The Heisman Memorial Trophy finalists are in and on the list are some very fine candidates. Each finalist, as always, has enjoyed a fantastic season full of game changing plays and phenomenal highlights. I’m not sure of the merit to which finalists were chosen but this season was as wide open in the final week of the race as any that I can recall. This may lead to a very close vote between the winner and those that will follow. I would like to review each candidate and break down their season, stats, and why they should or shouldn’t win the Heisman. But first I’d like to pay respect to the seasons of a few players that I feel were shafted.
THE SHAFTED:
Kellen Moore
Moore is the son of a high school coach who went to the only FBS School that offered him a scholarship. I’m sure that Chris Peterson had no idea that in February 2007, he was signing a QB that would go on to win more games than any other in Division 1 – FBS history. Kellen Moore is a model citizen and a walking reflection of the personality and decision making of his head coach. While I’m sure there is not much else to do in Boise, Idaho besides concentrate on school and football, this guy can break down film and tendencies of opponents as well as Peyton Manning could when he was coming out in the NFL Draft. Moore could very well be the next Joe Montana or Drew Brees being that he is a guy with limited physical tools and stature that just keeps on defying the odds with his play. If I were an NFL GM, I’d take a flyer on this guy and pick him no later than round 3. However, this is the Heisman that we are discussing, not the career achievement award. The once little known Moore from Prosser, WA finished fourth in the voting in 2010, however he will not be invited back to New York this year. The loss to TCU ended Boise States hope for a shot at a BCS championship game appearance, a chance for an at-large bid to a BCS game, at least $13M and lastly a chance to win the Heisman for Moore. Losing a game while in the MWC will do that for you at it’s simply a travesty to this deserving player. Moore complete 300 of 405 passes (a remarkable 74 percent), 3,507 yards, 41 TDs and 7 Ints. Moore was pulled from many blowout victories and could have easily done more in the statistics department. In a magnificent career that still has one bowl game left to compile more numbers, Moore has thrown for 14,373 yards and 140 TDs in his career. The Heisman committee overlooked a great season and career this year by passing a Kellen Moore as a 2011 Heisman finalist. He’ll have a nasty chip on his shoulder entering someone’s training camp in 2012 and if it’s the right franchise, he may just continue to churn out wins.
Matt Barkley
I think that the media and voters have made Matt Barkley and USC an afterthought due to the fact 
that they are still on probation for the Reggie Bush Era. A reduction in scholarships and post season ban is the punishment, not individual post season accolades. The lack of national exposure hurt Matt Barkley this year without question. There is no way a USC QB has the kind of season that Barkley has and does not get an invite to the Heisman ceremony as a finalist. Barkley quietly completed 308 of 446 passes (69 percent), 3,528 yards, 39 TDs and 7 Ints. I believe the loss to Stanford on the national stage against fellow Heisman contender Andrew Luck all but sealed Barkley’s fate for actually having a chance to win it. It was USC’s second loss of the season and even though they knocked off Oregon and demolished UCLA with Barkley’s 6 TD performance, it still was not enough to get him in the final field. That goes to show you how outstanding the season has been for the candidates that did make it. Barkley (21) has only been at USC for 3 years but is a sure fire 1st round pick should he come out in the NFL draft in April. I hope that he stays in school for his senior year and is part of the team that will restore USC back to glory with the lifted post season ban next fall. USC will definitely have the team that could possibly lift the stranglehold that the SEC has on national championships. Though it’s rumored that he has announced that he’ll return, no official announcement via the media has been made. He has a really tough decision to make.
