Heismanpundit

Hot off the presses…

This week’s poll (first place votes in parantheses):

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida–60 (8)

2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas–57 (5)

3. Jahvid Best, RB, Cal–35

4. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State–10

5. Max Hall, QB, BYU–9

6. Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State–7

7. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame–5

8. Joe McKnight, RB, USC–4

9. Jevan Snead, QB, Mississippi–3

      Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee–3

11. Taylor Mays, DB, USC–1

      Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama–1

About the Poll

The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on.  Last year’s Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote.

Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.

Chris Huston, owner of Heismanpundit.com, coordinates and also votes in the weekly poll.
 
HP’s Thoughts

The injury to Sam Bradford jumbles the race quite a bit.  Tebow and McCoy are a solid 1-2, with Best, Bryant and Hall gaining strength.   The top five should be unchanged after this weekend, but don’t be surprised if Clausen or McKnight surges into contention after high profile games against Michigan and Ohio State, respectively.
 
From a Voter

“Even though I voted Tebow first and McCoy second, I really don’t see much separating those two right now. It’s more like 1A and 1B. I don’t see that changing much in coming weeks. The rest of my ballot, though, was in complete turmoil. Bradford’s injury bounced him entirely, and I had a hard time deciding who to put where. Best? Snead? Clausen? I even gave Case Keenum a look. If Week One is any indication of what the season will be like, it’s going to be crazy.– Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman
 
Heisman Game of the Week
 
No. 3 USC at No. 8 Ohio State.  These two elite programs have won 14 Heismans between them, including four of the last seven.  If Buckeye quarterback Terrelle Pryor can engineer the upset in the Horseshoe, he’ll immediately pop up on every voter’s short list.  Meanwhile, USC’s McKnight has a chance to prove that he really is the next great Trojan tailback (it’s a position Heisman voters love).  Rain could be a factor in this one.  
 
Player to Watch

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame.  Clausen has been on fire lately, throwing for 716 yards and nine touchdowns in his last two games.  It looks like he’s finally living up to the considerable hype that surrounded him coming out of high school.  This week, the Irish take on a much-improved Michigan squad and if he performs well, he’ll be set up for serious Heisman run.  Never underestimate the power of the Notre Dame quarterback mystique.
 
This Week in Heisman History

UCLA’s Gary Beban–dubbed “The Great One” by coach Tommy Prothro–went just 9 of 20 for 109 yards though the air, but turned a key 4th and 2 into a tackle-breaking 27-yard touchdown run with four minutes left to lead the No. 6 Bruins to a 20-16 win over No. 9 Tennessee in 1967.  Beban would go on to edge O.J. Simpson for the Heisman Trophy.