Heismanpundit.com has compiled its 10 rules to winning the Heisman–”The 10 Heismandments,” if you will.

The more Heismandments that apply to a player, the better his chances are of winning.

THE 10 HEISMANDMENTS

1. The winner must be a quarterback, a running back, or a multi-threat athlete.

2. Juniors and seniors have the overwhelming advantage in the Heisman race and, as a general rule, will win over an underclassman.  But a sophomore from a traditional power who puts up extraordinary single-season numbers can’t be discounted.

3. The winner must put up good numbers in big games on TV.

4. The winner must have some prior name recognition.

The only way to overcome lack of prior name recognition is by producing a season that is head and shoulders above the other challengers.

5. The winner must be one or more of the following three:

a. The top player on a national title contender.

b. A player who puts up good numbers for a traditional power that has a good record.

c. A player who puts up superlative single-season or career numbers on a good team, or numbers which are way out ahead of his Heisman competitors.

6. The winner cannot be considered an obvious product of his team’s system.

Call this the Andre Ware rule. Basically, this means that voters are unimpressed by huge stats put up by an individual in offensive systems conducive for huge numbers. Voters at one time were impressed (back when many of these systems were new and in vogue), but most have reached a level of sophistication where they are no longer completely fooled by big numbers alone. They will also look at the how the candidate fared against good teams and if the numbers are lacking, the player will suffer.

7. If you are a quarterback, running back or multi-purpose athlete at one of the following schools, you have a good chance to win if you have a very good statistical season, are an upperclassmen and your team wins at least 9 games: Notre Dame, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, Florida and Florida State.

These 10 schools have won 15 of the previous 17 Heismans as well as each of the last nine.

8. There are statistical benchmarks for each position in order to be considered:

a. If you are a running back, you need to gain at least 2,000 yards if you are NOT on a traditional power or a national championship contender. This is a number that is slowly rising as more backs hit that mark. If you are on a traditional power or national title contender, you must gain at least 1,700 yards. In either case, you also must score at least 15 touchdowns.

b. If you are a passing quarterback on a traditional power or national title contender, you need to pass for at least 3,000 yards and must have at least a 2-1 touchdown to interception ratio, with at least 20 TD passes and an efficiency rating of at least 135.0.

c. If you are a running quarterback on a traditional power or a national title contender, you must reach the 1,000-yard mark rushing in spectacular fashion and also be a decent passer.

d. If you are a multi-threat athlete, you can only win if you produce spectacular plays on special teams, specifically kick and punt returns.

9. There will never be another two-time Heisman winner.

10. The winner must be likeable.

  • Share/Bookmark



Comments

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 7th, 2004 at 12:24 am and is filed under The 10 Heismandments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
27 Comments so far

  1. A Little Recap of Where We’ve Been | Heismanpundit on June 16, 2008 4:31 am

    [...] to provide a guideline for how to determine the winner of the Heisman.  You can read about the Heismandments over on the left sidebar.  Using the Heismandments, we were the first to call the race for Matt [...]

  2. Archie On Tebow And Winning It Twice | Heismanpundit on July 18, 2008 5:28 pm

    [...] almost sounds as if Griffin has read the Heismandments as he echoes what we’ve always thought about the difficulty of winning it twice: FT: Do you [...]

  3. Could Tebow Be The Next Grover Cleveland? | Heismanpundit on July 22, 2008 7:07 pm

    [...] reader asked me the question in the comments below:  Will the Heismandments allow for a two-time winner, but in non-consecutive [...]

  4. The 2008 Preseason HP Heisman Watch | Heismanpundit on August 26, 2008 2:08 am

    [...] (so calm down Gator fans), but a gauge of the strengths of each of the top candidates based on The Ten Heismandments. Other players who are not on this list will get votes and finish high in the race but won’t [...]

  5. http://h.caknugik.com/bv on October 27, 2008 2:04 pm

    Mp100im…

    UpUlft0 | Patinal Magic …

  6. http://b.caknugik.com/jf on October 27, 2008 2:08 pm

    Rm4489ss…

    BCtI5t0 | Owner Financing 26501 …

  7. http://6.pidwvpshm.com/3b on October 28, 2008 3:55 am

    How To Spurt New Leave Growth On Plants…

    Pitmwt0 | Video Search Clips …

  8. http://6.cnodhuhfz.com/3e on October 28, 2008 5:02 am

    South Suburban Chicago…

    duG1qt0 | Agway Stores In Pa …

  9. http://l.moonowgagi.com/f on October 28, 2008 8:07 am

    Dmc Fx-50…

    ZDkQht0 | West-models Free Pics …

  10. http://i.cigenquefu.com/fq on October 28, 2008 9:18 am

    Punk Daftly Playing House…

    5cl5vt0 | Jim Bennett Vreb Victoria Bc …

  11. http://a.moonowgagi.com/ak on October 28, 2008 9:19 am

    Ken Ithiphol…

    AebIbt0 | Enunciating Web Site …

  12. http://f.cigenquefu.com/ao on October 28, 2008 10:27 am

    Can A 4.5 Inch Penis Furtilize…

    W231kt0 | Hhttp Yahoo Web …

  13. Lindsay on the Heisman | Heismanpundit on November 18, 2008 3:56 pm

    [...] The Heismandments aren’t perfect–last year proved that–but they are a generally reliable guideline to figuring out who will win the Heisman.  I expect this year to be no different. [...]

