2009 Heisman Watch
Mark Ingram, Alabama: The sophomore has already run for 1,148 yards and eight touchdowns. He had 144 rushing yards in last week’s 24-15 victory over No. 9 LSU, gaining 106 in the second half.
Case Keenum, Houston His statistics — 3,815 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 458 pass attempts — dwarf every other quarterback in contention. Critics will argue Houston hasn’t played much competition, but Keenum beat every BCS opponent he played (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Mississippi State) this season.
Tim Tebow, Florida: Tebow is the most valuable player on the No. 1 team in the country. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner isn’t putting up the numbers we’ve grown accustomed to seeing him produce, but he doesn’t have the same playmakers surrounding him, either. His numbers weren’t great in Florida’s 27-3 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday night. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 208 yards with one touchdown and ran for 27 yards with one score. In nine games, Tebow has passed for 1,531 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions and run for 578 yards with nine scores.
Colt McCoy, Texas McCoy is coming off his best game of the season, completing 33 of 42 passes for a career-high 470 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the No. 3 Longhorns’ 35-3 rout of Central Florida. An even bigger stat: he has 41 career victories, one shy of tying former Georgia quarterback David Greene’s NCAA record of 42 career victories.
C.J. Spiller, Clemson Spiller is coming on strong, but it’s a shame he was banged up earlier in the season and that his immense talents weren’t showcased. Spiller ran for a career-high 165 yards and had 312 all-purpose yards in the Tigers’ 40-24 victory over Florida State. His 58-yard touchdown catch against the Seminoles was his 20th career touchdown of 50 yards or more.