{mosimage}While I don't have a say in the Heisman voting, I know I've seen enough college football in 2007 to qualify as an expert. I'm sure I've watched a lot more games than many of the voters have, especially the former Heisman winners. Here's how the 2007 Heisman balloting should look, according to a guy who knows.

5. Pat White, West Virginia

With all due respect to Steve Slaton, White is West Virginia's most valuable player by a long shot. White got injured in two games, missing about a game's worth of action. He still rushed for over 1,100 yards and had his hand in 26 total touchdowns. I don't like to punish players for their frailty (as you'll see later in the list), but 26 total touchdowns for a guy with this amount of talent is not going to cut it. His interceptions are down and his pass attempts are up, but all of his other stats have seen a slight decline. White is as hard to defend as any quarterback in the nation when he's on his game, but he doesn’t have the numbers or the team to vault him into the top spot.

4. Colt Brennan, Hawaii

Brennan fell off the Heisman map midseason despite his team's undefeated record. He didn't come close to matching his numbers from last season, but how could anybody expect him to repeat a 58 touchdown year? Brennan is now the NCAA career leader in passing touchdowns, a feat that has gone largely unnoticed because he plays for a WAC team an ocean away from the football viewing public. His dismantling of Boise State combined with a stunning 42/50 for 442 yards, 5 TD, and 0 INT in a comeback victory against Washington put the spotlight back on the 24-year-old gunslinger. He may not take home the hardware, but he orchestrated the best season in Hawaii football history.

3. Darren McFadden, Arkansas

McFadden has more talent than anybody in the nation. He was expected to break records and put Arkansas on his back en route to another SEC West title. While he did improve his numbers ever so slightly, McFadden didn't take that leap into the stratosphere that was expected of him after finishing second in the Heisman voting as a sophomore. He is the best offensive prospect in college football, but that doesn't mean he deserves the Heisman. Poor performances against Florida International, Auburn, and Mississippi State are being overlooked by many due to a strong finish against South Carolina and LSU. For a guy who was the odds on favorite to win the award in the preseason, I don't believe he's done enough to justify his selection as the best player in college football.

2. Dennis Dixon, Oregon

If the Heisman was given to the most valuable player in college football rather than the most outstanding player, Dixon would probably win it. As soon as he went down against Arizona, the Ducks absolutely imploded. Ryan Leaf's little brother was possibly the worst quarterback I've ever seen. The difference between Dixon and Leaf was like the difference between Peyton Manning and...well, Ryan Leaf. Rarely does a team self-destruct in such epic fashion with the loss of just one player. After all, football is a team game, right? Dixon was a better throwing version of Pat White, with almost as much ability on the run. He was arguably the most dangerous player I saw with the ball in his hands all year. Had he played the last three games, this college football season would have played out much differently.

1. Tim Tebow, Florida

I know Tebow's team didn't win a conference championship or reach a BCS game, but they are the #9 team in the nation mostly thanks to this spectacular sophomore. Tebow had a hand in 51 touchdowns this season. 51! Pat White, who I have at #5, put up half that many. Tebow was everything to this Florida Gator team and he set an NCAA record by running and passing for 20+ TDs. To put Darren McFadden over Tim Tebow is ridiculous. McFadden had all the preseason hype, and as we know, preseason hype means a lot. But he didn't set any records this year. He simply duplicated a damn good 2006 season. Unfortunately for him, Tebow has more rushing touchdowns, is a quarterback, and leads a Top 10 team that lost almost their entire defense to the NFL. Tim Tebow is the only choice for Heisman. It isn't even close. If any old, traditional (read: rigid jackass) voter doesn't vote for him because he's a sophomore, they should have their ballot revoked. If a player is the best in the nation, then he should win. To pass on him due to his age sullies the whole process. Tim Tebow is your rightful Heisman winner.

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JEH45 said:

	I liked Dixon before his injury. I think Smith from UCF should be mentioned, but I don't hear it.
	report abuse vote down vote up

December 05, 2007
Votes: +0

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