The best of the best in college football today

ne of the most predictable aspects of college football is its unpredictability. Take for example, Utah State and the University of Utah. Twice in recent years the Utes had undefeated seasons and yet were kept out of the national championship game due to the peculiarities of the college playoff system. While Utah had proven that it could win, Utah State was finding that it could not, having suffered 13 straight losing seasons dating back to 1998. This year the Aggies prevailed in overtime, 27-20, to break a 12-game losing streak. Such is the nature of college football.

Just as no one saw this Utah/Utah State upset coming, the Heisman Trophy race is often full of surprises. Take, for example, Houston’s Case Keenum. The Heisman is awarded to the player who is considered the best in college football, and it usually winds up going to a quarterback or running back. In 2011 Houston’s Case Keenum finished his college career with 19,217 yards, which is the all-time NCAA career passing record, and his Cougars were 12-0 going into their bowl game. Despite Keenum’s success, he did not make the final cut for the presentation at the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City.

OAnother example is Alabama’s Mark Ingram. As a freshman he rushed for 728 yards, 54 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, and his eventual NFL combine numbers were not exceptional – a 4.62 forty and a 31.5 vertical jump. But as a sophomore he set Alabama’s single-season rushing record with 1,658 yards and 334 receiving yards, scored 20 touchdowns and played a key role in helping Alabama win its 13th national title in 2009. He deserved the Heisman that year and got it, and seemed a shoe-in to repeat in 2010, but after a knee injury in the off-season he limped through the season with 875 rushing yards and 282 receiving yards.

Going back a few more years, in 2004 Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma was the runner-up to Matt Leinart for the Heisman – as a freshman! All the experts predicted Peterson would run away with the Heisman in 2005 (and we even put him on the cover of BFS), but he was injured early on and couldn’t put up Heisman numbers; likewise, in Peterson’s junior year an injury to his collarbone forced him to sit out seven games. On the positive side, Peterson was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and became a NFL superstar – among his many records is the single-game running record with 296 yards, which he set on November 4, 2007, against the San Diego Chargers. Who will win the Heisman this year?

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore was a front-runner last year until a knee injury cut short his season, but he is back and has been putting up some impressive numbers. De’Anthony Thomas, a running back and wide receiver for Oregon, has been dubbed “The Fastest Man in Football” by Sports Illustrated and is a front-runner. Quarterback Geno Smith of West Virginia along with Florida State’s quarterback EJ Manuel are certainly contenders, and Matt Barkley of USC is still in the running despite being upset by the Stanford Cardinal early in the season.

As for Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated this year and also on the cover of BFS in 2009, early season losses to Alabama and Notre Dame have probably taken him out of the Heisman race. Even so, Robinson is a huge talent, and you can expect to see this speedster (4.32 forty!) light up the scoreboard on Sundays in the NFL. Who will win the Heisman in 2012? We’ll just have to wait and see – and have fun watching while we do! NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 De’Anthony Thomas, a running back and wide receiver for Oregon, has been dubbed “The Fastest Man in Football” by Sports Illustrated and is a front-runner.

3KRWR86&6SRUWV,QIRUPDWLRQ Matt Barkley of USC was a preseason favorite to capture college football’s most prestigious honor.

Athletes in this year’s Heisman race who have appeared on past covers of BFS magazine include South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and Michigan’s Denard Robinson.

FEATURE STORY One of the most coveted awards in college sports is the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award. The Heisman, which was first awarded in 1935, is given at the end of the regular season to the young man considered the best player in college football. The award is presented at the end of the year by the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City. The Heisman is named for John W. Heisman, the first athletic director of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City. As for the voting process, the nation is split into six sections (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest, Southwest, and Far West), each consisting of 175 media voters culled from the print, radio and television ranks.

Every past Heisman winner casts a vote as well. Each elector casts a ballot listing their top three choices, with the top choice receiving three points, the second receiving two points and the third receiving one point. This method was adopted with the idea of eliminating regional favoritism, and the player receiving the highest number of points across all six sections is the winner. Here are all the past recipients of the Heisman Trophy. Many names you will recognize as athletes who have gone on to successful careers in the NFL. YEAR .. NAME ......................COLLEGE .........POSITION 2011 ..... Robert Griffin III ........Baylor.............................QB 2010 .....

Cam Newton.............Auburn ...........................QB 2009 ..... Mark Ingram, Jr.........Alabama......................... RB 2008 ..... Sam Bradford ............Oklahoma ......................QB 2007 ..... Tim Tebow .................Florida ............................QB 2006 ..... Troy Smith .................Ohio State .....................QB 2005 ..... Vacated 2004 ..... Matt Leinart ..............Southern Cal ..................QB 2003 ..... Jason White ..............Oklahoma ......................QB 2002 ..... Carson Palmer ..........Southern Cal ..................QB 2001 ..... Eric Crouch................Nebraska .......................QB 2000.....

