The SoapBoxers

The college football season is roughly at the halfway point and many conference battles are starting to sort themselves out. The arguments are flying each and every way as to all the possible BCS scenarios, which team is the best, who has the toughest schedule and it goes on and on.

This week I will look at Johnny G’s Heisman candidates.

Everyone has Andrew Luck on top of their list. I do not buy into that hype. While I am a guy that fully understands his current talent, and NFL future potential, I think the Heisman trophy should be awarded to the person that is most valuable in all of college football, who is a person that is a complete difference maker as part of their teams success, and a person who basically single-handedly is a reason that teams is winning more games than they should.

1. I go with Russell Wilson – Wisconsin – The free agent hired gun who played most of his career in the SEC graduated thereby not having to sit out a year in order to transfer and winds up at the land of cheese and honey. The Badgers have no chance to be in the National Title hunt this year with a first time Freshman or redshirt Freshman quarterback. Wilson also provides an element of elusiveness that has never been seen before for WISCO. This guy is the reason they will go undefeated this year and he gets my vote.
2. Robert Griffin III- Baylor – What is Baylor without Robert Griffin? They are bad. He makes them a top 25 type of team. His statistics are sickening with a 78% completion rating. 22 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions and a passer rating of 200….yeah…I said 200. If you didn’t see this guy when we was a Freshman- pre knee injury, you just don’t get it . While Griffin is fast, before the injury he had world class speed (actually was at Baylor for Track and Field as well as football).  His “slower” abilities are still eye popping.
3. Andrew Luck – Stanford – Hey the guy is good, but I am not sure he adds as much for his team as the two guys I have mentioned above. Not trying to slight Luck as in the media’s eyes (and hey isn’t it the media ( errrrr…..ESPN….. that basically “announces” to the world who should win the Heisman anyway?) He is the poster child this year. Something special in reality will have to happen for someone to overtake him.
4. Kellen Moore – Boise State – I think Moore is good, really good, the problem is he gets to pad stats against teams that are mainly soap scrimmage caliber while he is surrounded by a lot of NFL talent on his roster. His games are like the varsity playing against the jr high teams. This makes it tougher to put him any higher up on the list.
5. The Medical staff at the following Universities – Oregon, South Carolina, and Michigan – Players that were on “the list” including Le Marcus James, Marcus Lattimore, and Denard Robinson all get moved off of the list due to getting nicked or dinged up, (some worse than others) James and Lattimore’s immediate future is in question and Robinson proves again that he is fast, he is cagey he can put up huge stats against MAC teams, but when it hits BIG 10 conference time, he is somewhat of a glass Joe.

6-10) In no particular order some folks to keep an eye on include: Trent Richardson from Alabama – Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State – Case Keenum from Houston (everyone has forgotten about this statistical hound) Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M – and Frank Broyles from Oklahoma who this past week set a number of career receiving records and still has many games to play.

Until next time – Stay Classy Roseville, Minnesota!

No picks this week as I want to go around the world of college football.

Coaching changes – Adios Dan Hawkins in Colorado. I guess we all figured out now who the real brains behind the Boise State empire was when you were still coaching there.  Too bad the Buffs athletic department did not figure that out sooner.  The last straw was the 35 point meltdown to the Kansas Jayhawks who rallied from that huge deficit for the 2^nd largest comeback win in NCAA history.

Cam Newton – This gets better every day.  First the $200,000 allegation.  Then the cheating allegation.  Now this morning the money allegation again.  Why does this type of thing always seem to pop up in the SEC?  Are their fans just so rabid that they have spies everywhere on everyone else’s campuses to get an edge when their team is down and some other team is up?  I call it the SEConspiracy theory.  What I still don’t get is how he goes from Florida to a Juco, before coming back.  I mean would sitting out a year somewhere have really been any worse … or … did he really need some academic help meaning the allegations of cheating at Florida could be true? Hmmmmmmmm.  Can’t wait to see what unfolds as this week progresses as news seems to come out daily on the current Heisman Trophy Front Runner.

Heisman – First it was all Denard Robinson’s to lose.  Now it might be Cam Newton beating various raps to keep the hardware.  Of course an Iron Bowl spoiler courtesy of the Tide could change a lot of voters minds in November.  Kind of reminds me of the year Deshaun Foster was running away with it and then got in trouble and suspended … along with his Heisman hopes.  This could be the year of the last man standing wins.

