The Heisman Dilemma – Tebow Obsession

Sun, Nov 8, 2009

College FB, Heisman


Vanderbuilt vs. Florida - Tebow looks for a pass.
Via ESPN.com
I found this post on BlockONation.com written by HD Handshoe. I though he was spot on in his observations of the Heisman 2009 Trophy Race.

Can someone please tell me how Tim Tebow is a legitimate Heisman contender?

I could care less that his team is 9-0, or that his team is ranked No. 1, or that he’s the best player on his team.

The only explanation is the ESPN love-fest with Tebow and the SEC in general.

Setting aside the $3 billion TV contract deal with the SEC, ESPN has got to stop pushing the Tebow Heisman campaign nonsense. He is not even top-three, yet the network constantly hypes him as the Heisman front-runner.

He’s far from it. If he’s a top contender, then so is Terrelle Pryor, and here’s why.

Florida’s schedule is easily one of the weakest in the country, especially out of conference, but within the SEC as well. It’s not the popular thing to say, but the SEC is overrated once you get past Florida, Alabama and LSU.

Even with all these middle-of-the-road opponents, Tebow’s stats are far from impressive, and therein lies my problem with the whole Tebow-for-Heisman bologna.

Let’s compare the numbers, shall we?

Tim Tebow

1,531 passing yards, 65.9 completion percent, 11 touchdowns, four interceptions, 578 rushing yards, 3.7 yards-per-carry, nine rushing touchdowns, 156.6 quarterback rating.

Terrelle Pryor

1,668 passing yards, 54.0 completion percent, 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 604 rushing yards, 5.3 yards-per-carry, seven rushing touchdowns, 130.6 quarterback rating.

Before you say anything, yes, some Buckeye fans (myself included) entertained the idea in the preseason that Terrelle Pryor might be a potential Heisman candidate, but we have come back to reality. TP is NOT a Heisman contender this season, nor should he be.

That’s not a knock on Pryor. He’s had a pretty good year. The bottom line here is that there are others more noteworthy, so we’ll wait for next year when Pryor will very likely be in the running.

Is it really too much to expect the preseason Heisman hype and ESPN propaganda machine for Tebow to simmer down now that we see his production this year is not even as good as Pryor’s, let alone those of deserving candidates like Houston’s Case Keenum, Alabama’s Mark Ingram, or Texas’ Colt McCoy?
Florida is a very good team, perhaps even great, and they could absolutely win another BCS title this year. But the Heisman is an individual award meant for college football’s most outstanding player.

So let’s not let team accomplishments or BCS rankings cloud our judgment in awarding the 2009 Heisman Trophy to the most meritorious player.

I hope you’re listening, Heisman voters!

I feel like many top players this year are getting overshadowed by more deserving candidates. Forget about Tebow!

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2 Comments For This Post

  1. Michael Says:
    November 16th, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    Tim Tebow is a top candidate because of his overall leadership, not just his statistics. The SEC is the toughest conference in NCAAF and no one can deny it, so stat’s are not the only indicator of an individual’s success.

    I’m certain that everyone can remember Tebow’s famous speech 20 games ago. Yes, that speech has led to a 20-0 winning run for the Gators (the current longest winning streak in college football). Is it any coincidence that Tim Tebow’s cheer has led the Gators to a National Championship and undefeated season? And, will lead to another National Championship to celebrate his senior year (3 National Championships in the past 4 years).

    Perhaps the Heisman voting committee should focus more on well roundedness of an individual (including demonstrated leadership and contribution to team success) than simply a few individual statistics. There is a bigger picture here.

    The most outstanding player should be chosen by more criterion than individual statistics alone.

  2. Everett Says:
    December 1st, 2009 at 11:58 pm

    I whole heartedly agree with Michael above, and whole heartedly DISagree with HD Handshoe and whatever poor blind fool left his blog post. Anyone who watches Tebow play and cares enough to comprehend his character knows that not only is Tebow the most motivated and determined athlete in the nation, but also that Tebow will excell at whatever he decides to. Want to Talk numbers? how about most number of career touchdowns in SEC (which, I’m sorry to inform you, has the best defenses in the nation) HISTORY. As a quarterback Tebow broke Herschel Walker’s, who many formerly considered to be the best NCAAF player in history, record for most rushing touchdowns in the SEC. As a QUARTERBACK, Tebow broke such a record held by a RUNNINGBACK. Watch a couple UF games. Watch Tebow scramble in the backfield and throw a touchdown pass after breaking three tackles, watch him bring the triple option to a whole new level, watch him bulldoze over linebackers, put passes EXACTLY where they need to be on a Hail Mary, and push his team one step closer to his second national championship as a starter, and then tell me he doesn’t fit into the top three, let alone unequivocally qualify for the number one spot.

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