2003! They
lost at Toledo (can you imagine Oklahoma losing to the
Rockets?) and in Pittsburgh to Notre Dame (now explain
that!). The Panthers were also routed at West Va by the
score of 52-31 and with a chance to clinch a BCS bowl bid
at home vs Miami, lost 28-14. In that game, Fitzgerald was
all but INVISIBLE, not catching his first pass of the game
until the third quarter and ending with just three catches
for 26 yards, including a meaningless TD catch in the
fourth quarter, that kept 'the streak' alive!
Eli Manning led Ole Miss to its most exciting season in
decades but was just 16-of-36 in the team's most important
game in FORTY YEARS, a 17-14 home loss to LSU! In a win
against Arkansas, Manning managed just 145 passing yards
and Ole Miss began the year at 2-2, which included losses
to Memphis (?) and Texas Tech. Although Manning did throw
for 701 yards in those two losses he also threw FOUR
interceptions (two in each game). While the Memphis loss
was the result of poor defense and numerous 'drops' by his
receivers, in the Texas Tech loss, Manning failed to
convert two long early fourth quarter drives (Ole Miss
settled twice for short FGs), that kept BJ Symons and the
Red Raiders within striking distance at 45-34. Those
'failures' came back to haunt the Rebels, as Symons led
two late fourth quarter TD drives, that gave Texas Tech a
49-45 win!
Chris Perry was the early season front-runner for the
Heisman but after Michigan losses at Oregon (Perry was a
non-factor with 26 yards on 11 carries) and at Iowa (Perry
gained 87 yards but averaged just 3.6 ypc), Perry fell
back. He was great in Michigan's late-season charge,
especially in its season-ending win over Ohio State but I
wonder how many voters are aware that Perry's 219-yard
effort at Michigan State on November 1st was his FIRST
career 100-yard game away from 'The Big House'!!!
My final Heisman Top Ten Poll follows and I believe that
Oklahoma's Jason White SHOULD and WILL win on Saturday.
Back in 2001, fellow Big-12 QB Eric Crouch saw his
outstanding senior season end with his team losing 62-36
at Colorado, yet a few weeks later was awarded the
Heisman! I see pretty much the same scenairo here, as I
believe that voters should / will reward White for what he
has accomplished over the entire year! Here's a guy who
has overcome two ACL tears that have ended each of his
last two seasons. In 2002 he played in just two games (34
attempts and 181 yards) and in 2001 and 2002 combined, had
played in just nine games passing for 862 yards with six
TDs and five interceptions. Here's what White accomplished
in 2003, as well as the remainder of this season's top
performers....
HEISMAN TOP TEN (Final)
1) JASON WHITE (Oklahoma) White's season stats are:
265-of-414 64.0% 3744 yards 40 TDs 8
INTs / 1 Rush
TD. His QB rating of 168.0 led the nation in passing
efficiency. White suffered through season-ending ACL tears
the last two seasons and entered this year with just 862
passing yards in nine games the last two seasons with six
TD passes and five interceptions. Oklahoma was the
nation's top-ranked team in the preseason poll and White
led the Sooners to 12 consecutive wins (14 straight going
back to last year) and 15 consecutive No.1 rankings in the
AP Poll prior to last Saturday's loss to Kansas State. His
40 TD passes is an new Oklahoma single-season record, as
he had at least two TD passes in every Oklahoma game this
year (until Kansas State) and was interception-free, in
EIGHT of his thirteen games. White topped 200 yards
passing in all but the Oklahoma State game in 2003, a game
the Sooners won 52-9! There is little doubt that he was
surrounded by highly skilled athletes in Norman but
REALLY, outside of WR Mark Clayton, none are household
names. White had a phenomenal year and with all he's gone
through to get to his senior year plus the way he's
played, DESREVES this year's Heisman!
2) CHRIS PERRY (Michigan) Perry's season stats are: 315
carries 1589 yards 5.0 ypc 17 TDs /
366 yards 8.7
ypc 2 TDs. Perry finished fifth in the nation with an
average of 132.4 ypg and was sixth in all-purpose yardage
averaging 162.9 ypg. The top-five in that category all had
punt and kick return yardage in their totals while Perry's
total came from just rushing and receiving yards. Perry
topped 100 yards in EIGHT of Michigan's twelve games this
year and he was a very valuable and dangerous receiver.