Big XII – The might South Division is struggling.  Bad losses last week by Oklahoma and Texas, well, I have thrown them under the bus for weeks now, more on that later.  Oklahoma State looks to be in control in the South, who the heck would have predicted that to start the year.  Also thanks to the Missouri Tigers who once again show they have no coaching, abandon the running game and get throttled in the last three quarters for a horrible loss at Texas Tech. Merry Christmas Nebraska, you just won the North.

Texas – I have been piling on for weeks, it will get worse.  Does anyone think they are going to stop Oklahoma State this week?  Texas is in SERIOUS jeopardy of not being bowl eligible.  From BCS title game to not even making the Motor City Bowl.  Wow it must really be bad to be a Longhorn fan this year.

Oregon – These guys are Playstation 3 football.  Can anyone hold them under 50 points?  Does anyone want to play them at all?  The weird thing is when you watch them play they really don’t look that good, they just score fast, play fast and wear other teams out.  Wonder when someone figures out how to stop that from happening.

TCU to the Big East – Horned Frog Officials are indicating they want the all or nothing package.  They are not just going to jump ship for football, where they would roll, but they want the mighty basketball program to travel thousands of miles each week to get their butts kicked in the biggest thug ball conference in America.  Good for you for standing up to your beliefs.

This is one of the worst weekends for college football this year.  Due to many traditionally good teams struggling there are not a lot of meaningful games this week.  I will be back next week with picks, but if you want a short list…..Take Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and until next week, good luck!

A lot of water cooler talk around the offices this week after the games this past weekend.  Today, Johnny Goodman looks to find the truth about many of the issues in College football.

Fact- Alabama and Texas will play in the BCS Championship game

Truth- yep I can’t come up with another argument here.  These are the two most deserving teams and I have no beef with that

Fact:  Alabama beat Florida soundly

Truth:  Florida really isn’t that good.  Who have they beaten or dominated all year.  Heck I think the SEC is terribly overrated this year.  A lot of good teams yes, a lot of GREAT teams?  C’mon…no way…This conference gets more verbal blow than anything and it is totally unfounded this year.  Play a bowl game or better yet a nonconference road game outside of the southeast sometime.  What is your conference record the last 51 times you have left the southeast?  25-26.  Overrated!!!!

Fact:  Mack Brown was named Big XII 2009 AP Coach of the year

Truth:  Did you watch the Texas vs. Nebraska game?  Then tell me which team imposed their will and their style of play and was :01 away from pulling off the upset as a 15 point underdog.  Coach of the year?  This guy can’t coach at all.  If Tom Osborne would have had the talent Texas gets every year in their program the Huskers would have had about five more national titles during his tenure.  Mack Brown is a average coach in arguably the easiest place to land fantastic recruits.  Saturday night was just another example of that.  His total and complete mis-management of the game clock at the end of the game almost prevented his kicker from having a shot at the game winning kick and the Horns from a shot in the BCS title game.  This guy is the luckiest coach ever…but he isn’t even in the top three coaches in his own conference.  Frankly I am surprised that Texas fans are not piling on about this right now.  After they get wood-shedded by Alabama, maybe they will be.

Fact: Cincinnati deserves to be playing in the BCS game against Alabama

Truth – you gave up a forty spot to Pittsburgh?  The argument stops there.  The Panthers are not exactly an offensive juggernaut.  Brian Kelly likely is gone to Notre Dame, and bad coaching by Wannestadt might make it a certainty now.  The Bearcats are good, but top 3 in the county???….nope.

Fact:  The refs put back one second on the clock in the Big XII title game

Truth:  They did get this one right although I hate to admit it being a Husker fan.  If time expired it would have made LSU coaching buffoon moves at the end of the game a few weeks ago look like no big deal.  The Truth also is that the #3 team was lucky to escape and was dominated by a team with a far superior defense who unfortunately for them has an offense that would barely be effective in your kids Pop Warner league.

Fact:  This year is a toss-up for the Heisman Trophy

Truth – Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh should win the award but won’t.  Lets run down the top candidates here.  Tim Tebow – nope –  lost last game and cried on the sideline.  There is no crying in Football Timmy! – and had average statistical year, Colt McCoy, laid an egg in final game and last second (literally) gaffe almost cost team a shot at the title game.  Jimmy Clausen – hardly.  Mark Ingram – you can’t get pulled in the next to last game for being ineffective and win THIS award.  Toby Gerhart – I could see this as I think he has been most consistent – Suh –has been dominating in every big game for the Huskers defense which is very good.  He had 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles – 8 for losses – an numerous hurries in the Big XII title game.  Can you honestly say there is a better or more dominating player in the country this year?