College Confidential

Smith still leads Heisman poll, with A&M's Manziel in mix and others closing

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith still controls the 2012 Heisman Trophy race, based on today’s fifth installment of the Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Poll. But his margin for error has diminished greatly, with his two closest pursuers gaining ground (Ohio State’s Braxton Miller, Kansas State’s Collin Klein) and Texas A&M freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel breaking into the poll in fifth place, with one first-place vote.

Smith took a step back when the Mountaineers fell to Texas Tech, 49-14, last week in Lubbock. But he still received five of 10 available first-place votes from members of the voting panel and will carry a 25-0 ratio of touchdown passes-to-interceptions into Saturday’s showdown between West Virginia (5-1), the No. 13 team in the BCS standings, and No. 4 Kansas State (6-0), a team led by Klein.

Five different players other than Smith received one first-place vote in the latest balloting. The list includes Manziel, who racked up 576 yards of total offense in last week’s 59-57 victory over Louisiana Tech and ranks second nationally in total offense, at 392.7 yards per game, for the Aggies (5-1). A&M, the No. 18 team in the BCS standings, meets No. 6 LSU (6-1) this week in College Station.

The Scripps poll is the longest-running Heisman Trophy poll in the nation. Since its inception in 1987, it has correctly forecast the Heisman winner in its final weekly installment in 21 of 25 years, including last season. Below is a look at this week’s poll and a list of voters:

This week's top five:
 
Player, School, Season Stats, Poll Points (first-place votes in parentheses).
 
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia, 2,271 passing yards, 75.3 completion pct., 25 TDs, 0 interceptions, 71 rushing yards, 1 TD, 38 (5)
 
2. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 1,271 passing yards, 60.4 completion pct., 11 TDs, 4 ints., 912 rushing yards, 9 TDs, 30 (1)
 
3. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State, 1,074 passing yards, 66.9 completion pct., 7 TDs, 2 ints., 510 rushing yards, 10 TDs, 28 (1)
 
4. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, 59 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered, 16 (1)
 
5. QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 1,680 passing yards, 67.4 completion pct., 14 TDs, 3 ints., 676 rushing yards, 10 TDs, 15 (1)

Others receiving votes: Oregon RB/WR/KR De'Anthony Thomas 11 (1), Texas Tech QB Seth Doege 4, Wisconsin RB Montee Ball 3, USC QB Matt Barkley 2, Alabama QB AJ McCarron 2, Georgia QB Aaron Murray 1
 
Last week's top five:
 
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia, 49 (9)
 
2. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State, 26
 
3. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 23 (1)
 
4. RB/WR/KR De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon, 21
 
5. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, 10
 
Voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Randy Beard, Evansville Courier & Press; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Bob Condotta, Seattle Times; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; John Helsley, The Oklahoman; Mike Griffith, Knoxville News-Sentinel; Todd Jones, Columbus Dispatch, and Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune.

_ Jimmy Burch

West Virginia QB Smith grabs large lead in first installment of Scripps Heisman poll

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith took a huge lead in today’s first installment of the Scripps Heisman Poll, receiving eight first-place ballots from the 10-member voting committee. Smith has completed 88 percent of his passes for 734 yards, with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, for the eighth-ranked Mountaineers (2-0). He also has rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries (8.3 per carry).

 Smith carved out a large lead in the initial poll over Oregon running back/receiver De’Anthony Thomas and UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin.

The Scripps poll is the longest-running Heisman Trophy poll in the nation. Since its inception in 1987, it has correctly forecast the Heisman winner in its final weekly installment in 21 of 25 years, including last season.

In last year’s initial poll, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck had a sizable lead over all other candidates. But Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III of Baylor overtook Luck in the final week of balloting and won the 2011 Heisman.

Below is a look at today’s poll and a list of voters:

 

            Player, School, Season Stats, Poll Points, (First-Place Votes).

                1.QB Geno Smith, West Virginia, 66-of-75, 734 yards passing, 9 TDs, 44 (8).

                2. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon, 228 yards rushing, 17.5 yards per carry, 4 TDs, 154 yards receiving, 3 TDs, 22.

                3. RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA, 541 yards rushing, 8.2 yards per carry, 3 TDs, 20 (1).

                4. QB Matt Barkley, USC, 66-of-109, 813 yards passing, 10 TDs, 9

                5. (tie) RB Stepfan Taylor, Stanford, 338 yards rushing, 5.0 yards per carry, 3 TDs, 8.

