This year's Heisman Trophy race is one of the most competitive in the history of college football. Even the non-finalist candidates would be strong picks to win the Heisman if they were selected to be in the final group. The five finalists are Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. All of the finalists' teams are in the top 12 teams in college football and they are key players to their teams' successes. Some of the notable players not selected to be finalists are Kellen Moore, Matt Barkley, Case Keenum, and Russel Wilson. It would be near impossible to accurately predict the order that the candidates finish in since there is no player that stands out from the field like current Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton did last year. Here is the breakdown of the finalists:
Montee Ball
Bio
University of Wisconsin
Running Back #28
Junior
5' 11" 210 lbs.
Montee Ball is an absolute powerhouse. Ball rushed for nearly 1,800 yards and 32 touchdowns. Not only is he a strong runner, but he is a dual offensive threat, as a receiver out of the backfield as well. While he only has twenty receptions on the year, six of them were for touchdowns and he accumulated 255 receiving yards. Recently, Ball has been in the national spotlight because he is one touchdown shy of tying Barry Sanders' record of 39 total touchdowns in a single season. Since the Badger running back averages three TD's per game, he should have no problem breaking the record in the Rose Bowl against Oregon. Ball led his Wisconsin Badgers to a Big Ten Championship over Michigan State and the Badgers are tenth in the BCS. Montee Ball's best case for the Heisman is his key contributions to Wisconsin's 11-2 record and his historic offensive season. Even a bad game for Ball should allow him to surpass Sanders on the single-season touchdown record. Ball was a consistent performer all year--rushing for over 100 yards and nearly three total touchdowns each game. Every game was a highlight reel for him, so it is hard to point to one or two games in which he especially excelled, because he excelled in every game.
Robert Griffin III
Bio
Baylor University
Quarterback #10
Junior
6'2" 220 lbs.
Robert Griffin III is the leading Heisman candidate according to most college football experts. He led the Bears to a 9-3 record while throwing for just shy of 4,000 yards. RGIII is a very efficient passer, throwing for 36 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions this year. His completion percentage was above 70% in the regular season and had a passer rating of 192.3. While he is a pass-first quarterback, Griffin is able to use his legs when he needs to, rushing for nine touchdowns on the season. His 2011 resumé includes wins against the ranked opponents of TCU, Oklahoma, and Texas. Two out of Baylor's three losses were at the hands of two of the top teams in the country-- Oklahoma State and Kansas State. He definitely passes the "eye test" with his electric play and leading the high-octane Baylor offense in one of the toughest college football confereces. While the SEC is often referred to as the best college football conference, the Big 12 is a close second, with five ranked teams, four of which are in the top fourteen in the BCS. Did I mention he broke the passer efficiancy record this season? Griffin had above a 61% completion percentage in all of his games, his best being a 90.5% effort against Stephen F. Austin. In half of Baylor's games, he had above a 200 quarterback rating.
One of his best moments this year was in the season opener against TCU, when he drove the length of the field with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. He was featured on throwing, rushing, and even a receiving play on the final drive, which help set up the game-winning field goal. Another defining moment for RGIII was against Oklahoma, then the #5 team in the country, when he threw for nearly 500 yards and four scores in a very competitive game.
With such a close group of finalists, it is difficult to make anyone the favorite, but Robert Griffin III is most likely the front-runner to win the Heisman.
Andrew Luck
Bio
Stanford University
Quarterback #12
Senior
6'4" 235 lbs.
On Saturday, we may find out if Andrew Luck's decision to return to Stanford for another season was the right decision. Winning the Heisman isn't a make or break on if he should have left after last season for the NFL, but he could have no regrets if he wins the most prestigious award in college football. With all of the buzz this week about the Indianapolis Colts potentially drafting Andrew Luck, the casual football fan would have no idea that Luck is even a Heisman finalist. In his final season as a Cardinal, he led Stanford to an 11-1 record. The one loss came to #5 Oregon, which begs the question would Stanford be in the national championship if they had an undefeated season. However, that is an unrelated matter. Luck put up the same kind of numbers that he did in 2010, with 3,170 yards, 35 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Luck is easily the best quarterback prospect in this year's draft class and shows a lot of maturity in the way that he handles himself. Andrew Luck is the biggest reason why Stanford is currently #4 in the BCS. Had he left for the draft last season, Stanford would be lucky to be break the top 20, assuming that they would even be ranked. While Luck doesn't operate with as much flash or ESPN Top Ten-worthy plays as the other finalists do, he is the best overall student-athlete. He has the whole package--a gifted student, a quarterback who lives and breathes the game, and is an overall good person. While the Heisman voters may not be choosing the winner based on a finalist being a "good person," no one could complain if Andrew Luck wins the award.