Chris Weinke .............Florida State ..................QB 1999 ..... Ron Dayne ................Wisconsin ...................... RB 1998 ..... Ricky Williams ...........Texas ............................. RB 1997 ..... Charles Woodson ......Michigan ................. DB/WR 1996 ..... Danny Wuerffel .........Florida ............................QB 1995 ..... Eddie George ............Ohio State ..................... RB 1994 ..... Rashaan Salaam........Colorado ........................ RB 1993 ..... Charlie Ward..............Florida State ..................QB 1992 ..... Gino Torretta ..............Miami ............................QB 1991 .....

Desmond Howard .....Michigan ....................... WR 1990 ..... Ty Detmer .................Brigham Young ...............QB 1989 ..... Andre Ware ...............Houston .........................QB 1988 ..... Barry Sanders ...........Oklahoma State ............. RB 1987 ..... Tim Brown ................Notre Dame .................. WR 1986 ..... Vinny Testaverde .......Miami ............................QB 1985 ..... Bo Jackson ................Auburn ........................... RB 1984 ..... Doug Flutie ...............Boston College ..............QB 1983 ..... Mike Rozier ...............Nebraska ....................... RB 1982 ..... Herschel Walker ........Georgia ..........................

RB 1981 ..... Marcus Allen .............Southern Cal. ................. RB 1980 ..... George Rogers..........South Carolina ............... RB 1979 ..... Charles White ...........Southern Cal. ................. RB 1978 ..... Billy Sims ..................Oklahoma ...................... RB 1977 ..... Earl Campbell ............Texas ............................. RB 1976 ..... Tony Dorsett..............Pittsburgh ...................... RB 1975 ..... Archie Griffin .............Ohio State ..................... RB 1974 ..... Archie Griffin .............Ohio State ..................... RB 1973 ..... John Cappelletti ........Penn State ..................... RB YEAR ..

NAME ......................COLLEGE .........POSITION 1972 ..... Johnny Rodgers ........Nebraska ...................... WR 1971 ..... Pat Sullivan................Auburn ...........................QB 1970 ..... Jim Plunkett ..............Stanford .........................QB 1969 ..... Steve Owens ............Oklahoma ...................... HB 1968 ..... O.J. Simpson ............Southern Cal. ................. HB 1967 ..... Gary Beban ...............UCLA .............................QB 1966 ..... Steve Spurrier ...........Florida ............................QB 1965 ..... Mike Garrett ..............Southern Cal. ................. HB 1964 .....

John Huarte ..............Notre Dame ...................QB 1963 ..... Roger Staubach.........Navy ..............................QB 1962 ..... Terry Baker ................Oregon State .................QB 1961 ..... Ernie Davis ................Syracuse ........................ HB 1960 ..... Joe Bellino ................Navy .............................. HB 1959 ..... Billy Cannon ..............Louisiana State .............. RB 1958 ..... Pete Dawkins ............Army .............................. RB 1957 ..... John David Crow.......Texas A&M .................... RB 1956 ..... Paul Hornung ............Notre Dame ...................QB 1955 .....

Howard Cassady .......Ohio State ..................... RB 1954 ..... Alan Ameche.............Wisconsin .......................FB 1953 ..... John Lattner ..............Notre Dame ................... RB 1952 ..... Billy Vessels ..............Oklahoma ...................... RB 1951 ..... Dick Kazmaier ...........Princeton ....................... RB 1950 ..... Vic Janowicz .............Ohio State ..................... RB 1949 ..... Leon Hart ..................Notre Dame .................END 1948 ..... Doak Walker ..............Southern Methodist ...... RB 1947 ..... John Lujack ...............Notre Dame ...................QB 1946 ..... Glenn Davis...............Army ..............................

RB 1945 ..... Doc Blanchard ...........Army ...............................FB 1944 ..... Les Horvath ..............Ohio State .....................QB 1943 ..... Angelo Bertelli ..........Notre Dame ...................QB 1942 ..... Frank Sinkwich ..........Georgia .......................... RB 1941 ..... Bruce Smith ..............Minnesota ..................... RB 1940 ..... Tom Harmon .............Michigan ........................ RB 1939 ..... Nile Kinnick ...............Iowa ............................... RB 1938 ..... Davey O’Brien ...........TCU ...............................QB 1937 ..... Clint Frank .................Yale ................................QB 1936 .....

Larry Kelley ...............Yale ..............................END 1935 ..... Jay Berwanger ..........Chicago.......................... RB SAFEST RACK AND PLATFORM COMBINATION W EI G H T T R Expand Your Rack!

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From BFS Magazine — November/December 2012. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).