Who deserves the Heisman?

Who deserves the Heisman?

by Tim LoneStaff Writer

With the presentation of the Heisman Trophy just around the corner, every serious college football analyst has an opinion about who will be given the greatest individual honor in college football.

If you ask me, the clear-cut choice is Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

Some say the trophy belongs to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the coveted trophy back in 2007. Others say it belongs to Toby Gerhart, the big bruising running back from Stanford, after he posted 205 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over Notre Dame. These players are two of college football’s most elite performers, but if you’re looking for the best player in college football this year, look no further than Texas’ McCoy.

McCoy has had arguably one of the best college football careers of any player, throwing for an astounding 13,060 yards and 112 touchdown passes. His career numbers are staggering, but the impressive thing about McCoy is the consistency with which he has played over the past four years.

This season alone McCoy has thrown for 3,328 yards, 27 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. And after his performance against rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving Day, McCoy has certainly put himself in the forefront of the Heisman race, if he was not there already. The Longhorns’ victory over the Aggies put McCoy’s record as the starting quarterback at Texas at a phenomenal 44-7, the most in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history.

McCoy is now the only quarterback in the history of the NCAA FBS to have won 10 or more games in all four years. And while McCoy’s performance in the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska was, at the very least, sub par he performed well enough in the final minutes of the game to give his team the victory.

Tebow has been wowing the crowds at “The Swamp” since his freshman year at the University of Florida. In his career with the Gators Tebow has passed for over 8,500 yards and thrown a whopping 84 touchdown passes. While his numbers are astounding, he has not had a great season in comparison to what he has done the previous two seasons. During his Heisman Trophy campaign in 2007 Tebow passed for over 3,000 yards and threw 32 touchdown passes; last season, over 2,700 yards passing and 30 touchdowns; this season, 2,166 yards passing and 17 touchdowns.

After his team’s loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Tebow’s Heisman campaign definitely took a hit.

All the statistics and numbers aside, just take a look at how McCoy and Tebow have played this season, and I’m confident that you’ll see McCoy is the best candidate. The Dec. 5 game against the Huskers was a great example of the type of player McCoy is. Even when he is having a sub par game, he keeps digging and finds a way to put his team in a position to win. He has the best numbers and the best record in his four years of competition. Give the Heisman to the real McCoy.