Trojan Wars: The Best Player Won’t Win the Heisman

By Sean Quinn

“Citizen Kane” was snubbed an Oscar back in 1941.  It lost to “How Green Was My Valley.”  Marshall Faulk was snubbed the Heisman Trophy in 1992.  He lost to Gino Toretta.  Orson Welles’ classic film went on to be called the greatest film of all time by the American Film Institute.  Marshall Faulk will probably be in the Hall of Fame someday.  I was snubbed, regrettably yet again, by the folks at People Magazine and their list of the “50 Most Beautiful People.”  All I’m shooting for is to be remembered for something, but that is neither here nor there.  Reggie Bush will probably be snubbed the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, perhaps to his teammate Matt Leinart.  Leinart will no doubt have a better career than Toretta did in the NFL.  Heck, Ryan Leaf had a more productive stint in the NFL than did Toretta.  And by no means is anyone sculpting a bronze bust in Canton for the sophomore USC running back just yet, but if the Heisman Trophy is designated for the best player in college football, Leinart’s backfield buddy should be holding some type of bronze hardware Saturday night.  

Bush has been compared to Marshall Faulk and rightly so.  They are the football equivalent of a Swiss army knife.  Bush will probably take home the same amount of Heisman’s as the current Ram’s running back did during his sophomore season at San Diego State…none.  But that doesn’t mean Bush shouldn’t win it.

There are really only four finalists, Alex Smith doesn’t count.  Utah doesn’t count.  He’s a good quarterback and they’re a good team (so the experts say), but no one will ever know how good.  Utah cheerleaders have played in as many games against national contenders as Smith has played against this season.  While Jason White and Matt Leinart were playing against powerhouses in the power conferences, Smith was competing against junior varsity squads in the Mountain West.  There is no place in the BCS for school from a small time conference and there is no place in the Heisman race for a small time conference quarterback.  Perhaps we’ll find out how good Smith is in the NFL, and we’ll definitely finally realize how bad Utah is when they get beat by a mediocre Pittsburgh team in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Orange Bowl will tell a different story, featuring the four best players in the nation.

Voters have to realize one thing, that Reggie Bush can do four things and do them very well.  He’s a multi-dimensional back, as oppose to someone like Adrian Peterson.  Bush scored 16 touchdowns to Peterson’s 15, and while all Peterson’s came on the ground, Bush’s came catching, throwing, running, and returning kicks.  The kid has more versatility and more variety than a Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson television special.  Opposing defensive coordinators are not wondering if Bush can beat them, but how, sort of like contestants matching up against Ken Jennings on “Jeopardy.”  Defenses line up against Peterson differently than they do against Bush.  Defenders can forget about Peterson if he isn’t handed the ball right off the snap because he only has three receptions this season.  Linebackers and secondaries, however, have to worry about Bush even if he isn’t handed the ball.  He has the ability to get the ball at any point during any play and take it to the end zone.  He’s the only guy in college football that you can say that about.

Peterson may very well be the best back in the country statistically, carrying the ball over 300 times, gaining over 1,800 yards in just 12 games.  And there is the light fact that this freshman is built like a freight train and leaves linebackers on their cabooses.  But no freshman has ever won the Heisman and voters won’t be tempted to break the tradition this year.  No sophomore has ever won the Heisman either, for that matter.  But voters haven’t seen a back this explosive since Marcus Allen, who Bush ranks second in all-purpose yards for a season at USC.

The Sooner running back will have to wait for later for his Heisman.  His age hasn’t stopped him from reaching the end zone, but it will stop him from being the first frosh to win the award.  He also has one more obstacle in his way, his quarterback Jason White.

White has thrown for 33 touchdowns and been picked off only six times.  That is ridiculous.  It’s even more impressive considering the fact he threw just about as many interceptions and threw no touchdowns his final two games of last season, en route to two losses, including the national championship.  As the defending Heisman winner, White put on a stellar campaign this season and has numbers good enough to make him only the second man to win the award twice.  Voters, however, don’t want to put him in the same company as Archie Griffin.  Add this to the fact that votes will be split between the two OU teammates like a J-Lo marriage, and the Heisman seems to fall right into the lap of Bush’s quarterback Matt Leinart.

Leinart has had a better season than his predecessor Carson Palmer did, when he won the Heisman two years ago.  He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in 10 games and hasn’t had a multi-interception game while leading his team to an undefeated season.  The kid is like a gummy bear, the way he sits in the pocket and just keeps getting hotter with every completion.  Perhaps his most impressive feat has been throwing for almost 30 touchdowns and 3,000 yards without the help of Mike Williams.  Can  you even imagine if Leinart had Mike Williams?  Pete Carroll wouldn’t even have to show up on Saturdays.  It would be like adding another palm tree to an already tropical paradise.  

Paradise might be lost, on the other hand, for Reggie Bush.  Despite his play making abilities and the fact he excels at more positions than Paris Hilton on camera, Bush won’t win the Heisman.  It will be given to Matt Leinart.  He is deserving, but he isn’t even the best player on his team.  We all know Jason White wouldn’t be anywhere without the pounding ground game of Adrian Peterson, but Leinart and the Trojans wouldn’t even be Pac-10 Champions without the help of Bush.  His cuts are sharper and quicker than the ones that made Sheryl Crow write about in a song.  His speed makes people say Deion who?  And his ability to score from anywhere on the field makes people wonder if they have ever seen anyone this explosive.  Voters will come to the conclusion, though, that he doesn’t touch the ball enough.  That his rushing stats aren’t Heisman worthy and his receiving stats aren’t worthy, either.  Well, that’s because he isn’t just a rusher or a receiver or a returner, he is the total package. They’ll say he could never handle 30 touches per game on the ground, like Peterson or Texas’ Cedric Benson.  They’re right, 30 touches on the ground for Bush wouldn’t be enough.  He’s a game breaker and a backbreaker, but Saturday night the voters will be the heartbreakers to Reggie Bush.  Somehow Leinart will get more votes because he’s the quarterback and he is the guy who got Bush those seven passing touchdowns.  Bush should win, but Leinart will win.  After all, maybe there is only room for one Bush to win in 2004.