Suh for Heisman?!?!?!

[Apathy]

Tim Tebow looked horrible against a really good Alabama defense and cried at the end of the game (seeing him cry made the loss to Texas not so bad). Tebow went 20/35 throwing the ball for 247 yards w/ 1 TD and 1 INT and rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries. Tebow didn't look like himself besides on series when he tried to get the crowd involved by doing his stupid bring the noise arm flapping thing.

 

M. Ingram stock went up tremendously after is performance against the #1 team in the nation with 113 yards on 28 carries w/ 3 TD's and 2 catches for 76 yds. He is going to distroy Texas and Alabama is scary good right now and McElroy is going to pick Texas apart.

 

C.J Spiller had a huge game yesterday by running the ball 20 times for 233 yds w/ 4 TD's and 3 kick returns for a total of 63 yards.

 

Colt McCoy threw the ball 36 only completing 20 of them for 184 yds w/ 0 TD's and 3 INT's. He also ran the ball 17 times for -20 yards and 1 TD. I'm sure his stock went down a lot and if he was to win the Heisman its because of his game against Texas A&M.

 

Now its time for SUHperman

Suh had 10 Solo tackles, 2 assisted, for 12 total tackles with 7 tackles for loss of 22 yards and 4.5 sacks for 21 yards and 2 QB hurries. Suh DOMINATED the Horns last night and DOMINATED a Heisman candidate QB to a the big stage.

 

So in my opinion I think that Ingram will win it but I think that Suh will be invited to New York for the show.

[knapplc]

Andy Staples from CNN/SI thinks so:

 

The Longhorns' worthiness is debate No. 1, but another argument will rage among those who select the winner of the Heisman Trophy. Heisman voters are charged with selecting "the Most Outstanding Player in the United States in 2009," so will they? Saturday, the most outstanding player in the United States singlehandedly dismantled one of the nation's best offenses. Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finished with 12 tackles, including seven for loss and half of Nebraska's nine sacks. Suh has annihilated offenses all season, but has done so in relative obscurity. Saturday, on the biggest stage, he nearly exacted the Cornhuskers' revenge for Texas quarterback James Brown's "Roll Left" play in the first Big 12 title game in 1996.

 

Suh will be No. 1 on my inaugural Heisman ballot, but unfortunately, the majority of the 926 voters don't understand the game well enough to vote for a defensive tackle. They only watch the ball, so they almost always elect a quarterback, a running back or a wide receiver who also returns kicks. Suh, double-teamed almost every down, affected every offensive play Texas ran. We don't need to send it to the replay booth; Suh proved definitively Saturday that he deserves not just an invitation to New York but also his very own bronze replica of former New York University star Ed Smith.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I think Suh's performance last night really opened up a lot of eyes. Unfortunately, it will never happen and that's the sh**ty part about that whole award. Even Brent and Kirk conceded to the fact that Suh should, at the very least, get an invite to New York.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Andy Staples from CNN/SI thinks so:

 

The Longhorns' worthiness is debate No. 1, but another argument will rage among those who select the winner of the Heisman Trophy. Heisman voters are charged with selecting "the Most Outstanding Player in the United States in 2009," so will they? Saturday, the most outstanding player in the United States singlehandedly dismantled one of the nation's best offenses. Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finished with 12 tackles, including seven for loss and half of Nebraska's nine sacks. Suh has annihilated offenses all season, but has done so in relative obscurity. Saturday, on the biggest stage, he nearly exacted the Cornhuskers' revenge for Texas quarterback James Brown's "Roll Left" play in the first Big 12 title game in 1996.

 

Suh will be No. 1 on my inaugural Heisman ballot, but unfortunately, the majority of the 926 voters don't understand the game well enough to vote for a defensive tackle. They only watch the ball, so they almost always elect a quarterback, a running back or a wide receiver who also returns kicks. Suh, double-teamed almost every down, affected every offensive play Texas ran. We don't need to send it to the replay booth; Suh proved definitively Saturday that he deserves not just an invitation to New York but also his very own bronze replica of former New York University star Ed Smith.