He will be remembered for breaking John Elway's touchdown record, putting Stanford's football program on the map, and his overall passing ability. Whether or not Luck wins the Heisman, he is built to have success in the NFL, which he would say is more important than any college award.
Tyrann Mathieu
Bio
Louisiana State University
Cornerback #7
Sophomore
5'9" 175 lbs.
In recent history, with the Heisman trophy going to the best player on the best, or at least one of the best, team (2010--Cam Newton, 2009--Mark Ingram, 2008--Sam Bradford, 2007--Tim Tebow), Mathieu should feel honored that he is the "representative" from the undefeated #1 team LSU. With a dual-quarterback system at LSU and two running backs that split the carries, no one on LSU's offense was worthy of nomination. Therefore, if someone from LSU was to be a finalist, it had to be a member of the second best defense, in terms of points allowed, in the country. Mathieu being both a sophomore and a defensive player shows how good he is. He has 71 tackles this season, along with 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and seven deflected passes. While a defensive player has won the Heisman, such as Charles Woodson, I can comfortably say the Mathieu won't finish in the top three finalists. He has a knack for getting to the ball and causing mayhem on defense, especially at key times this season for LSU, but defensive players are simply at a disadvantage for winning the Heisman. Also, his small chances of winning may be reduced even more because of his one-game suspension this season. I hope he proves me wrong and is the reason why LSU wins the BCS National Championship, but despite his impressive numbers, he doesn't quite compare to some of the other contenders.
Trent Richardson
Bio
University of Alabama
Running Back #3
Junior
5'11" 224 lbs.
Trent Richardson has been a huge factor in Alabama's success this season as the #2 team in the country, only behind division rival LSU. This season, he rushed for over 1,500 yards, averaged 6 yards per carry, and scored twenty touchdowns. He was also productive as a receiver with over three hundred yards receiving and three touchdowns. Seeing fellow running back Mark Ingram win the Heisman in 2009 was probably a huge influence on Richardson, seeing what he could become if he worked hard enough. While Richardson doesn't have the offensive numbers that Montee Ball does, Richardson plays in a much tougher conference and will be playing for the national championship in January, unlike Ball. Richardson average roughly 150 all-purpose yards per game and is what makes the Crimson Tide offense go. If Alabama wins the national championship, the win will be attributed to three things: Nick Saban, Alabama's defense, and last but certainly not least, Trent Richardson.
All five of this year's finalists represent college football very well and any of them, with the exception of Tyrann Mathieu, could realistically win the Heisman. It will be very exciting to watch the awards presentation and see how close the voting was, because I don't think anyone will honestly know the winner until the moment the name is read by the announcer. The beauty of this year's Heisman finalists is that four of the five are underclassmen, so we may mention some of these skilled football players in the same conversation next season. Here is how I see the results turning out:
Robert Griffin III
Trent Richardson
Andrew Luck
Montee Ball
Tyrann Mathieu
The Baylor Bears will be honored with their first Heisman trophy-winning player in the history of their football program. Andrew Luck will be drafted number one overall in the NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, mentored by Peyton Manning, start for the Colts full-time in his third season, and be a Pro Bowler by his fourth season. Trent Richardson and Montee Ball will both leave for the draft and be the first two running backs selected. Richardson will find a time where he splits the team's carries with another running back. Ball will be a workhorse and featured back in a high-powered offense. After winning the BCS National Championship and having an excellent game, Tyrann Mathieu will declare for the draft and get selected in the mid-to-late first round.
