Well I’m back and here with your Heisman watch 2006. I wanted to wait a few weeks into the season to let all the contenders show their stuff as well as some sleepers and I wanted to do it yesterday but was busy. Not only is this first edition of the Heisman Watch for ’06 but this is my first article in awhile and it’s about time. So here it is the Heisman Watch 1st edition ’06.1) Troy Smith, QB, THE Ohio State University
Troy was expected to be in the Heisman race but had tough competition against Brady Quinn. Quinn’s struggles has lead to the number one spot for Troy and rightfully so. Not only are his stats up to par but he has shown leadership as well as the playmaking ability we have seen in him since his early days as a Buckeye. This season Troy has racked up 884 passing yards and 8 TD as well as 2 rushing TD. He was able to overcome one of the first obstacles by beating Texas in Austin, getting revenge from last year. This Ohio State offense is clicking and Troy Smith is an essential part of it.
2) Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Adrian hit the Heisman scene as a freshman when he wasn’t even the best player on the team. Now Adrian is older and the main part of the offense. His balance of power and speed makes him a great all-around back. Bob Stoops isn’t holding him back either. Adrian has 117 attempts on the season for 652 yards and 7 TD. Since Rhett Bomar was released from the team, a lot pressure was put on Peterson to produce and he has. It should be interesting how Peterson will hold up when being relied on to be the offense for Oklahoma.
3) Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia
Steve Slaton is an unbelievable talent. We got a glimpse of his talent last year towards the end of the season where he started showing his potential. He hit the national scene this offseason and has lived up to the hype so far. He is an electric player, a true playmaker, who can change a game in one play. His stats show how important he is to the West Virginia offense. He has 583 yards on 84 carries and 6 TD. He also has an insane 8 yards per carry. He’s fast and elusive and makes a dynamic duo with Pat White. I expect Steve to show the entire country how good of a player he is, if they haven’t seen him already, and to help make West Virginia a National Championship contender.
4) Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
Brady was the number one Heisman hopeful before the season started and has kind of stumbled out of the gate. He wasn’t quite the Brady Quinn of late last year. He play in the first few games had him drop in Heisman polls and if not for leading a comeback from against Michigan State, he might not have been on this list. This year he has passed for 1,086 yards and 11 TD and 4 INT. The stat that pops out at you is the 58 completion percentage. This is not what Brady is known for. When Charlie Weiss came in he did something about that and Brady Quinn seems like he hasn’t been all there. The comeback against Michigan State means he is still in the Heisman race but he needs to improve if he wants to the Heisman winner by season’s end.
5) Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois
I know it seems crazy that someone from Northern Illinois can be a Heisman contender but his numbers are hard to ignore. He had 828 yards on 96 rushes and 8 TD. He also has an out of this world 8.8 yards per rush. The first thing people say is that he hasn’t faced difficult opponents. When Northern Illinois faced Ohio State, he rushed for 171 yards. Later in the season Northern Illinois faces Iowa which can be another showcase of Garrett’s talent. This question is, will he get the face time to be a serious contender. Only time will tell.
Outside looking in:
Chris Leak, QB, Florida- Leak maybe finally reaching his potential. It looks like he is getting more comfortable in Urban Meyer’s system and could finally be the leader and playmaker Florida needs.
Pat White, QB, West Virginia- Pat is the other playmaker on West Virginia and is an electric player. So far he has been overshadowed by Steve Slaton but could be in the top five as the season goes on.
Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn- He’s a big, strong back that has shown that he can become a big time running back. With a few good games we might be seeing him in the top five.
3 replies on “Heisman Watch 1st Edition”
Irons Kenny Irons was the main reason why the Tigers won on Thursday night, he is a great back, and the Gamecocks have to regret they let this kid transer. Yet another reason why Lou Holtz is deamonized here in SC.
Leak I’m biased because I’m a Florida fan, but he’s clearly been better than Quinn. The only reason you could rate Quinn above him is becuase he was favored in the preseason. Leak has led an undefeated team and played much better than Quinn.
yes very biased Yea your bias is oozing out of that comment. Even bsd, a Florida fan, does not like Leak. I’m not going to say that Leak is a bad quarterback but i don’t think he has proved that he is a better quarterback than Brady Quinn.