Case Keenum
Keenum had me and many others on his bandwagon heading into the C-USA championship game. I was definitely rooting for him to help his team finish with an undefeated record and to get into the BCS pool of at-large bids. He and his team deserved to win that game for the story book ending that would have propelled the Heisman committee to invite the University of Houston QB to New York. Until the commentator announced it during the loss to Southern Miss on Saturday, I had no idea that no other QB has ever thrown for 5,000 yards in 3 different seasons, including 5,099 this season and counting (bowl game upcoming). I would have thought that a few of Mike Leach’s QBs in his Texas Tech coaching days would have done so before now, but no one before Graham Harrell ever started for more than 2 years in Leach’s system. For his career, Keenum holds the NCAA record with 152 TD passes, nothing short of extraordinary. He also had 9 TDs in one game this season. Whew….this guy can light up a scoreboard. Losing to Southern Miss as badly as Houston did Saturday proved to be the same blow that Boise State was dealt with its loss to TCU. All hopes for the BCS and Heisman were diminished. Keenum has 5,099 yards and counting this season to go along with 48 TDs (3 rushing) and 5 Ints. After a season like that, for it to come down to one game on whether you get an invite or not, is an injustice to the body of work that speaks for itself in Keenum’s case. I’m not sure how Keenum will adjust to the NFL style of play, but I think he will be fine. Being one of the NFL Draft’s most intriguing prospects this April, it will very interesting to see if or where Keenum will be taken. Great career Case, we all wish you well on the path ahead. We still have one more game to watch you light up the scoreboard. We’ll be watching.
THE FINALIST:
#5
Tryann Mathieu
Mathieu received the nickname Honey Badger for his tenacious and relentless pursuit of the 
football. Mathieu is a game changer that has caused 5 fumbles and has 420 yards and 2 TDs on punt returns this season. The defensive back for LSU has just 2 Ints on the season but it does not speak for the impact that he has had, especially when playing on the national stage. LSU is so telented that Mathieu is its most valuable player on his team and not even the best cornerback on the roster. No defensive player has received this type of Heisman attention since Charles Woodson back in 1997. Limited statistics and off the field actions will limit his votes which lead me to be confused on why he is finalist above a few of the aforementioned snubs. Though I would have not voted him in a finalist for the Heisman, I do enjoy watching his outstanding play and I’ll be tuned in to the most anticipated national championship game in history to see what he does.
#4
Montee Ball
Ball has snuck on the radar screens of many voters with his pursuit of Barry Sanders record 40 TD season. Ball has 39 TDs and has the Rose Bowl to tie and break Sanders record. He has rushed for 1,759 yards along with 20 receptions for 255 yards and 6 TDs. Averaging an outstanding 6.4 yards per carry, Ball is a key component on one of the most explosive offenses in the entire country. Ball doesn’t have a weakness as a runner or a receiver out of the backfield as he just grounds and pounds defenses all game long and occasionally breaks for a long run. Ball is sure to be named a first team All-American and is up for multiple post season awards, including the Doak Walker Award, awarded to the nation’s top running back. Even though Ball has enjoyed an exceptional season, he came onto the radar too late and didn’t make enough of a splash in the end to have a chance to win the Heisman in my estimation. Having such an outstanding QB in Russell Wilson this year proved to be both a blessing and curse to Ball’s chances as well. Wilson, until a mid-season collapse, was right in the thick of the Heisman race himself.
#3
Andrew Luck
I have an appreciation for Andrew Luck and what he stands for. This guy passed on being the 1st 
pick in the NFL draft to come back to school for his redshirt junior season so that he could finish what he had started with his signing class. Before the season, Luck had winning a national championship on his mind and believed that the accolades would come if he could do that. He also had graduating with an undergraduate degree in architectural design as one of his main priorities and he will do just that in the spring. Whether he will win the Heisman Trophy or not will be up to the voters, but he is definitely a top candidate that deserves a strong look. That look may have just taken a hit that was too severe when his team lost at home to Oregon in what ended up being a 23 point loss to PAC 12 champion Oregon. Luck doesn’t enjoy the luxury of throwing to guys that are very big or fast. Most of them will be playing football for the last time when they hang up their cleats for Stanford. Stanford is a run first team also behind its massive offensive line filled with future NFL stars as well, which maybe hurt Luck in the statistical department. Luck finished the season with completing exactly 70 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards, 35 TDs and 9 Ints along with 181 yards rushing a 2 TDs. Luck without a doubt is one of the more intriguing finalist and it will be interesting to see how he is voted for geographically. I have him 3rd on my fantasy Heisman ballot but he very well could get his named called Saturday night when the winner is announced. If he wins, it will be a great pick. And if he doesn’t, he’ll be the first pick in the NFL Draft as a consolation prize.
