Heisman Trophy – College Football’s Player of the Year Award – Week Four

By: Paul F Wilson
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:22
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The reason they keep playing the game, and we keep watching, is because quite literally anything can and does happen. The drama in the race for the Heisman Award continued this Saturday as some of our contenders continued their outstanding play, while others stumbled a bit. The list of players to watch has not changed much, but there has been some movement that we should keep our eyes on. Favorites still include Ohio State’s Troy Smith, Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson, Florida’s Chris Leak, West Virginia’s Steve Slaton, Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe, Auburn’s Kenny Irons, and Michigan’s Michael Hart. On the other hand in danger of falling completely off the list is Ohio State’s Ted Guinn, Jr.

To put things into focus let’s look at each of their performances from this past weekend to see how they compare after four weeks of action. Troy Smith came into the weekend a clear leader in most people’s minds. However, rainy weather and a tougher than expected Penn State defense may have created some doubt in the minds of Heisman voters. Troy turned in his worst performance of the year with two interceptions on 12-22 passing for a total of 115 yards. Troy will have to put in a solid performance this coming weekend against Iowa to put some room between him and his competitors again. At the end of the game OSU’s 28-6 victory looks great on paper and team victories make an important difference in Heisman voting.

How excited should Oklahoma be with its victory over Middle Tennessee State? Well if you are Adrian Peterson, you’d be pumped up. In slightly more than one half’s play Adrian rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma has two weeks to prepare for its game against Texas, which will be a major factor in Adrian’s continued push for the Heisman. If he can have a career day against the Longhorns he may very well catapult himself into the position as the man to beat for the Heisman, especially if Troy Smith turns in another lack-luster day against Iowa.

Chris Leak led the Gators to a 26-7 victory over Kentucky on 268 yards passing including two touchdowns. Leak’s consistently solid performance coupled with Florida’s winning record will keep him in the running for the Heisman. Although to make a move up the ladder, Chris will need some help from Iowa and Texas. As the weeks roll on each Heisman wannabe will be hoping for their competitors to develop chinks in their armor. Chris will hope those chinks are not his, but belong to Troy Smith and Adrian Peterson.

A total of 80 yards rushing against the second-worst rushing defense won’t keep you at the top of the Heisman candidates list. Unfortunately this is precisely the situation facing West Virginia’s Steve Slaton. Like most of the candidates though, Steve is a gifted athlete who shines when he’s on his A-game. He will need to get straight A’s from this point forward to recover from this week’s outing and to pass the players currently ahead of him. Will his confidence be diminished by this week’s performance? Stay tuned.

Brady Quinn was in danger of losing his distinction as a Heisman candidate. Only his second half heroics this past Saturday against Michigan State keep him on the list. He will need to be much more consistent and rely less on “the luck of the Irish” to win the Heisman Trophy. Unlike Brady Quinn, Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe lived up to his reputation against Indiana State. Rushing for 198 yards and scoring four touchdowns. Garrett’s ongoing concerns will be the strength of their schedule and conference relative to his Heisman hopeful counterparts. Heisman voters should keep his week-one 171 yards against Ohio State in their minds before they cast their final votes.

Auburn’s Kenny Irons was sidelined this weekend due to a sprained toe and ankle. He will need to showcase his skills in each and every remaining game of Auburn’s schedule to make up for lost ground. Only time will tell if his injuries and missed game will cause him to miss out on the Heisman too. On the field, Michigan’s Michael Hart had to fight for every one of his 91 yards against Wisconsin. It was the first time this season he was held to less than 100 yards. Never worry though Hart fans, Michigan’s win and strong remaining schedule will keep him in the chase.

At this point in the season Ohio State’s Ted Guinn, Jr., has not shown the flash and excitement that characterized his 2005 season. Ted continues to be an important passing target for Troy Smith, but his kickoff and punt returning has been anything but remarkable. Guinn’s opponents have found that it is easy to neutralize him by double teaming him in pass coverage and kicking the ball away from him on special teams. He will need to somehow overcome these obstacles (and fast!) to get back into the running for this year’s Heisman. If there is one thing that Tedd Ginn Jr., is it is fast, so we will see how he recovers.

The fifth week of play will further separate our field of contenders. To win the Heisman Memorial Trophy a player has to minimize their mistakes and dazzle us in ways that separate them from their competition. Who will rise to the top when the pressure is on? Who will succumb to it? So far we have seen a little of both and each week will bring us closer to knowing who was able to recover from their weaker moments and to capitalize on their successes.

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