Gerhart is lurking
“I listed Ingram first, but it’s really Ingram IA and Gerhart IB. I think they’re that close. If Ingram falters at all in the final two games, I’d have no issue moving Gerhart ahead. But I remain very impressed with Ingram. Also, McCoy has been amazing the last five weeks, but does that erase his struggles early in the season? Maybe it does. But he needs to finish with two more strong games to have a chance, I think.” — Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com
HP’s thoughts: It looks like this twisting and turning race finally has come down to Ingram and McCoy. Of these two, the one who finishes strongest will win the Heisman. While Gerhart, Tebow and Spiller aren’t in position to take the top prize, they still can influence the outcome based on how they close out their seasons. To wit: A vote for Gerhart or Spiller could be a vote otherwise meant for Ingram, while a vote for Tebow might have gone for McCoy. This one is going down to the wire and could be the closest Heisman race since 2001.
Heisman game of the week: Texas vs. Texas A&M — The nation tuned in to the annual battle between the Aggies and Longhorns while stuffed on turkey and mashed potatoes. It was the only college game on Thanksgiving Day, so McCoy had the Heisman spotlight to himself. He made the most of it, throwing for four touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 175 yards and another score.
Player to watch: Mark Ingram, you may have blown your Heisman close up. While McCoy took center stage Thursday, the big game Friday was between Auburn and Alabama. Heisman ballots have been sent out, so many of the voters got a close look at Ingram for the first time. Ingram ran 16 times for 30 yards and no scores.
This week in Heisman history: Playing with two broken ribs on his 23rd birthday, Auburn’s Bo Jackson ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns … all to no avail as the Tigers lost 25-23 to Alabama on Van Tiffin’s last-second, 52-yard field goal in 1985. Jackson would go on to win the Heisman by the smallest margin ever — a mere 45 points over Iowa’s Chuck Long.
About the poll: The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on. Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News. Chris Huston of HeismanPundit.com coordinates and also votes in the poll.
%% Total points with first-place votes in parentheses
PLAYER POS. TEAM PTS. (1ST)
1. Mark Ingram RB Alabama 58 (10)
2. Colt McCoy QB Texas 40 (1)
3. Toby Gerhart RB Stanford 33 (1)
4. Tim Tebow QB Florida 20
5. C.J. Spiller RB Clemson 13
6. Kellen Moore QB Boise State 9
7. Golden Tate WR Notre Dame 7 (1)
7. Case Keenum QB Houston 7
9. Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska 3
9. Jacquizz Rodgers RB Oregon State 3
11. Jeremiah Masoli QB Oregon 1
11. Dexter McCluster RB Mississippi 1
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