Friday, November 7, 2008

Heisman Watch

By MATT PIKE

Last week the top two Heisman contenders squared off head-to-head and if Hollywood was writing the script, it would’ve ended exactly the same way.

Graham Harrell out-dueled last week’s Heisman front-runner Colt McCoy and led Texas Tech to their greatest win in school history. Harrell connected on 36-of-53 passes for 474 yards and used a last minute drive to knock off No.1 Texas. Every Heisman winner has his “Heisman moment”. Desmond Howard had his punt return against Ohio State. Doug Flutie had his Hail Mary in Miami. If Harrell should go on to win the Heisman, his touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with one second left will be remembered forever. He threw a perfect pass by two defenders into a small window to give the Red Raiders a 39-33 victory and send the fans in Lubbock into a football frenzy. The senior quarterback has now thrown for 3,621 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.

AHEAD: Oklahoma State. The schedule only gets tougher for Texas Tech. Harrell will need another stellar performance to remain number one.

Colt McCoy falls to number two after he finally showed he was human last week. McCoy is not blessed with the same surrounding talent as Harrell and his offensive line let him down. He was pressured most of the night and threw a critical interception that was returned for a touchdown. Still, with the game on the line, he led the Longhorns on an 11-play, 80-yard drive to give them a brief 33-32 lead with 1:29 remaining. McCoy threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns, but eventually came up short.

AHEAD: Baylor. It is time to pad those already ridiculous stats. There is a slight chance McCoy will complete 95 percent of his passes. Nobody is perfect.

Sam Bradford is doing everything he can to get noticed, which is tough when you reside in the Big 12 South. Bradford’s five touchdowns against Nebraska took a backseat to Harrell’s magic, but are still darn impressive. He could’ve thrown for eight or nine touchdowns had Nebraska stayed competitive. He is on pace to throw for 40 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but what is more amazing is he averages over 10 yards per pass attempt.

AHEAD: at Texas A&M. Bradford should throw another five touchdowns against this Sooner rival.

Tim Tebow waited a year for Georgia and revenge came in the form of a 49-10 thrashing. He completed 10-of-13 passes for two touchdowns and rushed for three more. Tebow’s first rushing touchdown broke Emmitt Smith’s school record which is quite an accomplishment considering he did it from the quarterback position and in less than three seasons (two as a starter).

AHEAD: at Vanderbilt. Since losing at home to Mississippi four games ago, Florida has averaged 50 points a game in four SEC games.

CFI Heisman Watch:
1. Graham Harrell
2. Colt McCoy
3. Sam Bradford
4. Tim Tebow
5. Michael Crabtree
6. Dez Bryant

Photo Credit: OU Athletics Department

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