As does Matt Zemek with College Football News

 

2. Ndamukong Suh is the most outstanding college football player in 2009. Period. Colt McCoy isn't anywhere close to the top this season. He deserved the award last year, but not in 2009. This is NOT a career achievement award. It's not an award for the senior quarterback on a 13-0 team from a power conference. The Heisman is also not given to a player based on six games; it's an award based on 12 games, and Suh has been a beast all season long. McCoy was genuinely horrible against Oklahoma and Colorado and mediocre against Texas Tech and Wyoming. Heisman voters, if you had the good sense to hold on to your ballots until Sunday morning, you should have a very easy choice to make after the dust has settled.

 

[Apathy]

Mark Schlabach from ESPN:

 

On first down, Suh sacked McCoy for a 2-yard loss. For most of the night, Suh looked like the most legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate on the field. He sacked McCoy 4½ times and finished with 12 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two quarterback pressures.

 

Suh should win every award for defensive players and linemen, including the Lombardi and Outland trophies. If the Heisman Trophy could be molded into a player squatting in a four-point stance, Suh would probably win the sport's most coveted individual honor, too.

[Husker_x]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if Suh is not at the very least on that stage in New York, then the award itself will have become meaningless. It isn't about the best player in football. It's about the best running back or quarterback in football. There ought to be something more prestigious that'd decided by coaches or real sports analysts. Suh is now a synonym for monstrous defense. He's not so much a player as a force of nature on the field. Give him his due.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Gene Wojciechowski seems to think he's worthy as well:

 

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Unless someone hacks into the six BCS computer programs, or enough of the combined 173 Harris and coaches poll voters flip their ballots, Sunday night's BCS selection show will be as exciting as Ken Burns' newest documentary: "Cardboard Boxes -- The Early Years."

 

Alabama will play Texas for the BCS national championship on Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl. This we know. We know this because Bama left elephant hoof prints on Florida in Saturday's SEC title game. And later Saturday night, Texas beat, if you can call it that, Nebraska in the Big 12 championship. How, I have no idea.

 

What we don't know is if the BCS national championship is the same as a national championship.

 

Alabama and Texas finished the regular season with identical 13-0 records. But so did Boise State. And Cincinnati and TCU each went 12-0.

 

And let's be honest: nobody, not even those with burnt orange Bevo tats, can say the Longhorns are better than the WAC champ Broncos, the Big East champ Bearcats or the Mountain West champ Horned Frogs. Not after Texas needed a Thanksgiving Day escape hatch against Texas A&M and not after the Longhorns bumbled around against Nebraska -- The Team That Offense Forgot.

If Hunter Lawrence's 42-yard field goal doesn't duck inside the left upright as time expires, the Longhorns are lower than Bevo doodoo. But it did. Texas won, 13-12, and Longhorns coach Mack Brown declared his team California bound.

 

"We're excited about being Big 12 champs and we will see you in Pasadena," he told the Cowboys Stadium crowd during the postgame trophy presentation.

 

Brown is probably right. According to Brad Edwards, ESPN's BCS expert, about two-thirds of the voters would have to drop Texas below TCU or Cincinnati on their final ballots. Fat chance.

 

But just because it won't happen doesn't mean it shouldn't happen. Brown's team scored exactly one touchdown against Nebraska, rushed for a grand total of 18 yards, watched its Heisman Trophy candidate throw three interceptions and its offensive line give up nine sacks. This is the other BCS title game team?

 

Still, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy did maneuver the Longhorns into field goal distance, though it helped that they got 55 yards in gift yardage from Nebraska. A kickoff that rolled out of bounds put the ball on the 40-yard line to start the drive. A horse collar tackle later added another 15-yard penalty. And Lawrence's field goal doesn't happen unless officials correctly put a single second back on the clock after an incomplete pass by McCoy appeared to end the game.

 

But if you're Cincinnati and TCU, you hope for a Sunday ballot miracle. You hope enough voters think that a 13-12 Texas win against a Nebraska team ranked 92nd in total offense isn't BCS worthy. You hope enough voters think that the Dec. 6th version of the Bearcats and Horned Frogs are better than the Dec. 5th version of the Longhorns.

 

"I don't think there could be a better matchup than Texas and Alabama," said Brown.

 

There could if you're Cincy coach Brian Kelly or TCU coach Gary Patterson.

 

Bama or Florida was going to Pasadena no matter what. But a Texas loss would have created a BCS tsunami. That's why Kelly, in the aftermath of his Bearcats' 45-44 last-minute win against Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon, openly rooted for the red and white.