                5. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, 30 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, 8.

               

                Others receiving votes: Georgia LB Jarvis Jones 6, Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater 4, Georgia QB Aaron Murray, 4, Kansas State QB Collin Klein 3, Ohio State QB Braxton Miller 3, Texas Tech QB Seth Doege 2, Michigan QB Denard Robinson 2, Florida State RB Chris Thompson 1.

               

                Voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Randy Beard, Evansville Courier and Press; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Bob Condotta, Seattle Times; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; John Helsley, The Oklahoman; Mike Griffith, Knoxville News-Sentinel, and Todd Jones, Columbus Dispatch.

 

_ Jimmy Burch

Luck listed as slight Heisman favorite by oddsmakers; RG3 is third

Officials at Bodog have released their odds to handicap the 2011 Heisman Trophy race and they list Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck as a slight favorite (5/4), followed by Alabama RB Trent Richardson (3/2) and Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III (3/1).

All three players have odds of 3/1 or better, with Griffin -- who plays Saturday against Texas -- the only one of the top three favorites to have another opportunity to sway voters with an on-field effort before ballots are due next week. No other player has better odds than 12/1 and those belong to Houston QB Case Keenum.

A breakdown of how Bodog views the Heisman race, and some other issues in college sports:

NCAA FOOTBALL

Odds to win the 2011 Heisman Trophy

Andrew Luck (QB Stanford)                     5/4

Trent Richardson (RB Alabama)              3/2

Robert Griffin III (QB Baylor)                    3/1

Case Keenum (Houston)                         12/1

Matt Barkley (QB USC)                          15/1

Montee Ball (RB Wisconsin)                   15/1

 

SPECIALS - Who will be the Head Coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 2012-2013 Season?     

Dan Mullen                                7/4

Kevin Sumlin                             3/1

Tim Murphy                               4/1

Greg Schiano                            5/1

Jim Caldwell                              15/1

Tom Bradley                              20/1

 

SPECIALS - Will Ohio State win the Big Ten in the 2012-13 Season? 

Yes                  2/1       

No                    1/3       

 

SPECIALS - Ohio State total Regular Season Wins in the 2012-13 Season?   

Over/Under                    9½

 

SPECIALS - Will Jim Tressel be a Head Coach for the 2012-2013 Season? (NCAA FB Only)   

Yes                  1/2       

No                    3/2       

 

SPECIALS - Montee Ball - Total TD's vs Michigan State         

Over                              2 (EVEN)

Under                            2 (-140)

 

NCAA BASKETBALL

Will Jim Boeheim be fired by Syracuse before the end of the 2011/2012 Season?

Yes                              5-1

 _ Jimmy Burch

 

Baylor QB Griffin remains second in weekly Heisman poll

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III remained a close second to Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck in the latest Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Trophy poll, released today.

Griffin, who missed the second half of last week’s 66-42 victory over Texas Tech because of a concussion, received three first-place votes but was left off the ballot by two of 10 pollsters on the voting panel. Griffin gets one final opportunity to sway voters Saturday when No. 17 Baylor (8-3, 5-3 in Big 12) meets No. 22 Texas (7-4, 4-4). He has been cleared by Baylor trainers to play in the contest.

Luck, who led No. 4 Stanford to an 11-1 record, has completed his regular season. Luck received four first-place votes and tallied 39 poll points, 11 more than Griffin. Remaining first-place votes went to Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley and Wisconsin running back Montee Ball.

The poll has correctly predicted the Heisman winner in 20 of its 24 seasons, including last year.

Below is a look at the top five finishers in this week's balloting:

Player, School, Season Stats, Poll Points (first-place votes)
1. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford, 3,170 passing yards, 70.0 comp. pct., 35 passing TDs, 9 interceptions, 153 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs, 39 (4)
2. QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor, 3,678 passing yards, 72.6 comp. pct., 34 passing TDs, 5 ints., 612 rushing yds, 7 rushing TDs, 28 (3)
3. RB Trent Richardson, Alabama, 1,583 rushing yds, 20 rushing TDs, 27 receptions, 3 receiving TDs, 27 (1)
4. QB Matt Barkley, 3,528 passing yds, 69.1 comp. pct., 39 passing TDs, 7 ints., 14 rushing yds, 2 rushing TDs, 17 (1)
5. QB Case Keenum, Houston, 4,726 passing yds, 73.2 comp. pct., 43 passing TDs, 3 ints., 43 rushing yds, 3 rushing TDs, 12

