Sunday Debate: A Look At the Heisman Race Beyond the Front-Runners

Welcome to the newest FANdemonium Sports segment. It is called Sunday Debates. Every Sunday, I will think of a hot topic subject in the world of sports. Today’s subject argues one thing. If not Tebow, Bradford, or McCoy... who has the best shot at stealing the Heisman Trophy this upcoming College Football season?

So I will show and analyze some of the players that are considered top candidates - outside of the "big three" - to win the Heisman Trophy.

If you want to view my take on any topic that is suitable for a Sunday Debate, let me know about it. Email me any suggestions (along with anything else you want) at StLDieHard24@gmail.com.

I made a “Sunday Debates” section on the right side of the page under the “It’s FANdemonium, baby!” portion. There you will be able to view all of the Sunday Debates. Let’s get started with the sixth Sunday Debate.

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Spring football is under way, the NFL Draft is finally over, and we now know who will be coming back to light up the 2009 College Football season.

The 2008 Heisman Race was certainly one to remember; it was the closest since 2001, when former-Cornhusker Eric Crouch won the most prestigious award in all of sport. In the end, when all of the votes were tallied, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma became the 74th winner of the Heisman Trophy. Following Bradford; Colt McCoy of Texas was the first runner up and, last year’s winner, Tim Tebow, got 3rd in total voting.

After all is through, this may very well be how we remember that 2008 campaign… the memorable and to-close-to-call Heisman Race featuring the nation’s elite. I think that is safe to say that if it was any other year, and there was only one of either of these guys, they would have blown away the competition. All three of these Quarterbacks are Heisman-winning material.

But wait, they are coming back? Believe it or not, the three top vote-getters are all going to make another run at it this season. Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow will make an attempt at their second Trophy, while McCoy will try to receive his first Heisman statue.

Knowing that, most would think one of those guys will win the award, no? I can’t hardly argue that considering how incredible these quarterbacks really are. But, how often do the front-runners going in actually win the thing? Hardly ever. Last year it was Tebow, McFadden was favored heavily in 2007, Brady Quinn was almost handed the Trophy before the ’06 season, and we can do this all night. Do you notice the trend? None of the guys won it that year. All had good seasons, but none of them won it and it's like that way nearly every single year.

While the main guys of yesteryear are stealing the show already, there is some serious talent out there beyond Austin, Norman, and Gainsville.

On that note, let’s take a quick look at who will take home that bronze statue when it’s all said and done… if it isn’t the big three.

Todd Reesing, Kansas Jayhawks
He does not have the hype, or the swagger that most of the contenders do. Reesing is flying undetected, below the radar so far and nobody really realizes him as a legitimate contender. Kansas is not known for producing big-name QBs, but Todd has the skill set to be worthy of mention. Not to forget, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier are both coming back for another year – bringing 2000 yards and 20 TDs with them from the 2008 season.

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
While Jimmy may not have near the hype that the last Heisman contender out of North Bend had, he does have some. Any QB at ND usually does. Clausen is nowhere near Quinn, but he’ll have the Notre Dame spotlight and the receiving corps to put up the numbers and the wins to be in the hunt for the big prize. He showed in the 22-of-26, 401-yard, five touchdown win over Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl that the offense has the potential to blow up, but the only chance of being in the Heisman hunt will be to come up with big wins. That means a big day at Michigan, a home victory over Michigan State, and most importantly, a tremendous performance against USC on October 17... preferrably a win in all of those.

Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State Cowboys
After throwing together a breakout year last season, and finishing well into the top-25, the Cowboys and their star QB are looking forward to running that explosive offense yet again. I love this guy and I love this guy’s potential at the collegiate level. He has the Heisman type of play the voters crave, and should kill the opposition with Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant right there with him. Robinson can launch it down the field with accuracy, but also run very well when need be. Visualize the white Vince Young.

Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State Beavers
WOW. You don’t think so? Do you even know this guy lol? If you live on the east coast, you might not. For any of you people that think this kid shouldn’t be on this list, I will personally find you a tape of the USC/OreSt game of last fall. If a dude can straight up slither his way through THAT defense and make his way into the endzone twice with 190 yards, you are something special. He was a f-r-e-s-h-m-a-n this past season and was still the best playmaker in the Pac10. Before getting hurt he had 7 straight games of 100+ yard outputs, and totaled 1255 yards and 11 touchdowns… in seven games. I watched him during the USC game and immediately wrote his name down for two reasons: I knew he would be on this list and I knew I would forget how to spell his name.

Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State Buckeyes
He may be losing all of his sidekicks, but do not be fooled with this dude. Despite his main WRs and Chris “Beanie” Wells heading to Arizona, Pryor will have a massive season. He won’t have the talented Wells to hand off to but that should only mean he gets more chances to do more on his own. He’ll get more room to freelance, even for a Jim Tressel team, and he’ll get to run even more than he did in ‘08. Expect plenty of highlight moments and a barrage of face time on SportsCenter. But as it is with all Heisman candidates, it’s all about what he’ll do in the big moments. If he’s great against USC on September 12th and leads the way to a win, then it’s Heisman spotlight time. Remember me saying Zac Robinson is similar to the white Vince Young? Well Pryor IS Vince Young. He is the now the entire offense and the coaches will, while holding back in 2008, unleash him this year. He is a freak prodigy and now the nation’s newest superstar.

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Justin Hulsey

StLDieHard24@gmail.com

FANdemoniumSports.blogspot.com

If not the big three, then whom?