Many feel that Michigan is playing as well as any team in
the nation right now but the team's losses to Oregon
(Perry was held to 26 yards) and Iowa (Perry averaged just
3.6 ypc that game!) cost them a shot at the national
championship (although they have a chance in the Rose Bowl
to 'ruin' USC's title hopes!) and Perry a chance at the
Heisman. I was major supporter of Perry all year and his
performance vs Ohio State (154 yards and two TDs vs a
defense that entered the game allowing just 50.5 ypg
rushing) was 'something special'. He won't win but he's my
second choice.
3) LARRY FITZGERALD (Pittsburgh) Fitzgerald's season
stats are: 87 catches 1595 yards 18.3 ypc 22
TDs. The
biggest number of all for Fitzgerald of course is, 18!!
Fitzgerald's season rode on his record-shattering 18
consecutive games with a TD catch. The previous record was
13 straight (Charles Rogers of Michigan St) and Fitzgerald
passed that mark in a November 1st win over Boston College
and he kept right on going! His 22 TD catches were the
most of any receiver in the country and his 132.9 ypg
receiving were 17 ypg better than his closet competitor!
His 11.0 ppg placed him third in the nation in scoring. He
topped 100 yards receiving in 10 of his 12 games this year
and with 34 TD catches his first two seasons, set another
NCAA record! As I've pointed out all year, NO sophomore
has ever won the Heisman while just THREE wide receivers
have (Johnny Rodgers, Tim Brown and Desmond Howard). What
those three have in common and what is missing from
Fitzgerald's resume, is that they were all OUTSTANDING
kick returners. Also none of those players played on a
team that lost four games in their Heisman-winning
seasons! Close but no cigar this year, for Fitzgerald.
4) MATT LEINART (USC) Leinart's season stats are:
232-of-368 63.0% 3229 35 TDs 9 INTs.
Leinart's a
sophomore who watched from the sidelines last season
(without a passing attempt) as Carson Palmer won the
Heisman. In last Saturday's 52-28 win over Oregon State,
Leinart threw for a season-high five TD passes although he
did throw an interception (actually two!), ending his
school and conference streak at 212 attempts without one!
Much like Palmer did last year, Leinart led the Trojans on
a season-ending eight-game winning streak in which the
Trojans averaged 44.5 ppg (the final seven in which they
topped 40 points-setting new school and conference marks!)
and Leinart completed 65.6% of his passes averaging 288.1
ypg thru the air with 27 TDs and just three INTs!! As
every one knows, the Trojans ended the season at 11-1
(scoring 506 points which is a new Pac-10 record) and
ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches' Poll but lost out
to Oklahoma and LSU in the final BCS standings, keeping
USC out of the Sugar Bowl. USC can still claim a share of
the national title by beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl
and if they do, you can be sure Leinart's 'arm' will have
more than a little to do with it. He won't win the Heisman
this year but assuming he hangs around another couple of
years, he may just win one!
5) ELI MANNING (Mississippi) Manning's season stats are:
253-of-410 61.7% 3341 yards 27 TDs 9
INTs / 2 Rush
TDs. I've heard many claim that Manning is this year's MVP
but I'm not so sure I'm 'buying' that. Maybe I'm being too
hard on him but I think he's getting a little too much
credit for the 'family name'! Yes Manning led the Rebels
to the brink of their first SEC Title since 1963 but he
did play very poorly in that showdown game vs LSU
(16-of-36) and the Tigers did lose games early to Memphis
(inexcusable) and Texas Tech (outdueled by BJ Symons!).
Was Manning's season really any better than Rivers or
Symons? I don't think so but his team had much better
success and I'll surely give him CREDIT for that. I feel
that fifth is a fair spot to place him!
6) DARREN SPROLES (Kansas State) Sproles season stats
are: 293 carries 1948 yards 6.6 ypc / 22
catches 282
yards 12.8 ypc 2 TDs. Sproles 1948 yards were more
than
anyone in the nation but the Wildcats played 14 games so
his 139.1 ypg average placed him second to North Texas'
Patrick Cobbs 157.0 ypg. He also finished second in the
nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 189.3 ypg,
less than THREE ypg behind Memphis' DeAngelo Williams!
