Capital One Bowl Review:Carr goes out a winner

by Drew Smith of Fantasy College Blitz

The Capital One Bowl matched up two of college football’s elite programs as the Wolverines traveled to the Sunshine State to face the Gators, one of the more interesting games in this bowl season. Not only was the game itself fun as we saw the Wolverines outlast the Gators 41-35 but we also got to see the end of Big Blue football as we know it as we will be seeing a whole new style as Rich Rodriguez is going to bring the spread option to Ann Arbor.

This bowl game represents the last of the Lloyd Carr era and the last of the Wolverines offense of the last few years as QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart, WR Mario Manningham and WR Adrian Arrington will all try to make it at the next level. On the other side of the ball we got to see an offense that has clearly become just the QB Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin show where every play we get to see how creative Urban Meyer can be to get the ball into their hands.

Fantasy Impact:

Tebow wins Heisman

Many historical Heisman precedents crumbled when sophomore Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy Saturday Night. T2 gathered over half the first place votes, and has that lovely trophy to add to his unanimous First Team All-American QB spot over at Fantasy College Blitz.

Likewise, Tebow’s new trophy only adds to the list of firsts accomplished this season the two largest being:

• First underclassmen to win (I think Herschel Walker was runner-up as a freshman in 1981).
• First Major College player to throw for 20 TDs and run for 20 TDs in the same season.
• Superman wore Tim Tebow pajamas

Here is how the voting ended (thanks, USA Today):

Player First Second Third Total Tim Tebow, Florida 462 229 113 1957 Darren McFadden, Arkansas 291 355 120 1703 Colt Brennan, Hawaii 54 114 242 632 Chase Daniel, Missouri 25 84 182 425 Dennis Dixon, Oregon 17 31 65 178 Pat White, West Virginia 16 28 46 150 Matt Ryan, Boston College 9 7 22 63 Kevin Smith, Central Florida 3 11 24 55 Glenn Dorsey, LSU 3 6 9 30 Chris Long, Virginia 1 2 10 17

Heisman Rankings: Too much Tebow

I yield to my detractors that the Gators are not involved in games of national import anymore, but if the trophy is to go to the “Most Outstanding Player” (MOP just doesn’t sound as good) the hardware must go to the guy in Smallville, er, Gainesville.

1. Tim Tebow, QB Florida

Tim, just stop with all this mind-bending TD scoring will ya? For goodness sake, you just took out one of my favorite fantasy college football QBs of all time, Chance Harridge of Air Force who had held the national record for QB rushing TDs with 22 in 2002.

You are in the SEC, and numbers like this just are not supposed to happen against the conference with the best history of feeding talent to the NFL. Tom Brady was quoted to say “Damn, Tebow has got some stats!” Kinda like what the Patriots are doing against the creme de la creme of the NFL, this assault on the record books will not be treated kindly by the purists.

Know what I like to say about purists? Puck the Furists. Get with the program - by the time Timmy is done the SEC record book will be reissued as Tebow’s first novel. Like any good tome, it will ooze with intrigue, drama and feats of wonder to marvel the reader, then shock them when they realize that is was all true.

Some are already calling the trophy the HE15MAN.

2. Chase Daniel, QB Missouri

Any other year and Daniel would have a clear edge in my book - a charismatic signal-caller for one of the nation’s best teams pushing his teammates beyond what many thought to be their limits. I would not be upset at all to see Daniel grab the award, I just think Tebow is too valuable to his team regardless of age.

In two years we may look back at all the quality talent surrounding Daniel as he assaulted the weak Big 12 defense, but right now he is the maestro and deserves much consideration for the Heisman.

3. Pat White, QB West Virginia

Readers may ask “WTF did he come from on your rankings?” and I am here declaring mea culpa - Pat, I am so sorry for leaving you off my list for the last month. Sometimes great performances are taken for granted and I am guilty as charged of being numbed by the big numbers coming out of Morgantown the last few years. White’s last three games, combined with the tarnishing first-half of Todd Reesing, puts Pat White in my Top Three.

4. Kevin Smith, RB UCF

More stumping for this RB who simply set the Florida college record for rushing yards in a season, is the only offensive star on a Conference USA championship team and leads the nation in TDs scored. See John Huss’ well-reasoned article at Fantasy College Blitz to support 24K for the award over a media darling like Darren McFadden.

