Heisman Trophy Presentation – Preview and Prediction

December 13, 2008 By 7 Comments

Follow the link for our preview of the 2009 Heisman Trophy presentation.

Update: Sam Bradford has won the Heisman Trophy over Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow

Tonight, one college football player will have their name permanently etched alongside the all-time greats. For Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy, winning the Heisman Trophy forever place their name on the greatest individual list of players in the history of college football. For Tim Tebow, winning a second Heisman Trophy would place him in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports: 2-time Heisman Trophy winners. Currently, only Archie Griffin is a member. Tim Tebow could become the second.

In all of my years following college football and the Heisman Trophy, I can remember few that were this up in the air. Literally any of these three guys could be announced the winner and it would not surprise me in the slightest. I remember the 1989 race was pretty open. Andre Ware of Houston ended up beating out Anthony Thompson of Indiana, primarily because the Hoosiers choked against Purdue and finished 5-6. But this race has three legitimate candidates.

Let’s run through a quick 2008 Heisman Trophy Preview:

  • Who: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma; Colt McCoy, Texas; Tim Tebow, Florida
  • What: 2008 Heisman Trophy Presentation
  • When: December 13 at 8:00 ET on ESPN
  • Where: Downtown Athletic Club, New York
  • Why: Because it’s presented every year, and it is the single most prestigious individual honor in sport.

A quick statistical comparison between the three candidates:


Sam Bradford, Oklahoma:

  • QB Rating: 186.29
  • Passing Yards: 4,464
  • Passing Touchdowns: 48
  • Completion: 68.3%
  • Yards Per Attempt: 10.10
  • Interceptions: 6
  • Rushing Yards: 65
  • Rushing TDs: 5

Colt McCoy, Texas:

  • QB Rating: 179.2
  • Passing Yards: 3,445
  • Passing Touchdowns: 32
  • Completion: 77.6%
  • Yards Per Attempt: 9.19
  • Interceptions: 7
  • Rushing Yards: 576
  • Rushing TDs: 10

Tim Tebow, Florida:

  • QB Rating: 176.74
  • Passing Yards: 2,515
  • Passing Touchdowns: 28
  • Completion: 64.9%
  • Yards Per Attempt: 9.4
  • Interceptions: 2
  • Rushing Yards: 564
  • Rushing TDs: 12

As you can see from comparing the stats, no one stands out so far above the pack that the decision is easy. Sure, Sam Bradford has plenty more yards and TDs, but he does not have the rushing that McCoy and Tebow bring to the table. And Colt McCoy broke Daunte Culpepper’s Division I record for completion percentage. You can stare at the stats all day long and I don’t think it makes the decision any more clear.

Let’s take a quick rundown and see how the “experts” are picking:

Ivan Maisel, ESPN: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Pat Forde, ESPN: Colt McCoy, Texas

Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Tim Tebow, Florida

Beano Cook, ESPN: Tim Tebow, Florida

Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN: Colt McCoy, Texas

Stewart Mandel, SI.com: Tim Tebow, Florida

(Update: Just caught this on SI.com. They actually reveal the official Heisman ballots of the voters who write for SI. Pretty interesting. Based on this tiny sample, looks like it’s a two-man race between Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy.)

I just realized there is really no point in doing this. These guys don’t know any more than you or I do about who will win, or who deserves it to win. This year’s Heisman Trophy will come down to how each individual voter defines “most outstanding”.

For me, I give the slight edge to Colt McCoy. He does not have the superstar talent around him that Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow have, and has been forced to do more on his own. He set the NCAA record for completion percentage, and if Texas had finished undefeated McCoy would be a shoe-in. Well, it was only a dropped INT by a Texas DB that prevented them from beating Texas Tech. Colt McCoy did everything he could in that game. And in the head-to-head matchup between McCoy and Bradford, McCoy lifted his team to victory.

So my vote goes to Colt McCoy. Who does your vote go to?

Who Will Win the Heisman Trophy?

  • Sam Bradford- Oklahoma (36%, 132 Votes)
  • Colt McCoy- Texas (22%, 83 Votes)
  • Tim Tebow- Florida (42%, 148 Votes)

Total Voters: 370

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Use the comments to defend your selection and argue for you candidate. And for the record, I think it stinks that Graham Harrell didn’t get an invite to New York. Whether he had a legit chance to win or not, he should have been there. His team had one loss in the same conference as McCoy and Bradford and his stats were incredible. He got jobbed.

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: CFB, colt mccoy, heisman trophy, sam bradford, tim tebow
About Jerod Morris

A proud graduate of Indiana University, Jerod Morris founded Midwest Sports Fans in August of 2008 and has been its Managing Editor every day since. Follow him on Twitter (@JerodMorris) for MSF updates, sports discussion, and a compelling daily assortment of funny and interesting links.
In addition to his work at MSF, Jerod hosts the fast-growing Indiana basketball postgame show The Assembly Call and provides regular music recommendations at IndieChristmas.com. He also helped develop the Synthesis Managed WordPress Hosting platform on which MSF and all of his other sites are run.

  • Tom

    To me, it comes down to this: Three QBs in the Big 12 South put up absolutely huge numbers. So, is it more credible that the Big 12 somehow assembled three of the best QBs ever to play the game, in one division, no less? Or that all three of those guys played the same bad defenses all year long?

    Look at the stats. Texas allowed the fewest points per game in the Big 12 (18.6), which puts them at 20th in the country. Five SEC teams did better. The Texas defense allowed the fewest yards per game in the Big 12 (340), all the way down to 52nd in the country. Every SEC team but one did better.

    So, whose numbers are more impressive? Tebow’s, put up against good defenses in the SEC, or Bradford/McCoy/Harrell, against the worst defenses in the country?

  • Jake Redline

    Tim Tebow had to do more himself last year because he did not have the team around him he has now. He did not showboat this year to put up impressive stats although he has proven the ability. What he did do was lead the team to the national championship utilizing the entire team as the leader and inspiration.

    My vote go to Tebow as a complete player; leadership, sportsmanship and individual talent.

  • http://www.midwestsportsfans.com JRod

    @Tom, To me all three of these guys have amazing numbers and each stands out in different categories. That’s why I think you look outside the numbers and search for what else makes them stand out. Sam Bradford has amazing talent around him, moreso than Colt McCoy does on the offensive side of the ball. And while Tim Tebow is a fantastic player and very valuable, Percy Harvin’s value to Florida’s offense sometimes sits in the shadow of Tebow. They really turned around when Tebow gave his speech and when Harvin got healthy. Colt McCoy did not have a Harvin to lean on. Individually, I think McCoy did the most to contribute to his team’s wins.

  • http://www.midwestsportsfans.com JRod

    @Jake Redline, you can’t go wrong with Tebow. All three of these guys are deserving and just happen to be in a year where there are three deserving Heisman winners. I say McCoy, but certainly respect any other reasonable opinion for Tebow or Bradford.

  • QueenOfTrashin

    Saturday, December 12, 2009. DUH!!!!!!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/JerodMSF JerodMSF

    This is actually last year's post. Here is this year's:

    http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/12/heisman-…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/JerodMSF JerodMSF

    This is actually last year's post. Here is this year's:

    http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/12/heisman-…