Sproles had a fantastic season that went virtually
un-noticed until Kansas State's 35-7 win over Oklahoma! In
that game Sproles ran for 235 yards on just 22 carries and
caught three passes fot 88 yards and a TD! Sproles was on
my Heisman radar early-on but fell off as he fought some
minor injuries and the Wildcats lost three straight games!
First the Wildcats were upset at home by Marshall and then
they lost back-to-back games to Texas and Oklahoma St, two
teams that Oklahoma beat 65-13 and 52-9, respectively!
Sproles entered this year with nine straight games of over
100 yards and after opening with 175 yards vs Cal (on
8/30), had his streak stopped vs Troy St a game in which
he left early with an injury. In the team's three-game
losing streak he topped 100 yards against only Texas (77 &
74 in the others!) but in the team's final five games of
their seven-game winning streak to end the year, averaged
200.8 ypg and 7.8 ypc! It was a super year by Sproles but
his STRONG finish does not get him into my top-five!
7) PHILIP RIVERS (North Carolina State) Rivers' season
stats are: 311-of-438 71.0% 4016 yards 29 TDs
7 INTs
/ 3 Rush TDs. Rivers finished just behind Jason White in
the passer ratings with a rating of 166.7 to White's
168.0. He was also second in the nation in total offense
with 342.1 ypg but his Wolpack just couldn't beat anyone
of note plus lost to Wake Forest and Ga Tech, finishing
7-5! Although he owns just about every ACC career passing
mark, is one of just FIVE players in college football
history with more than 12000 career yards and has thrown
90 career TD passes, it's hard to overlook those FIVE
losses. Rivers had the best season of his outstanding
career topping 300 yards in eight of his 12 games this
year (four times topping 400 yards!) but there will be no
joy in Raleigh, this Saturday!
8) Ben Roethlisberger (Miami-Ohio) 'Big Ben's' season
stats are: 321-of-462 69.5% 4110 yards 33 TDs
10 INTs
/ 3 Rush TDs. It's been quite a year for the MAC in 2003
and Miami and Roethlisberger have 'led the way" Early
season news in the MAC was made by Northern Illionois but
when the 'dust settled' it was Miami and Roethlisberger on
top! In the MAC Championship Game, Roethlisberger led the
Redhawks to their first MAC Title since 1986 by setting a
championship game record of 440 yards passing and throwing
four TDs to four differebnt receivers! During the year he
joined Marshall's Pennington and Leftwich as the only MAC
players to surpass 3000 yards passing in three seperate
seasons and by topping 4000 yards on the season in the MAC
Championship Game joined Leftwich (who did it in 2001 &
2002), as the only players to top 4000 yards passing in a
single year! After a four-interception 'disaster' to open
the year at Iowa (a 21-3 loss), Roethlisberger completed
70% of his passes for an average of 321.7 ypg with 33 TDs
and just SIX interceptions, as Miami won its final 12
games! With Oklahoma losing to Kansas St, Miami takes the
nation's longest current winning streak into its first
bowl appearance since 1986, this year's GMAC Bowl vs
Louisville ( December 18).
9) BJ SYMONS (Texas Tech) Symons season stats are:
429-of-666 64.4% 5336 yards 48 TDs 21
INTs / 5 Rush
TDs. Symons also led the nation in total offense with an
average of 456.3 ypg, more than 114 ypg MORE than Philip
Rivers, who was second!Symons is the most difficult of all
players to rate, as his numbers are mind-boggling but so
many feel they are at least partly the result of 'the
system' rather than the player. His five interception
games vs Oklahoma and Colorado seem to overshadow his
SEVEN consecutive 400-yard games which included 586 vs NC
St, 661 vs Mississippi and 505 vs Texas A & M in a
three-week stretch! His total of 5336 yards is a new
single-season record, topping Ty Detmer's 5188 yards in
1990. With bowl games now counting, Symons will also have
a shot at David Klingler's single-season record of 54 TD
passes (also set in 1990) when the Red Raiders take on
Navy in the Houston Bowl on December 30th. After all,
Symons only needs SIX to tie and SEVEN to break it! Maybe
the best thing I read all year regarding Symons was that
he passed up an academic scholarship at Harvard to play
football at Texas Tech!!
10) I'll leave this spot open so you can fill in whomever
you think I unfairly left out!
Early next week I'll be back to comment on the Heisman
results along with some closing thoughts on the CFB season
and the latest BCS Mess!!
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