The Heisman Trophy is perhaps the most prestigious individual award in all of sports. To receive the award, is to become a legend. And while it is supposed to be presented annually to the nation's most outstanding player, some would argue that is not always the case.
On the eve of the 75th presentation of the award, we take a look at this year's finalists and the history of college football's most coveted award.
The Heisman Trophy Trust has presented the award since 1935, when Chicago University halfback Jay Berwanger took home the first bronze statue.
Since then, 69 of the 74 winners have been either quarterbacks or running backs. Only one defensive player, Michigan's Charles Woodson, has ever won the award.
Among the finalists this year are two quarterbacks, two running backs, and one defensive tackle.
Recent history would lead one to believe that it will be a quarterback walking away with the trophy come Saturday.
Since the year 2000, only one non-QB has been awarded the trophy, and of the previous nine winners, eight of them have been on teams playing in a BCS Bowl. Seven of the nine have played for the national championship.
So, if history serves us right, Texas' Colt McCoy will come away with the trophy tomorrow night.
McCoy came in second last year in Heisman voting to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, and although his 3512 yards passing and 27 touchdowns are a drop-off from his 2008 numbers, McCoy appears to be the perfect candidate.
McCoy is the quarterback for the unbeaten Texas Longhorns and lately, the Heisman is more about hype, and what one accomplished last year, and what your team has done over the last ten years, rather than about what has been done this year.
If McCoy did not have the success he had last year, and if he did not play for second-ranked, and unbeaten Texas, would he still be invited as a finalist? Unlikely; here's proof:
As previously stated, this season Colt McCoy has thrown for 3512 yards, 27 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and compiled a 147.5 passer rating.
While these are good numbers, McCoy does not place in the top five in any other these categories.
Houston's Case Keenum has thrown for 5449 yards, 43 TD's and a 159.3 passer rating while only tossing 9 interceptions.
Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen threw for 3722 yards, 28 TD's and a 161.4 passer rating with only four picks.
Boise State's Kellen Moore has compiled 3325 yards passing, 39 touchdowns and a 167.3 passing rating while throwing only three interceptions.
On paper, all three of these players appear to be more deserving than McCoy, however, none of them are playing for the national title, and none of them had the pre-season hype that McCoy did.
"The Heisman Trophy is one of those awards that has evolved to 50 percent of it is about pre-season hype, 25 percent is about giving it to somebody on the undefeated team, and 25 percent is about what the player is accomplishing," said Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose running back Toby Gerhart is also a finalist for the award.
Among the other 2009 finalists are Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, Alabama's Mark Ingram, and Florida's Tim Tebow.
Tebow won the award as a sophomore in 2007, and was a finalist again a year ago. But what has he done this year to deserve another invitation?
He ranks 49th nationally in passing yards, 39th in touchdown passes, and 112th in passer rating.
However, the gators are the reining national champions and finished with an 11-1 record in 2009.
If the award was really given to college football's most outstanding player, Suh might be the clear winner. However, since Suh is a defensive lineman, the cards are stacked against him.
On the season, Suh has 82 tackles, 12 sacks, and an interception.
Also, don't be surprised if Colt McCoy stays away from Suh at the ceremony after he was harassed by the Nebraska lineman last weekend. Suh sacked McCoy four and a half times.
Stanford running back Toby Gerhart leads the nation in both rushing yards (1736) and rushing touchdowns (26).
Ingram is 5th in yards with 1542, and 14th in touchdowns among backs with 15. However, Ingram plays for undefeated Alabama while Gerhart plays for 8-4 Stanford.
In theory, the award should be given to either Suh or Gerhart, but will that be the case? History says no.
