Heisman voting has been closer
By Steven Allspach | Posted: Monday, December 15, 2008
It's been said many times, many ways ...the weather outside's delightful, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
So, cuddle up with your morning coffee and morning Journal and feast on the following holiday treats.
Wrong call from this corner on Florida junior Tim Tebow being a lock to win his second Heisman Trophy. Instead, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford became the second straight sophomore (and second ever), following Tebow to the podium in New York City.
The expected close voting between Bradford, Tebow (who was third) and Colt McCoy of Texas wasn't that close.
Auburn's Bo Jackson over Iowa's Chuck Long in 1985 (45 points), Syracuse's Ernie Davis over Ohio State's Bob Ferguson in 1961 (53), initial winner Jay Berwanger of Chicago over Army's Monk Meyer in 1935 (55), Notre Dame's John Lattner over Minnesota's Paul Giel in 1953 (56), Nebraska's Eric Crouch over Florida's Rex Grossman in 2001 (62) and Notre Dame's Paul Hornung over Tennessee's Johnny Majors in 1956 (72), now, those were close.
Hot stove league. Some Cubs fan once spouted that the face of the Lovable Losers was represented by pitchers Kerry Wood and Kyle Farnsworth, they of the 100 mile per hour fastballs.
Wood is now with Cleveland and Farnsworth ($10 million arm, 10-cent head it was once reported) with Kansas City. Neither wears World Series rings.
Freshmen, eighth-graders, who'll be the first kindergartner to be offered a Division I basketball scholarship?
Read recently in the Quad City Times some breath-of-fresh-air comments from Duncan Reid, a legendary boys coach at Rock Island High School in Illinois, and Iowa coaching Hall of Famer Dave Wessel. who directed Davenport West for years.
Reid said the acceleration of summer league basketball is what drove him to retire and the problem continues. Wessel said the 3-point shot should be abolished, that it has taken away from the rest of the game.
No arguments here.
OK, perfect spot to jump in here to humbly address the vacant coaching job at Iowa State University.
Gene Chizik, who, in his short and unsuccesful stint at ISU branded some players quitters, abruptly quit this weekend to take the Auburn.
Immediately the list of potential candidates for the position surfaced.
The group includes Buffalo's Turner Gill, Tulsa's Todd Graham, Ball State's Brady Hoke, former San Diego State assistant Bob Elliott and East Carolina's Skip Holtz, among others.
Some say Gill, passed over by Auburn and Syracuse, is in line to succeed Tom Osborne as Nebraska athletic director.
A potentials list could grow goofily enormous.
How about these guys, ex-Cyclone Coach Dan McCarney (a Florida assistant), Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, youthful genius Kalen DeBoer of the University of Sioux Falls, Mark Farley of Northern Iowa.
A few bowl games come under the prove-it category.
Texas thinks it should be No. 1. Prove it by beating Ohio State in the Fiesta. USC thinks it is the best. Prove it by beating Penn State, which may be the best, in the Rose. And Utah. Prove your unbeaten worth by knocking off Alabama in the Sugar.
So, cuddle up with your morning coffee and morning Journal and feast on the following holiday treats.
Wrong call from this corner on Florida junior Tim Tebow being a lock to win his second Heisman Trophy. Instead, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford became the second straight sophomore (and second ever), following Tebow to the podium in New York City.
The expected close voting between Bradford, Tebow (who was third) and Colt McCoy of Texas wasn't that close.
Auburn's Bo Jackson over Iowa's Chuck Long in 1985 (45 points), Syracuse's Ernie Davis over Ohio State's Bob Ferguson in 1961 (53), initial winner Jay Berwanger of Chicago over Army's Monk Meyer in 1935 (55), Notre Dame's John Lattner over Minnesota's Paul Giel in 1953 (56), Nebraska's Eric Crouch over Florida's Rex Grossman in 2001 (62) and Notre Dame's Paul Hornung over Tennessee's Johnny Majors in 1956 (72), now, those were close.
Hot stove league. Some Cubs fan once spouted that the face of the Lovable Losers was represented by pitchers Kerry Wood and Kyle Farnsworth, they of the 100 mile per hour fastballs.
Wood is now with Cleveland and Farnsworth ($10 million arm, 10-cent head it was once reported) with Kansas City. Neither wears World Series rings.
Freshmen, eighth-graders, who'll be the first kindergartner to be offered a Division I basketball scholarship?
Read recently in the Quad City Times some breath-of-fresh-air comments from Duncan Reid, a legendary boys coach at Rock Island High School in Illinois, and Iowa coaching Hall of Famer Dave Wessel. who directed Davenport West for years.
Reid said the acceleration of summer league basketball is what drove him to retire and the problem continues. Wessel said the 3-point shot should be abolished, that it has taken away from the rest of the game.
No arguments here.
OK, perfect spot to jump in here to humbly address the vacant coaching job at Iowa State University.
Gene Chizik, who, in his short and unsuccesful stint at ISU branded some players quitters, abruptly quit this weekend to take the Auburn.
Immediately the list of potential candidates for the position surfaced.
The group includes Buffalo's Turner Gill, Tulsa's Todd Graham, Ball State's Brady Hoke, former San Diego State assistant Bob Elliott and East Carolina's Skip Holtz, among others.
Some say Gill, passed over by Auburn and Syracuse, is in line to succeed Tom Osborne as Nebraska athletic director.
A potentials list could grow goofily enormous.
How about these guys, ex-Cyclone Coach Dan McCarney (a Florida assistant), Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, youthful genius Kalen DeBoer of the University of Sioux Falls, Mark Farley of Northern Iowa.
A few bowl games come under the prove-it category.
Texas thinks it should be No. 1. Prove it by beating Ohio State in the Fiesta. USC thinks it is the best. Prove it by beating Penn State, which may be the best, in the Rose. And Utah. Prove your unbeaten worth by knocking off Alabama in the Sugar.
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