Tonight, the Heisman Trophy will be awarded to another college football standout. As the time draws closer it is looking more and more like it’s a Bear who will be taking home the prize.
The 5 candidates have all had outstanding seasons and have helped their teams win games and even conferences. One is a coveted probably #1 overall upcoming NFL draft pick and one has made a name, both literally and figuratively as a huge playmaker for his team. A case for all the candidates this year could be made, but it seems that one is rising above the others in polls and predictions as the time of the award ceremony approaches. Let’s take a look at all 5 candidates.
Andrew Luck, already projected to be the #1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft, QB for Stanford has some very impressive numbers on the year. A passer rating of 167.5, 3170 yards passing, 36 TDs, 9 INTs, and a 70% completion rate. He also has 153 yards rushing and 2 rushing TDs. Luck has been the talk of the NFL draft this year and the phrase “Suck For Luck” has been attached to various teams throughout the season. Luck did not get to take his Stanford team to play for the Pac-12 title but he certainly has the numbers to be a contender for the trophy.
Trent Richardson has carried Alabama on his back and legs throughout the season. He has 1583 yards rushing with 20 TDs. He also has 27 receptions for 327 yards and 3 TDs on the year. Bama did not make it to the SEC championship game but they did get into the BCS title game versus LSU for a rematch of one of the closest games of the season. In Alabama’s final regular season game, Richardson had 203 yards rushing and a receiving touchdown in the Tide’s final game, a 42-14 win over Auburn.
Montee Ball has had an outstanding season for Arkansas at running back. He has 1759 yards rushing with 32 rushing TDs. He also has 20 receptions for 255 yards and 6 TDs. Ball had a 4 TD showing in the Big 10 championship game versus Michigan State and helped his team earn a trip to the Rose Bowl to face Oregon.
Tyrann Matheiu, or the Honey Badger as he has come to be known, is a defensive coordinator’s dream and an opposing teams offensive coordinators nightmare. Mathieu was a playmaker on defense and on special teams for LSU and helped them obtain a #1 ranking, an SEC championship title and a trip the BCS national championship game. Mathieu had 71 tackles, 54 of them solo tackles and 2 sacks. He also had 2 interceptions on the season. Mathieu was also a threat on the punt return team and his 62 yard punt return for a TD was the catalyst that sparked LSU to an SEC championship title.
Robert Griffin III in all the experts picks and most polls leading up to the presentation tonight is who most think will take home the trophy this year. Griffin led his Baylor Bears with a 192.3 passer rating, 3998 yards passing, 36 TDs, 6 INTs and a 72.4% passer rating. He also had 644 yards rushing with 9 rushing TDs on the season. In the last game of the season, Griffin led Baylor to another big win over Texas with 320 yards and two scores and ran for 32 yards and two more scores.
The Heisman candidates this year are all deserving and have provided their teams with outstanding leadership. Tonight the trophy will be awarded and another will take their place in college football history.
