Kickoff Zone College Football Blog

Finally, as the talk of expansion quiets down, we can put our focus on the upcoming season and what will happen on the field.  In this next series of posts, we will break down the early contenders for the Heisman Trophy for next season.

We have divided the contenders into two different categories, a first and second tier.  All of the following names have a shot at being invited to the ceremony in December, but some have better odds than others.

These rankings are in reverse order.  So today, we focus on the players longer odds of making the trip to New York in December. 

Note:  The first player is the top ranked in this group, while the rest of the names are in no particular order.

The 2nd Tier:

 

Tyrod Taylor – QB, Virginia Tech University

2009 Passing Statistics:

136-243 56.0%  2311 yds 13 TD 5 Int

Over 1,000 career rushing yards

Outlook: Heading up the 2nd tier of Heisman hopefuls is Virginia Tech’s quarterback, Tyrod Taylor.  In fact, the Kickoffzone blog probably has Taylor ranked higher than any other pundits out there, and here’s the kicker, we think that he will rise into the first tier once the season starts. 

Taylor led the ACC in passing efficiency last year, after 2 years of being known more as a running threat.  The Hokies also return their two leading recievers, both of whom averaged over 20 yards a reception last year.  Unlike Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor, Taylor has proven that he can excel either throwing or running the ball, which makes him one of the most dangerous players in the country. 

If Taylor has the opportunities to shine, we think he will do just that.  Working against him is the talent around him.  With both Ryan Williams and Darren Evans in the same backfield, Taylor’s Heisman hopes may depend on the Hokies gameplan, and whether or not he is overshadowed by his own teammates again this season.

LaMichael James- RB, Oregon

2009 Statistics

230 carries 1546 yards, 14 TDs

James emerged after the suspension of LaGarrett Blount last season, rushing for over 1500 yards as a freshman.  This year he will be relied on even moreso following the suspension and subsequent removal of Heisman candidate Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback.  With an unproven signal caller, James should be a workhorse.  It also doesn’t hurt that he has an experienced offensive line returning as well.

James will have to prove he can shoulder the load in spite of his small frame, as he is only 5′9 and weighs in around 180 lbs.  Another factor is whether or not he is overshadowed by the tumultous offseason the program endured, and whether that will have an effect on the teams overall record.

Christian Ponder- QB, Florida State University

2009 Statistics:

227-330 68.8% 2717 yards 14 TD 7 Int

Ponder was well on his way to putting up Heisman-type numbers before an injury cut his season short last year.  He has all the tools of a top flight quarterback, but will have to prove that he has recovered from his blow out shoulder.  He also needs to be more consistent on a weekly basis, as blowouts against the likes of BYU will likely damage his chances in the upcoming season.  Plus, it remains to be seen how the team will be affected by the fact that Bobby Bowden is no longer on the sidelines or leading the team through the tunnel.

Terrelle Pryor- QB, Ohio State University

2009 Statistics:

167-295 56.6% 2094 yds.  18 TD 11 Int

162 rushing attempts, 779 yds rushing, 7 TD

Unlike almost every other publications or pundit, we here at the Kickoffzone blog are not on the “Terrelle Pryor for Heisman” bandwagon yet.  In fact, I have him rated below seven other quarterbacks on my Heisman watch list.  If this sounds ridiculous, well… sue us. 

In the long run, Pryor has yet to perform with any sort of consistency.  He had a solid Rose Bowl performance against the University of Oregon, but his numbers weren’t all that impressive.  He’s no Vince Young… yet.  In fact, we rate Tyrod Taylor higher, at this point.

In his favor, Pryor probably has more potential than anyone at his position in college football.  When he is on, he is an unbelievable football player, showing a lethal combination of speed and arm strength.  He just has to prove that he can put it all together on a weekly basis, and much like Ponder, he can’t afford to underperform against the likes of Purdue if he wants to be a contender for the most prestigous, and controversial award in college football.

Josh Nesbitt- QB, Georgia Tech

2009 Stats:

Passing: 75-162 46.3% 1701 yards 10 TD 5 Int

Rushing: 279 Att.  1037 yds, 18 TD

Possibly the most unconventional name to make more than one Heisman watch list is Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt.  Not since Nebraska’s Eric Crouch has an option quarterback been a serious contender for the award and Nesbitt may not change that, but he could be rated highly enough to make the trip to New York at the end of the season. 

It all depends on how successful the Jackets are.  If they make the ACC Title game again, then you can bet that Nesbitt will have had a successful season, and that he will get some consideration.  He will need to put up monster numbers on the ground, while staying efficient, if not accurate, through the air. 

John Clay- RB, University of Wisconsin

2009 Stats:

287 Att.  1,587 yds 18 TD

John Clay is just the latest in a long line of successful Wisconsin running backs to reach an all-conference level.  His numbers are very impressive, and at 6′1 and weighing in at 250 lbs., he’s got Dayne-like size.