That ends the list of who I would vote for and I believe most deserving. Here goes with the rest of the contenders:

5. Darren McFadden (NFL #1 DC, but too inconsistent this year.)
6. Colt Brennan (history’s leading TD passer could go 12-0)
7. Todd Reesing (quite valuable to the Jayhawks - Kerry Meier would not have made this season the same.)
8. Graham Harrell (stat hog)
9. Matt Ryan (too many picks - an East Coast Derek Anderson circa 2003)
10. Dennis Dixon (if healthy and winning could have had a shot)

Heisman Rankings

Sorry Dennis Dixon, but the injury knocks you off my list…

1. Tim Tebow, QB Florida

Only player in history to eclipse 20 TD both passing and rushing. Tied SEC record for rushing TD in a season. Without Tebow (left, ICON SMI) the Gators are barely .500 due to the rebuilding defense. Tebow has not had a bad game yet statistically or leadership wise. Regardless of Sophomore standing, he is the best player in college football.

2. Chase Daniel, QB Missouri

Daniel is #2 because Dixon gets hurt and the team quits about 15 minutes later - maybe that shows his worth, but a leader needs to inspire even when not capable of playing (see Brennan, Colt). Chase does deserve the accolades based on the 30-9 ratio and the strong 10-1 record - heck, he has to make up for the worst punting unit in the country! and that only loss was to a pretty good Illinois in Week One. If he comes up big in the Kansas game this weekend he might earn some #1 votes unless…

3. Todd Reesing, QB Kansas

The leader of the Cinderella story of 2007. When teams many deemed better can’t close the important games, the Jayhawks continue to win. Reesing is 8th in QB efficiency and has a better 30-4 ratio than Daniel, but in this race you kinda have to count off for strength of schedule. Again, this all could change if the Jayhawks take out Mizzou and then take on the Big 12 Championship.

4. Kevin Smith, RB UCF

Carrying a team on your back is what the Heisman is all about, so 24K is perfect candidate - except he plays in Conference USA. Leads nation in TDs and been extremely consistent with only one sub-par game at USF.

5. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech - huge ten games over 400 yards this year, an NCAA record. four losses is a killer to his chances (PS - how good will he be next year when the receivers are more comfy?)

Also, sorry to Matt Ryan - great comeback win over Clemson, but those last two games knocked you so far back that it will be hard to get you back on it.

Week Ten Top Performers

Eight 400-yard passers, five 200-yard runners and six 150-yard receivers pace a very offensive Week Ten review.

PASSING (COMP-ATT-YDS-TD-INT)

1. Chase Clement, Rice vs. UTEP, 32-58-395T6, 3 int
2. Todd Reesing, Kansas vs. Nebraska, 30-41-354T6
3. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M, 21-30-284T5
4. Chase Daniel, Missouri vs. Colorado, 26-44-421T5, 1 int
5. Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP vs. Rice, 30-57-373T5
6. Joe Craddock, Middle Tenn. vs. LA-Monroe, 22-29-401T4
7. Dennis Dixon (right, ICON SMI), Oregon vs. AZ State, 13-22-189T4
8. Martin Hankins, Memphis vs. E. Carolina, 34-60-416T4, 2 int
9. Chase Holbrook, NM State vs. Nevada, 35-49-407T4
10.Kellen Lewis, Indiana vs. Ball State, 22-35-354T4, 1 int
11.Max Hall, BYU vs. Colorado State, 22-30-355T3
12.Graham Harrell, Texas Tech vs Baylor, 37-46-433T3
13. Zac Robinson, OK State vs. Texas, 30-42-430T2

RUSHING (ATT-YDS-TD)

1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas vs. South Carolina, 35-323T1
2. Chris Johnson, East Carolina vs. Memphis, 20-301T4
3. Chad Hall, Air Force vs. Army, 34-275T1
4. Louis Rankin, Washington vs. Stanford, 36-255T1
5. Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois vs. Minnesota, 17-201T2
6. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia vs. Troy, 26-196T3
7. Kevin Smith, UCF vs. Marshall, 29-188T2
8. Jamaal Charles, Texas vs. Oklahoma State, 16-180T3
9. Calvin Dawson, LA-Monroe vs. Middle Tenn.,17-180T3
10.Chris Wells, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, 21-169T3
11. Brandon McAnderson, Kansas vs. Nebraska, 25-119T4
12. Louis Rankin, Washington vs. Stanford, 36-255T1
13. Jalen Parmele, Toledo vs. Eastern Michigan, 22-168T3

