The "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" Heisman

Friends,

Is it my imagination (?), or was -- once upon a time -- say, 10 to 15 years ago, the winner of the Heisman pretty much ordained out of three or four candidates practically before the season began? If the Heisman favorite changed, it was something of a rarity. Welcome to 2007, where college football teams in the top 5 have been dropping like frozen rain. The latest? LSU, (for the 2nd time this year), and Kansas (unfortunately, after a magical run). Along with the fortunes or misfortunes of their teams, so cometh or goeth the Heisman Trophy candidates 2007. There have been no less than a dozen names mentioned at one time or another. Dennis Dixon for Oregon rode the crest of the Heisman wave for awhile until a season ending torn ACL left him and Oregon undone. Matt Ryan (Boston College) and Matt Grothe (South Florida) were gathering significant Heisman hype as their teams both rose to #2 in the polls. (But, we know what has happened to about a half-dozen #2s this year...BAM!). Darren McFadden, Arkansas running back started out as a Heisman favorite, then dropped out of the race after a few early games where he had a poor showing, only to come surging back at the end of the season with some memorable performances (none the least of which, DM being the main reason that LSU is no longer in the championship picture). Then there is Tim Tebow, the Florida sophomore who has been steady and spectacular all year. Yet, no soph has ever won the Heisman -- which could very well change this year. There have been others in the race at one time or another, as well. My favorite? Chase Daniel, the Southlake Carroll grad who has been a steady and dominating quarterback all year for the Mizzou Tigers. The other night against an undefeated Kansas, he was only 40-49 for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns. Not too shabby. Now he leads his team into the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma this Saturday...surely to be a slugfest. If the Tigers win, they go on to play either West Virginia (likely) or Ohio State (unlikely) in the National Championship game. I am officially on the Mizzou bandwagon (who doesn't love a team on a roll-- c.f. Colorado Rockies until then ran into the Red Sox in the WS :-). So, go Chase...lead the Tigers to the promised land of college football.

Don