Jimmy Burch’s ballot
1. Andrew Luck, Stanford
2. Robert Griffin III, Baylor
3. Trent Richardson, Alabama
4. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
5. Case Keenum, Houston

_ Jimmy Burch

Oklahoma State QB Weeden moves to 2nd in Scipps' weekly Heisman poll, narrowly trailing leader Luck

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden has narrowed the gap on frontrunner Andrew Luck in the latest Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Trophy poll, released today.

Luck, the Stanford quarterback and runaway poll leader before the Cardinal’s 53-30 loss to Oregon last week, still holds a slight edge in balloting. He received five first-place votes, and 41 total points, from the 10-member voting committee. Weeden received four first-place votes and 38 points, making it the closest gap of the season between the top two players.

Weeden threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s 66-6 rout of Texas Tech, completing 31-of-37 attempts without an interception. The final first place vote went to Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, who did not finish among the top five overall vote-getters.

The poll has correctly predicted the Heisman winner in 20 of its 24 seasons, including last year.
Below is a look at this week’s Top Five:

Player, School, Season Stats, Poll Points (first-place votes)
1. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford, 2,680 passing yards, 70.6 comp. pct., 29 passing TDs, 41 (5)
2. QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State, 3,635 passing yds, 73.1 comp. pct., 31 passing TDs, 38 (4)
3. RB Trent Richardson, Alabama, 1,205 rushing yds, 18 rushing TDs, 23
4. QB Case Keenum, Houston, 3,951 passing yds, 74.2 comp. pct., 37 passing TDs, 16
5. QB Kellen Moore, Boise State, 2,549 passing yds, 74.1 comp. pct., 31 passing TDs, 10

Others receiving votes: Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson 7 (1), Oregon RB LaMichael James 7, Baylor QB Robert Griffin III 5, Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon 2, Oklahoma QB Landry Jones 1.

_ Jimmy Burch

Stanford's Luck, OU's Jones among early favorites for 2011 Heisman

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who played his high school football in Houston, has been established as the early favorite to win the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, an All-Big 12 selection last season, is the second choice based on odds released today by Bodog Sportsbook.

Among the top 10 favorites, five have ties to Texas or the Big 12. Oregon RB LaMichael James played HS football in Texarkana. Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, the 2010 Biletnikoff Award winner, and Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles also cracked the top 10 on today's initial list of candidates.

The full list includes Baylor QB Robert Griffin III, Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill, Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden, Houston QB Case Keenum and Oklahoma RB Roy Finch.

The full list is below:

 

Odds to win the 2011 Heisman Trophy

Andrew Luck (QB Stanford)                                 9/2

Landry Jones (QB Oklahoma)                             13/2

Marcus Lattimore (RB South Carolina)                 7/1

Denard Robinson (QB Michigan)                          15/2

LaMichael James (RB Oregon)                            15/2

Trent Richardson (RB Alabama)                          12/1

Justin Blackmon (WR Oklahoma State)               15/1

Kellen Moore (QB Boise State)                           15/1

Knile Davis (RB Arkansas)                                  15/1

Ryan Broyles (WR Oklahoma)                            15/1

Robert Griffin III (QB Baylor)                                20/1

Chris Polk (RB Washington)                               25/1

Roy Finch (RB Oklahoma)                                  30/1

Brandon Weeden (QB Oklahoma State)               32/1

Case Keenum (QB Houston)                               35/1

Darron Thomas (QB Oregon)                               35/1

Kirk Cousins (QB Michigan State)                       35/1

Michael Floyd (WR Notre Dame)                         40/1

Matt Barkley (QB USC)                                      45/1

Nick Foles (QB Arizona)                                     45/1

Russell Shepard (WR LSU)                                 50/1

Aaron Murray (QB Georgia)                                 55/1

E.J. Manuel (QB Florida State)                            60/1

John Brantley (QB Florida)                                  60/1

Ryan Tannenhill (QB Texas A&M)                       60/1

Tyler Wilson (QB Arkansas)                                70/1

Danny O'Brien (QB Maryland)                             75/1

Dayne Crist (QB Notre Dame)                             75/1

Taylor Martinez (QB Nebraska)                           75/1

Alshon Jeffery (WR South Carolina)                     80/1

James White (RB Wisconsin)                             80/1

Montee Ball (RB Wisconsin)                               80/1

Robert Woods (WR USC)                                   80/1

Michael Dyer (RB Auburn)                                  85/1

David Wilson (RB Virgina Tech)                           90/1

Geno Smith (QB West Virginia)                           90/1

Marcus Coker (RB Iowa)                                     90/1

Dan Persa (QB Northwestern)                             95/1

 