  14. The HP Heisman Watch | Heismanpundit on November 25, 2008 12:37 pm

    [...] player is a sophomore and the other is going for his second-straight Heisman.  Given our belief in the Heismandments, I think that tilts the advantage to the junior in this race who has not yet won the [...]

  15. The Heisandments Spotlighted | Heismanpundit on December 5, 2008 2:13 pm

    [...] to the magic of Google Alerts , I found out that The Ten Heismandments were featured as an item on a news show out in Little Rock.  [...]

  16. Will A Heismandment be Retired? | Heismanpundit on December 7, 2008 3:51 pm

    [...] Colt McCoy does not win the Heisman, that will mean that, for the second-straight season, a Heismandment will have been [...]

  17. Making The Call | Heismanpundit on December 10, 2008 5:05 pm

    [...] there is the influence of the Heismandments which, frankly, could be in need of some Heismend-ing after this season is over.  Usually, the [...]

  18. http://musicbrokering.com/pix/page.php?p=2609603&f=56 on January 10, 2009 5:11 pm

    bedroom furnished suite north vancouver…

    B00bst0 | free zenith radio schematic …

  19. http://lernkick.at/test/page.php?p=7262927&f=39 on January 16, 2009 12:45 am

    g nter r big…

    l698qt0 | bloomington schools in minnesota …

  20. This should be the most excruciating Heisman race ever | Sports News Images and Videos on August 31, 2009 11:00 am

    [...] Where I see the trophy as an irrelevant political award reduced by marginally informed pundits to a handful of arbitrary criteria that automatically eliminates roughly 90 percent of deserving candidates before the season begins, [...]

  21. http://heismanpundit.com/2009/07/27/sample-post on September 2, 2009 2:18 pm

    [...] – 6,316 viewsHeisman 2009: Most Likely To… – 2,250 viewsQ&A With Norm Chow – 1,926 viewsTHE 10 HEISMANDMENTS – 1,478 viewsThe 2009 HP Preseason Heisman Watch – 1,103 [...]

  22. The Round Up | Heismanpundit on September 23, 2009 3:17 am

    [...] Are Up – 10,497 viewsHeisman 2009: Most Likely To… – 2,675 viewsTHE 10 HEISMANDMENTS – 2,233 viewsQ&A With Norm Chow – 2,182 viewsThe 2009 HP Preseason Heisman Watch – 1,789 [...]

  23. The Heisman Watch and the Heisman Poll | Heismanpundit on October 6, 2009 11:39 pm

    [...] Are Up – 13,018 viewsHeisman 2009: Most Likely To… – 3,179 viewsTHE 10 HEISMANDMENTS – 2,718 viewsQ&A with Cal’s Jahvid Best – 2,344 viewsQ&A With Norm Chow – 2,323 [...]

  24. Alternate Reality Heisman: Making the case for Josh Nesbitt | Florida Sports Net on November 24, 2009 3:37 pm

    [...] most interesting aspect of the Heisman Trophy is always the players it excludes as a matter of course. With the field of favorites rapidly narrowing down the stretch, Alternate [...]

  25. Alternate Reality Heisman: Making the case for Brandon Graham | Sports News Images and Videos on November 27, 2009 7:41 pm

    [...] 28, 2009 The most interesting aspect of the Heisman Trophy is always the players it excludes as a matter of course. With the field of favorites rapidly narrowing down the stretch, Alternate [...]

  26. Heisman Predictor? | Heismanpundit on December 4, 2009 1:37 pm

    [...] Heisman Poll, 10/27 – 6,532 viewsHeisman 2009: Most Likely To… – 6,050 viewsTHE 10 HEISMANDMENTS – 5,529 [...]

  27. Suh, uncertainty reign over the most dramatic Heisman vote in ages | Florida Sports Net on December 11, 2009 1:09 pm

    [...] is the only serious candidate in my lifetime who brazenly flouts every single unwritten rule about who is “allowed” to win the Heisman: He doesn’t play quarterback, running [...]

Name

Email

Website

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Share your wisdom


HOUSTON RODEO TICKETS
-------------------------------

SBG Global is your online sportsbook for betting on college football and updated BCS odds! SBG Global offers college football betting, quarters and halftime odds, unique online betting options like BCS odds to win and numerous sports betting prop wagers like betting on the Heisman!

----------------------------
Plaudits

"Heisman Pundit knows what he's talking about ... which is more than I can say of some pundits."--SI's Stewart Mandel

"Always entertaining. He takes the Heisman more seriously than probably 99% of the Heisman voters themselves."--ESPN's Bruce Feldman

"Heisman Pundit is the quintessential source for analysis of the greatest individual trophy in the sporting world."--Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart

"Indispensable."--SI's Austin Murphy

"...definitely required reading."--EDSBS

-------------------------------

Vegas Sports Odds is your source for college football betting game reviews, college football odds with NCAAF match-ups and NFL odds.

-------------------------------

Sports-Gambling.com sportsbook offers NFL betting with live college football betting odds.

-------------------------------