RECEIVING (REC-YDS-TD)

1. Jordy Nelson, Kansas State vs. Iowa State, 14-214T1
2. Dante Love, Ball State vs. Indiana, 14-177T0
3. Jarett Dillard, Rice vs. UTEP, 11-168T2
4. Brandon Robinson, BC vs. FSU, 7-163T1
5. Maurice Purify, Nebraska vs. Kansas, 7-158T3
6. Stephen Williams, Toledo vs. Eastern Michigan, 6-150T2
7. Demetrius Byrd, LSU vs. Alabama, 6-144T1
8. Travis Beckum, Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, 9-140T1
9. Desmond Gee, Middle Tenn vs. LA-Monroe, 4-139T2
10. Brandon Gibson, Washington St vs. Cal, 4-136T0
11. Ray Fisher, Indiana vs. Ball State, 6-134T2
12. Marko Mitchell, Nevada vs. NM State, 6-132T1
13. A.J. Harris, NM State vs. Nevada, 11-130T2
13A. Mario Manningham, Michigan vs. Michigan State, 8-129T2

Week Nine Top Performers

PASSING

1. Willie Tuitama, Arizona vs. Washington - 51att, 510 yards, T5
2. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech vs. Colorado - 62-431T3
3. Colt Brennan, Hawaii vs. NM State - 46-425T6
4. Aaron Opelt, Toledo vs. N. Illinois - 28-387T4
5. Dan LeFevour, C. Michigan vs. Kent St - 43-359T3
6. Martin Hankins, Memphis vs. Tulane - 38-355T2
7. Daniel Evans, NC State vs. Virginia - 46-347T3
8. Drew Weatherford, Florida State vs. Duke - 47-339T1
9. Jake Locker, Washington vs. Arizona - 30-336T2
10. Paul Smith, Tulsa vs. SMU - 45-336T3
11. Giorgio Moran, Kent St vs. C. Michigan - 28-247T3

RUSHING

1. Jamaal Charles, Texas vs. Nebraska - 33att, 290 yds, T3
2. Matt Forte, Tulane vs. Memphis - 44-278T2
3. Dwight Tardy, Wash. State vs. UCLA - 37-214T2
4. Anthony Alridge, Houston vs. UTEP - 27-204T0
5. Kalvin McRae, Ohio vs. Bowling Green - 42-200T3
6. Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois vs. Ball State - 28-189T2
7. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia vs. Florida - 33-188T3
8. Brandon McAnderson, Kansas vs. Texas A&M - 21-183T2
9.Kevin Smith, UCF at S. Miss - 42-175T2
9a. Albert Young, Iowa vs. Michigan State - 34-179T2
10. Marcus Thomas, UTEP vs. Houston - 28-178T0
11. Jeremy Avery, Boise State vs. Fresno - 18-124T3

RECEIVING

1. Ryan Grice-Mullen, Hawaii vs. NM State - 13 rec,195 yds, 3TD
2. Nick Moore, Toledo vs. N Illinois - 7-145T3
3. Mike Thomas, Arizona vs. Washington - 10-165T3
4. Davone Bess, Hawaii vs. NM State - 7-112T2
5. Donald Bowens, NC State vs. Virginia - 11-202T2
6. Steve Johnson, Kentucky vs. Miss. State - 3-69T2
7. Jeff Moturi, UTEP vs. Houston - 4-94T2
8. Nate Swift, Nebraska vs. Texas - 6-112T 2
9. Thomas White, Baylor vs. Kansas State 4-118T2
10. Bryan Anderson, C. Michigan vs. Kent St - 10-142T1
11. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech vs. Colorado - 12-131T1
12. Kenny McKinley, S. Carolina vs. Tennessee - 14-151T1

Why not Michael Crabtree for Heisman?

I want to believe in a world where the conflict in Darfur wouldn”t exist. I want to believe in a world where partisan politics do not factor in to a discussion about the merits of war against terrorism.

And on a MUCH lighter note, I want to believe in a world where Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree can win the 2007 Heisman Trophy.

Given the weight of the first two examples and the forum of this site, I will obviously focus on the Crabtree argument here. There are so many numbers to support his case, but so few historical precedents to suggest he even has a shot of getting an invite….

See the rest of the article at Fantasy College Blitz!

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