Heisman committee: No disrespect for Harrell, just numbers

[Southpaw]

Probably the 2 best performing, most entertaining players in NCAA Football this year were Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. Neither one gets the stodgy old bastard vote from the Heisman committee. I laugh at the results nearly every year. This one gets a big laugh.

Consider that;

Harrell this week picked up the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and is one of three finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award.

and yet the Heisman invites 3 QBs as finalists and Harrell is not one of them. No way they were going to have 3 Big 12 players as finalists so Harrell is the one who gets the shun.

Makes me hope the Big 12 gets blown out of all of the bowl games, so these damned popularity contests get exposed once again.

Heisman committee: No disrespect for Harrell, just numbers

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Graham Harrell won't be at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York on Saturday. He's taken it relatively well. His coach, Mike Leach, hasn't.

The Heisman committee, for its part, says it's no different from how invitees were determined in the past.

Harrell said perennially strong programs hold the edge.

"Those things are going to get the benefit of the doubt when all things are equal," Harrell said from Orlando, Fla., where he was attending The Home Depot/ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday night. "Sometimes you're going to get recognition, sometimes you're not."

So it goes for Harrell, who has thrown for 4,700-plus yards this season, but didn't get a ticket to the Heisman ceremony. Harrell had more passing yards than Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy of Texas and defending Heisman winner Tim Tebow of Florida. He also led his team to the same 11-1 record those three quarterbacks engineered.

Bradford, McCoy and Tebow are the only three players slated to be at the ceremony.

Leach said Wednesday that "if Graham is not invited to the Heisman, they ought to quit giving out the award. It is a shameless example of politics ruling over performance."

The Heisman committee has chosen as many as six finalists in the past. But there's no definitive method to determine how many are invited to New York.

"It's not a mathematical formula that determines the number of invitees. It's just wherever there is a natural breaking point in the voting," coordinator of Heisman Trophy Trust Tim Henning told ESPN's Joe Schad.

"We invite three to six candidates and the highest vote earners before the natural breaking point are invited. It's not an economic decision on our part at all," Henning said. "The nine members of the Heisman Trust approve the recommended number of invitees made by our accounting firm. We've not overridden that recommendation this year or in the past."

Harrell said perennially strong programs hold the edge.

"Programs' reputations have a lot to do with that," he said, according to The Dallas Morning News. "Texas Tech has never been a big-name program. Hopefully this year, winning as many big games as we have, Texas Tech can build on that."

Harrell this week picked up the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and is one of three finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award. He passed for 4,747 yards and needs two more touchdown passes to break the national career record of 131 set by Hawaii's Colt Brennan last year.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report

 

[Dback Jon]

The Heisman has long since ceased being relevant - it is a joke, just like the BCS

 

[Southpaw]

The Heisman has long since ceased being relevant - it is a joke, just like the BCS

They may actually share a common interest and feed each other. $$$$$$$s.

 

[Mulli]

The Heisman has long since ceased being relevant - it is a joke, just like the BCS

They may actually share a common interest and feed each other. $$$$$$$s.

Join

 

[DWKB]

I'm confused as to why you want the big 12 to get blown out because neither TTech player was included. Seems like Tebow should have been the odd man out. Last year he had "the numbers" even though it was McFadden who was more valuable to his team. This year Tebow is there based on "team value" instead of numbers like Harrell put up.

That and the number of QBs that have won this award is overwhelming. A RB or WR can only win if they also return kicks or punts, a defensive player can only win if their name is Woodson?

 

[Southpaw]

I'm confused as to why you want the big 12 to get blown out because neither TTech player was included. Seems like Tebow should have been the odd man out. Last year he had "the numbers" even though it was McFadden who was more valuable to his team. This year Tebow is there based on "team value" instead of numbers like Harrell put up.

That and the number of QBs that have won this award is overwhelming. A RB or WR can only win if they also return kicks or punts, a defensive player can only win if their name is Woodson?

Because of the preseason and undeserved hype the Big 12 got which allowed them, as a conference, to maintain those lofty preseason rankings.

Preseason 2008 had Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Missouri in the top 25.

see http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb...ason-ncaa-football-ranking-is-out-105598.html


Maybe if enough of the over rankings get recognized , by post season results, this thing will make more sense. We will see.

As to my point about neither TT player getting selected, it is arguable that they were the best that conference had and they got shut out. So, if they are the best in that conference, why did Bradford and McCoy get the nod instead?

BTW, some of the teams in the SEC play defense. The Gators are probably 7-5 without Tebow and sure as hell ain't in the BCS Champ.

 

[Mulli]

BTW, some of the teams in the SEC play defense. The Gators are probably 7-5 without Tebow and sure as hell ain't in the BCS Champ.

Agree. But I did think it was disgusting when Gary Danielson said something Tebow did vs. Bama was "wonderful!"

 

[Southpaw]

Agree. But I did think it was disgusting when Gary Danielson said something Tebow did vs. Bama was "wonderful!"

Gary is a shill.

http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/messages/chrono/11461126

" CBS please FIRE Gary Danielson " discussion.

 

[DWKB]

Firstly, the Big 12 is the best conference in the nation this year, I don't see any rankings being in question.

Secondly, your pet theory that there is no defense played in the Big 12 is IMO ridiculous.

The O-lines QBs, and WRs in the Big 12 are some of the best in college football. When you've got teams like Ms St, Aub, Van, and Tenn who do you need to stop on defense?

 

[Southpaw]

Firstly, the Big 12 is the best conference in the nation this year, I don't see any rankings being in question.

Secondly, your pet theory that there is no defense played in the Big 12 is IMO ridiculous.

The O-lines QBs, and WRs in the Big 12 are some of the best in college football. When you've got teams like Ms St, Aub, Van, and Tenn who do you need to stop on defense?

But you're not biased? We'll see when they play in the bowl games. It is all subjective.

BTW. how is that Big 12 north division doing? Not too well. Iowas State, Kansas State, Colorado, and a Missouri team that got blown out by 40 points in the Conf. Champ. game. Kansas doesn't beat anyone outside their division. So maybe they have half a conference.

 

[DWKB]

Considering where KU football has come from, nothing you can say to me could possibly hurt my feelings. The Big 12 South was the best collection of football teams we've seen in quite a while. KU could have finished in the top half of the SEC this year and in the top 3rd of the Big Televen/Pac 10. They beat the ACC champs last year in the Orange Bowl.

Can you still remember when Miami was relevant?

 

[Southpaw]

Considering where KU football has come from, nothing you can say to me could possibly hurt my feelings. The Big 12 South was the best collection of football teams we've seen in quite a while. KU could have finished in the top half of the SEC this year and in the top 3rd of the Big Televen/Pac 10. They beat the ACC champs last year in the Orange Bowl.

Can you still remember when Miami was relevant?

WTH makes you think I am trying to hurt your feelings? Now you're talking like a 12 year old.

 

[DWKB]

I'm just saying that being a Kansas fan I'm not gonna get my feelings hurt by you saying they can't win outside their division. They played Texas, Oklahoma, and TTech this year outside their division. Considering those teams, and the fact they went 3-0 last year outside their division I don't see how anyone would consider it an issue about their talent.

Are they national champion contenders this year, nope, but there are a ton of teams out there who would be 0-3 against OU, UT, and TTech. Seems like an odd comment in context.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Who cares about Harrell? Crabtree is clearly the best player on Tech and belongs in NYC.

 

[sundevilscott]

I think Tebow hands down deserves the award again.

 

[Skkorpion]

There is no "best player in college football" this year or any other year. I don't pay attention and don't care who wins.