2011 Heisman Trophy - Will a defensive player win the 2011 Heisman Trophy?        

Yes                              10/1

 

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Keenum May Try to Return to UH

Easily one of this season's saddest stories if that of Houston QB Case Keenum. He was a Heisman candidate who was going to lead the Cougars to a CUSA title, and maybe flirt with the BCS as well. But he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the season. He is scheduled to have surgery today.
He could apply to the NCAA for a medical hardship and receive an additional year of eligibility, but that could be hard to get. Or he could have played his last game and see what happens with the NFL.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/houston/7222459.html

One NFL scout told me he wasn't too high on Keenum because "he's too short."
My guess is that CK leaves for the NFL. If he does, good luck. He did an awful lot at Houston, and he deserves a better finish than watching games on crutches.

- Mac Engel

Follow me on Twitter
@MacEngelProf

Nothing the Big 10 Did Over the Weekend Should Count

SUNDAY MORNING HANGOVER FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL ... 

* TCU coach Gary Patterson said after his team’s win against SMU it was like “Alabama-Auburn”. Do you think Alabama coach Nick Saban will say, “It was like TCU-SMU” after the Tide play the Tigers in November?

(OK, it’s a cheap shot, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t take it. It’s sports. Have fun, people.)

* A huge win for UNT coach Todd Dodge against Florida Atlantic. The Mean Green, who have been beset by injuries unlike no other team in Division I, are 1-3 and 1-0 in the Sun Belt.

Dodge was down to his third-string QB, Riley Dodge, who won all of those games for his dad when the pair were at Southlake Carroll High School. Riley completed 10-of-15 passes for 146 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He also ran 11 times for 67 yards.

TD lives to coach another day.

* Texas State is 3-1 for the first time since 2005 after it defeated Southern Utah, 42-28. The Bobcats, ranked No. 23 in the I-AA poll, ran for 224 yards.

* Now that Houston is without QB Case Keenum for the season with an injury, the Coogs may be a running team. RB Bryce Beal ran for 123 yards and four touchdowns in UH’s 42-23 win against Tulane. The Coogs are starting a true frosh QB, Terrance Broadway.

* BYU’s last season in the MWC isn’t terribly memorable, mostly the Cougars aren’t very good. BYU lost at home against future MWC member, Nevada, 27-13. True frosh QB Jake Heaps made his first start for the Cougars, and was 24-of-45 for 229 yards.

* Boise State better watch out - Nevada can play. The Wolfies are 4-0, and host the Broncos on Nov. 26.

* Lamar returned to reality. The first-year program was blown out at Stephen F. Austin, 71-3. SR QB Jeremy Moses threw for 353 yards and four TDs, and went over the 10,000-yard mark for his career.

* I have no idea what to make of CUSA. I know no one cares, mostly because the conference has no top 25 team now that UH QB Case Keenem is out. But for the sake of TCU’s strength of schedule, it needs SMU to win that conference. Even if the Ponies win though, the voting masses won’t care anyone beat the CUSA champs’ because no one is clearly better than the other.

* Alabama is the best team in the nation, but I don’t like its chances of running the table again in the SEC. Alabama’s next two games are vs. No. 9 Florida, and at No. 12 South Carolina. On Nov. 6, the Tide play at No. 15 LSU. And, of course, the Tide finish with Auburn. The Tide have to lose eventually, right?

* How much money is being spent on the ad campaign for the new Wall Street movie? I'm seeing that ad in my sleep.

* We don’t know exactly how good Oregon is because it plays in the Pacific Time zone. It’s more proof how badly you need to be in the Central or Eastern time zone, or be Los Angeles, to really get noticed. That said, the Ducks are a serious threat to reach the BCS title game.