#2
Trent Richardson
Run Trent Run is a familiar chant used in Tuscaloosa on game days. Richardson is blessed with a tremendous amount of talent that he has put to hard work through preparation and a will to get the job done. Trent is a team first guy and often celebrates with larger smiles when teammates score than his own scores. Saban doesn’t believe in running up the score or playing his star back anymore than needed, which hurts when it comes to strengthening a Heisman campaign. But the game film and impact of leadership speaks for itself and Richardson has a highlight reel that will absolutely give anyone chills that cares to watch. Remember that long run against Ole Miss when he cut back across the field and gave that defensive back a juke so hard, the team doctors came to check the guy’s knees and ankles! This guy has been great all season long for the Crimson Tide who will make an appearance in the BCS Championship Game for the second time in 3 years. Trent Richardson has 1,583 yards rushing, 20 Tds and 327 yards receiving with 3 TDs. At 6.0 yards per carry and 132 yards per game on the ground, Richardson is among the nation’s best statistically in the strongest conference in college football. If Richardson could kick field goals, he may be a lock to win the Heisman but Saban never lined him up to attempt one so we didn’t get a chance to find out. Even though “THE REMATCH” is set, the Heisman comes before any shot at redemption. Will that loss cost Trent the Heisman? Will voters look at him as a product of the system that Alabama produces annually or as a phenomenal individual football player that deserves this most anticipated post season award. I’m not sure if he’ll win the Heisman, but I am sure of one thing. On January 9, 2012, I will be yelling Run Trent Run at Dean Firestone’s house. Good luck and great season. We probably will see you run for the last time in the crimson and white in the championship game.
#1
Robert Griffin III (a.k.a. RG3)
When people ask me what I think about RG3, sometimes, I’m at a loss of words. The last time I was asked about him, I told the person that Robert Griffin III is the definition of who the Heisman Trophy should be given to. He adds as much value to his team as any other player in the country and he 
backs it up on game days with performances that seem video game like, both on highlight reels and on the statistics sheets. To give you sense of how good his season has been, let’s look at the stats from his worse game, a 59-24 loss at Oklahoma State: 33 of 50 (66 percent) 425 yards, 2 TDs (1 rush) and 2 Ints. Those were the types of performances that he had to churn out in order to even give his school a chance to win. He threw 5 TDs, going 21 of 27 for 359 yards in the first game of the season, a 50-48 win over TCU, an instant classic. At one point in the season, he had 18 TDs and 1 Int. That is incredible, not to mention his running ability which has hurt defenses by extending plays so many times this season. Not only did he start the season off scorching defenses, when the pressure was on in the late season stretch, Griffin III accounted for 20 TDs and 2 Ints in the last 5 games, all wins. On the season RG3 completed 267 of 369 passes for 3,998 yards, 36 TDs and 6 Ints along with 644 yards rushing and 9 scores. Sick!!! The three losses this year hurt RG3 and are the only reason that the Heisman Trophy winner is even a debate at this point. Griffin III is clearly the best player in the nation this season in my estimation and if I had a vote, he’d get my first place checkmark without question. I have an appreciation for both Griffin III and Art Briles and what they have done for the Baylor program to help it reach new heights. When the winner is announced, that player will be deserving of the Heisman Trophy, regardless of who it is. But if it isn’t this guy, I’ll have a hard time listening to commentary as to why.
