Al Baird is a sports fanatic who recently pursued his passion for writing. His work often pursues the humorous side of a story and he enjoys using satire too. Baird is also an avid saltwater fisherman and has written on that subject as well. If you want to check out some of his web sites put Roadkillal in any web browser and enjoy. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn gave it back. Even before there was a ball snapped in the 2006 College Football Season, Quinn had won the Heisman Trophy. The people that vote for the Heisman already had their ballets filled out. It was engraved and awarded to him. All he had to do was to remember to bring it with him to New York in December.
Then the season started. Three games into the season the Heisman people showed up in South Bend and asked for it back. He would now have to compete for it with all of the other favorites the experts (those guys on college football shows on Saturdays) have selected.
Yep, that is the way it goes in the wacky world of college football. Perception is mightier than performance. Even the two teams that will compete for the championship are selected by a vote.
The more popular a perception is the more drastic a performance needs to be to change it. Quinn's mediocre performance over the first two games still had him as the favorite for college football best player award. It was only when Quinn fell flat on this face in week 3 against Michigan that the experts started to look elsewhere.
Week 4 found him back in the race after leading Notre Dame out of a hole against Michigan State and to a come-from-behind-win. Forget that part of that hole was Quinn's own doing. For a portion of the game, he looked like the player the experts knew he would be. So, by the end of the evening, he was back on the list of favorites.
The notion that the Heisman is for the best college football player is a stretch at best. It has become a popularity contest and each week provides another opportunity to weigh in on your selection. To have a chance you need to be identified as a possible candidate before the season and then make sure you get your proper due each and every week.
Playing offense is a must be. Likewise, coming from a major program in a major conference also weighs heavily on the plus side. Being the quarterback of Notre Dame is a guarantee that you will be among the favorites.
So who are the other favorites? Recently, the trend has been to go with the best player on the best team. Looking at the recent polls that would be Troy Smith, quarterback of Ohio State. Smith has not had a Heisman type game yet, but he hasn't done a Brady Quinn either. Thus, he is number one at this point.
How about some competition? Let's go with the second best player on the best team, wide receiver, Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn Jr., is exciting to watch, but has not had a big game on a national stage. However, he will have opportunities down the line to do so.
Third would have to be Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson. Peterson is a workhorse running back who in a nationally televised loss against Oregon showed himself to be warrior worthy of consideration. Last week, he followed up with other strong performance in a 59-0 route of Middle Tennessee State.
Slightly further back is running back Steve Slaton from West Virginia. West Virginia doesn't produce Heisman winners and the Big East is not a Heisman conference, so what gives?
Slaton is the most exciting and spectacular player in college football today. He is only limited by the fact that football fields are only 100 yards long and his coach Rich Rodriguez pulls him early if the WVU is trouncing their opponent. His best shot is going to be having a big game against Louisville on November 2. This game is on Thursday night and will have the nation watching.
University of Florida, quarterback, Chris Leak is also in the picture. Leak is having a solid year and plays in the toughest conference in college football. Leak will have his share of big games (Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia and Florida State) to prove to voters why he deserves it and if the Gators can run the table will get a lot of nods from the "best player on the best team" voters.
Anyone else? Southern Cal's quarterback, John David Booty will likely get a trip to New York and 5-7 Garrett Wolfe from Northern Illinois University could make things interesting. Wolfe is leading the nation in rushing; but being from NIU and playing in the MAC might prove to be too much to overcome regardless of his stats.
Watching the dynamics of how this unfolds will prove interesting. There are plenty of time and plenty of big games for this year's winner to be settled on the field. Let's hope the voters see it that way too.
Now, I wonder how many ballets come back with the name Brady Quinn scratched out?