 

"Go, Nebraska!" said Kelly to ESPN's Holly Rowe. "Go, Cornhuskers!"

 

If I saw Kelly cheerlead for the Huskers on the hotel room flat screen, then so did the Longhorns, who were staying in the same DFW Airport hotel. They knew Nebraska was the last and only hope for either Cincinnati or TCU to squirm their way into the No. 2 spot of the final BCS standings.

 

Maybe it was a coincidence (doubtful), but the mammoth Cowboys Stadium big screen quit showing the Bama-Florida game shortly before the Longhorns took the field for warmups. Somebody (Brown?) didn't want the Longhorns sneaking peeks at their potential Citi BCS National Championship Game opponent.

 

Didn't matter. Texas still played tighter than a face lift. It needed a muscle relaxer just to make it to the locker room for halftime.

 

Of course, Nebraska's defense had a lot to do with that. Huskers' defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (4½ sacks, 12 total tackles) spent so much time in Texas' backfield that he established in-state residency. The Longhorns' offensive line was hoping he'd declare for the NFL draft -- before the start of the third quarter.

 

Nebraska can play D, but it'd have trouble scoring a touchdown in its own spring game. The Cornhuskers, facing an accomplished Texas defense, finished with five first downs, 39 passing yards and 106 total yards.

 

So the Crimson Tide and Longhorns will play for the crystal trophy. Cincy will play for Kelly, who says he'd "entertain" a discussion with Notre Dame officials about its job opening. TCU will play to show everyone it should have been the Texas team selected for Pasadena. And Boise State will play for the same number of total victories as the winner of the BCS championship.

 

If nothing else, the BCS and its propaganda machine lucked out and don't have to explain why Boise got screwed out of a BCS bowl. Instead, the Broncos, fresh from euthanizing New Mexico State, 42-7, Saturday night, might end up in a Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against TCU. Iowa is also in the Fiesta equation.

 

For what it's worth, Fiesta president John Junker was here in all of his yellow-jacketed splendor, just in case Nebraska beat Texas. It didn't, but guess what -- TCU is just down the road in Fort Worth. Think Junker made the short drive?

 

Cincinnati is expected to play Florida in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Oregon will administer the now-annual Rose Bowl beatdown to the Big Ten, this time to Ohio State. And, oh, the FedEx Orange Bowl is going to have a game too -- not that anybody outside the campuses of Georgia Tech and, either Iowa or Boise State are going to care.

 

Saturday was supposed to be a day that would clarify and simplify a postseason. And to some extent, it did.

 

It started with Cincinnati overcoming a 21-point, first-half Pitt lead and ended with Bearcat star wide receiver Mardy Gilyard bawling like a newborn on the UC sideline. Tears of joy.

 

It continued with Bama ending the Gators' hopes of a BCS championship two-peat -- and with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow crying on the sideline. Tebow's eye-black strips read, John 16:33. But the Georgia Dome scoreboard read, Tide 32-13.

 

Meanwhile, Boise beat New Mexico State, Arizona beat USC and Georgia Tech beat Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

 

But Saturday also threw the Heisman race into chaos. McCoy entered the day as the favorite, but that was before he completed 20 of 36 passes for 184 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

 

"I think Colt played great," said Brown. "We didn't help him at times."

 

No, Suh played great; McCoy didn't. Now Heisman voters have until 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday to decide between McCoy, Suh, Stanford's Toby Gerhart, Florida's Tebow, Bama's Mark Ingram and others.

 

In the end, Saturday night in Arlington almost turned Sunday night into BCS bedlam. Lucky for Texas, almost doesn't count.

 

[I See Red People]

Ndamukong is an example of being a great college athlete and a great individual. He will go on to do great things.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Don Borst from Foxsports.com

 

Linky-Dinky-Doo

 

 

The voters should do what the Big 12 game officials didn't have the guts to do.

 

That is, put Texas Christian (or Cincinnati, for that matter) into the BCS national championship game.

It's too bad it won't happen. The referees have an excuse: They work for the Big 12 Conference, which desperately needed Texas to avoid an upset by Nebraska.

 

The voters have no excuse. They still get to choose among undefeated teams to put in the national championship game against Alabama. But chances are, they will choose Texas.