Clay has two things going against him.  The first is his conference.  Wisconsin, despite the fact that they contend for the title on a yearly basis, are always overshadowed in the media by the big market teams.  Although it may not be deserved, Terrelle Pryor will get the majority of the Heisman spotlight at the beginning of the season.  The second is ”the fact that he is a running back for the University of Wisconsin.”   The Badgers always turn out successful running backs who gain 1000+ yards a season.  Many voters may feel that he’s just a product of his system, much the way a Texas Tech qb may be the product of their system, which will likely diminish their Heisman value.

Tags: Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 10 Conference, College Football, College Football Power Rankings, Florida State, Heisman Watch, NCAA, Ohio State University, Preseason College Football Rankings, Preseason Prognostications, Southeastern Conference, Terrelle Pryor, Top 25, University of Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, pac 10 by Tommy
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According to ACCSports.com, the FSU Seminoles and their former coach have yet to bury the hatchet:

TALLAHASSEE — There is no word yet — and a decision isn’t necessarily expected soon — whether retired football coach Bobby Bowden will accept an offer from Florida State’s administration to return and be honored before the Seminoles’ 2010 season opener against Samford.

When the game originally was scheduled, it was expected to provide a rare treat for Bowden to coach against his alma mater. (The Birmingham, Ala., school was known as Howard College when Bowden went there.) But that was before Bowden was nudged out the door in favor of new coach Jimbo Fisher.

Though both sides put on a happy face on New Year’s Day for Bowden’s final game at the Gator Bowl, the legendary coach never hid the fact that he wanted to stay on for at least one more year. And it’s no secret that when he found out that a 35th season wasn’t going to happen, Bowden’s first reaction was to tell FSU officials that he wasn’t going to coach the bowl game.

Cooler heads eventually prevailed, and that was a good thing. Bowden was able to go out with a win against West Virginia, as opposed to the pounding his team took in the regular-season finale at Florida, and the university was able to avoid the embarrassment of a messy divorce.

But that doesn’t mean Bowden is going to rush back to be honored in 2010. And who could blame him if he chooses not to? Everything about this coaching transition has been awkward, and it likely is going to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

It has been a difficult transition period, not only because Bowden was such a beloved legend in Tallahassee, but because Jimbo Fisher has effectively dismantled many of the key ingredients that Bowden had put in place. 

Dismissing assistant coaches Chuck Amato (linebackers), Dexter Carter (running backs) and Jody Allen (defensive ends) was only the beginning. Fisher also replaced strength coach Todd Stroud and has re-tooled almost every facet of the team’s support staff.

Fisher has hired mental conditioning experts to improve the team’s psyche. He has brought in a nutritionist to monitor and make changes to the players’ diets. And he has changed numerous aspects of the Seminoles’ practice regimen.

While change is inevitable under any new coaching staff, it also can be uncomfortable in a situation where the former head coach and defensive coordinator (Mickey Andrews) were legends and the new head coach worked closely with both.

It should be said that this is a new coach, and any new coach should be afforded the luxury to make every single decision when it comes to his own personnel.  Fisher has remained diplomatic, partly because were he to say that Bowden had done things the wrong way, it would be seen as criticism.

I’m sure Fisher will probably do a good job with the Seminoles, but… that whole episode left a really bad taste in my mouth.  Personally, I felt like Bowden deserved a final year as long as it had been agreed upon that he would step down at the end of the 2010-11 season.  The FSU officials saw it differently.  Where I personally differ is that although the program had slipped a bit, it’s not like they were abysmal.  They were just average.  The whole problem lies within the fact that Bowden was a victim of his own success.  If their had not been a Bobby Bowden at Florida State, then they’d probably still be celebrating mediocrity as a triumph.

Tags: Bobby Bowden, College Football, Florida State, NCAA, coaching carousel, rumor mill by Tommy
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Former FSU football coach Bobby Bowden will find that he has lost 12 of his victories in retirement, as the FSU football program has been forced to vacate it’s wins from the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Here is ESPN’s take:

Florida State will vacate athletic victories from 2006 and 2007, including 12 credited to former football coach Bobby Bowden, as part of its penalty for an academic fraud scandal in 2006-07 involving 61 student-athletes, the school announced.

Last month, the NCAA rejected Florida State’s appeal of sanctions that affected Bowden and the football team plus nine other teams. The sanctions stemmed from a cheating scandal involving an online music course. The vacating of wins was the only penalty Florida State appealed.

The football team vacated five wins from the 2006 season, including the Emerald Bowl at the end of that season, and seven wins from 2007.

Bowden retired after the 2009 season with 389 wins over a 57-year career, the second-most in major college football behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno. The penalty leaves him with 377 wins.

The university also gave up its 2007 NCAA Division I championship in men’s track and field as well as NCAA tournament victories in women’s basketball and baseball. It vacated 22 men’s basketball wins from 2006-07, including two in the NIT; 16 women’s basketball wins in 2006-07 and six more from 2007-08; and wins or meet placings in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s golf.

Tags: Bobby Bowden, College Football, Florida State, Infractions by Tommy
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