* UTEP’s win against Memphis gives the Miners a 3-1 start, their best since 2005. It’s just the sixth time in the last 46 seasons the Miners are won three of their first four games. Lots of tradition in El Paso. But it could save Mike Price’s job.

The game was won after the Miners drove the ball 95 yards in the final minutes to set up Dakota Warren’s 18-yard FG.

* After handling Rice in rain-filled game, Baylor is halfway to six wins to qualify for the What Else Is There To Do In This Town Bowl. Can the Bears get there?

* The Big East is awful. Period. It’s only ranked team, however, No. 22 West Virginia, actually showed itself quite nicely in a 20-14 loss at No. 15 LSU.

* Auburn QB Cameron Newton may be better than Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. Not as a pro, but as a collegian.

* Did any athletic department stuff their bank account on the backs of its football team more than San Jose State? The Spartans traveled to play at Alabama, at Wisconsin and at Utah; they lost those three games by the combined score of 131-20. If they didn’t clear $2 million off those three losses something is wrong.

* Suspend the idea that the best RB at Alabama is backup Trent Richardson. He’s good, but JR and defending Heisman winner Mark Ingram is better.

* Texas A&M’s best chance to beat Arkansas in two weeks is to get pressure on Hogs QB Ryan Mallett and hope he throws picks the way he did against Alabama.

But the way the Tide ran on the Hogs should give Aggies hope that Christine Michael and Jerrod Johnson can score points.

* Texas’ big home loss to UCLA has to have the people in Lubbock worried. This was the same Texas defense that dominated the Red Raiders.

* Oklahoma had to be looking forward to next week’s game against Texas. The Sooners probably should have lost at Cincinnati on Saturday night, but they were the better team.

* I’ll keep saying this - Nebraska is going to win the Big 12 title game in its last season in the conference. And no one will be grinning any bigger than Tom Osborne.

* The Big 12 North is almost as bad as the Big East. In fact, the whole Big 12 is a bit down this year.

* What the Big 10 did this weekend was shameful. The conference finished a collective 8-2, all at home, against a schedule that was so weak and so lame that fans should have been admitted for free.

The opponents were: Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Northern Colorado, Ball State, Austin Peay, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Akron, Temple.

The eight teams that won did so by the combined score of 385-109. Two teams scored 70 points.

Lost in these stupid numbers is that two of schools from this “power” conference actually managed to lose. How?

Purdue should be kicked out of the conference after losing 31-20 to Toledo in West Lafayette. And Minnesota coach Tim Brewster all but signed his “fired” papers after the Gophers lost 34-23 to Northern Illinois.

* TCU needs more style points. Every margin needs to be at least 20 points.

 

- Mac Engel

Reality Comes to the Coogs

Houston's bid to crash the BCS and QB Case Keenum's hope for the Heisman both died at the Rose Bowl late Saturday night.
This is what is supposed to happen when a non-AQ power meets an AQ school - the AQ school beats up the other.
That's what happened when the No. 23 Cougars lost against the UCLA Bruins, 31-13. Keenum entered the game having suffered a concussion one week before, and left Saturday's game in the second quarter on a golf cart after he injured his right leg. He did not return to the game, and the severity of the injury wasn't immediately known.
Two words - Bum-er.
Houston was a long shot to crash the BCS, and CK was a long shot for the Heisman, but both chances are long gone.
This was an average UCLA team that, in the first half, was clearly the better team even before CK's injury.
Fun while it lasted.

- Mac Engel

Early look at 2009 Heisman contenders

Never too early to start seeing who could follow Sam Bradford's footsteps:

1. QB Colt McCoy, Texas - The Longhorns offense won't suffer any serious losses, and McCoy is one reason why Texas will likely be the Big 12 South favorites.

2. WR Julio Jones, Alabama - The true freshman certainly didn't play like one this year, and will be even more of a marked man next season. That didn't seem to bother him, though, this year.

3. RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State - The All-American was part of a potent Cowboy offense that also included QB Zac Robinson and WR Dez Bryant.

4. QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State - He showed just why he was considered the nation's top recruit this season, and should be even more dangerous as he gains more experience.

5. RB LeSean McCoy, Pitt - Showed off his amazing ability as the season evolved.

Others to watch: QB Mark Sanchez (USC); WR Jeremy Maclin (Missouri); RB Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State); RB Noel Devine (West Virginia); WR Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas). 

-Trae Thompson