Two Man Race to the Top

After very impressive performances from Blake Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet, two of the countrys top college basketball players, on Saturday, I began to think about the race for this year's NCAA Player of the Year. At the beginning of the season it looked as though the race for PoY would be between a number of players including Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, North Carolina's Tyler Hanbrough, and Davidson's Stephen Curry.

Curry has put up big offensive numbers, Harnagody has dominated but has not led his team to wins, and Tyler Hanbrough has underchieved just a bit. The way I see it, the race is between two players in Griffin and Thabeet.

Let us look first at Oklahoma's outstanding big man Blake Griffin. He has the size (6' 10", 250 lbs) to bang inside and the athleticism and finesse to take his game to the perimeter. With averages of 22.8 ppg and 14.2 rpg, he knows how to take over a game at any point. Griffin is expected to leave school after this year and enter the NBA Draft where he is sure to be one of the top two players off the board.

Now for Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet who is arguably the country's most dominant inside presence. The 7' 3" Thabeet controls the game on the defensive end more so than the offensive side with his 4.4 blocks per game. He also has averages of 13.5 ppg, and 10.8 rpg which shows that he does have some presence on offense. Having only been playing organized basketball for a few years Thabeet is expected to be one of the top two pick in the draft along with Griffin.

These two players have led their teams to #1 and #2 in the season rankings and I expect for them to be matched up against one another come tournament time in March.

Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

http://fandemoniumsports.blogspot.com/

National Signing Day Recap

February 4 is just another day of the year for most folks but among high schools and colleges around the nation it is considered a national holiday. Feb. 4 is National Signing Day, a day where top high school football players hold press conferences in order to announce where they will be playing their football next season. In years past there have been many surprises and 2009 was no different.

Let us review the top 12 players and where you will be able to watch them display their talents in the upcoming seasons.

#1. Quarterback Matt Barkley, USC
The Trojans once again land the top recruit and continue their tradition of promising young talent at the quarterback position. Barkley had great size (6' 3", 222 lbs) and accuracy. His strengths are in his polished mechanics and footwork, also his ability to read and pick apart opposing defenses.

#2. Outside Linebacker Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
Te'o shocked scouts and colleges alike with his decision to attend school in South Bend. Most experts believed he would choose either USC or UCLA, but Te'o wanted to play for coach Charlie Weis. He is a great pass rusher who plalys sideline to sideline and never gives up on a play.

#3. Athlete Russell Shepard, LSU
Les Miles stole away another top recruit from his SEC foes. Shepard was looking at Florida but chose to stay close to home and become a Bayou Bengal. He lined up at quarterback in high school but most college scouts believe him to be more in the mold of a running back because of his great speed and quickness.

#4. Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
Kirkpatrick has no noticeable flaws in his game and has tremendous coverage skills. With his height (6' 2") he is taller than most plalyers who play at his position. His talent in zone and man coverage are sure to keep Aabama atop the rankings for the next few years.

#5. Defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, Florida State
A little small for a lineman (6', 267 lbs), McDaniel is quick, smart, and very productive. He is a solid prospect at the defensive tackle position but also has the ability of play guard on the offensive line. He may become one the rare two-way players in college football and become an even better athlete in the process.

#6. Running back Trent Richardson, Alabama
Richardson chose the Crimson Tide over Florida and LSU simply because of his playing style and ability. He has the power to run between the tackles and also possesses the speed to outrun defenders. With his compact frame and downhill running style, Richardson will be a high carry back who wears down defenses game in and game out.

#7. Safety Craig Loston, LSU
The SEC got the cream of the crop in recruiting classes and will continue to be the best football conference in America. Loston chose to go play for an LSU defense on the rise over Alabama and Texas A&M. He shows his versatility with his ability to play safety, wide receiver, and be a return specialist.

#8. Bryce Brown, Miami (FL)
Brown's ability to hit the hole with power and vision make him a promising young player. The Hurricanes needed an every down type of player in the backfield and found what they were looking for here. His thick frame and workhorse mentality ensure that Brown will contribute immediately in Miami.

#9. Outside Linebacker Jelani Jenkins, Florida
The main focus for Urban Meyer and his Gators this offseason was to build a defense that mirrors their fast paced, high-scoring offense. Jenkins is a bit small for linebacker ( 210 lbs) but he has the speed and play making ability to contribute right away for the defending National Champions.

#10. Wide receiver Rueben Randle, LSU
Randle's height (6' 3") make him and immediate impact receiver even if it is just in the redzone. The offense in Baton Rouge runs on speed and quickness and they receive both abilitys in this one players. Look for Randle to have the type of immediate impact that Georgia wide receiver A. J. Green had last season in the SEC.

#11. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert, Texas
The Longhorns may have found a predecessor to senior quarterback Colt McCoy by signing Gilbert. His strong arm and pocker pressence show that he has all the tools to be a college quarterback in the always challenging Big 12. Along with his ability to throw the deep ball, Gilbert's speed and scrambling ability must be respected by opposing defenses.

#12. Offensive tackle D. J. Fluker, Alabama
Fluker is the top prospect at tackle but plays on the defensive side of the ball as well. He is a mammoth of a man ( 6' 7", 325 lbs) who has better athleticism than you would think at first glance. With as great an upside and Fluker possesses, look for him to dominating the line for years to come for Nick Saban and crew.

Here is the list of the top five recruiting rankings by team:

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Florida

Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

www.thejaystick.blogspot.com General Sports Writer