 

Four times over the years, the Big 12 has screwed itself out of the national title game with a huge upset in the conference championship game. They weren't going to allow that to happen again, no matter how dominant Ndamukong Suh was for Nebraska.

 

Look, I don't hate the Longhorns. And I don't root for TCU, or Cincinnati ... or Nebraska. I don't hate the BCS, and I don't necessarily even crave a playoff tournament.

 

But that ending of the Big 12 championship game was just wrong.

 

Here's exactly what happened: There were 24 incomplete passes in the Texas-Nebraska game. On every one of them — every single one (I know, I went back and checked in slow motion) — the game clock ticked off that second, and sometimes another. That's how it always works in this and every other game: There's a bit of a human element (the eye sending the message to the brain, the brain relaying it to the finger on the clock button, the electronic impulses prompting the clock to stop).

 

And so, when Colt McCoy inexplicably decided to run a play with six seconds remaining instead of calling timeout or, well, showing any sense of urgency, he rolled out and threw the ball away, way out of bounds, as the clock ticked down to 0:00.

 

Nebraska rushed the field, Bo Pellini's team seemingly in possession of a sensational 12-10 triumph.

 

But since Texas coach Mack Brown wanted a second placed back on the clock, and because the Big 12 wanted to have a second placed back on the clock, and because all of the six major BCS conferences HAD TO HAVE a second placed back on the clock, and because the referees figured they might never have a chance to work for the league ever again if they do this wrong ... that's how it went.

 

So, unlike every other similar play in the game, the officials overruled the clock and put 0:01 back up on the scoreboard, and Texas ran the field goal team out there and Hunter Lawrence kicked it through.

 

So, since the refs felt the need to overrule the clock, the voters can always overrule the game officials. It ain't right: Texas has no business being in the title game.

 

 

Final Heisman consideration

When Tim Tebow was ending his day in tears and Colt McCoy ended his night with nerve-induced cottonmouth, the Heisman Trophy was sitting there Saturday waiting for somebody to grab it.

 

Alabama's Mark Ingram might have done that for many voters, with his strong game against Florida capping a fine season.

 

Stanford's Toby Gerhart might have done that for others merely by sitting at home, with his body of work as the nation's leading rusher supplemented by the fact he played his best in the biggest games.

 

But for me, Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh wrapped it up Saturday (and then probably dropped it for a loss).

 

I'll admit, I like to look for players other than quarterbacks and running backs, but I don't force it. Over the years, I voted for LB Micheal Barrow in 1992 (rather than the winner, QB Gino Torretta), and OT Bryant McKinnie in 2001 (rather than QB Eric Crouch), and on various other ballots I wrote in DT Steve Emtman (second in 1991), DB Champ Bailey (third in 1998) DB Sean Taylor (third in 2003), as well as winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.

 

I make the choice judiciously. And this is a situation that calls for it.

 

Look at it the way Nick Saban does, when he said it very well: Ingram "should be considered; he's one of the best players on one of the best teams."

 

And so is Suh. The difference is, Suh would be the best player on any team he happened to play for. As offenses have tried all year, Texas tried to double-team him, and even at times triple-teamed him. None of it worked.

 

And considering the Heisman vote is supposed to be for "the outstanding college football player in the United States for 2009," he should land on lots of late-casted ballots. And he'll get at least one first-place vote.

[CENTEXHUSKER]

*snip*

But that ending of the Big 12 championship game was just wrong.

 

Here's exactly what happened: There were 24 incomplete passes in the Texas-Nebraska game. On every one of them — every single one (I know, I went back and checked in slow motion) — the game clock ticked off that second, and sometimes another. That's how it always works in this and every other game: There's a bit of a human element (the eye sending the message to the brain, the brain relaying it to the finger on the clock button, the electronic impulses prompting the clock to stop).

 

And so, when Colt McCoy inexplicably decided to run a play with six seconds remaining instead of calling timeout or, well, showing any sense of urgency, he rolled out and threw the ball away, way out of bounds, as the clock ticked down to 0:00.

 

Nebraska rushed the field, Bo Pellini's team seemingly in possession of a sensational 12-10 triumph.

 

But since Texas coach Mack Brown wanted a second placed back on the clock, and because the Big 12 wanted to have a second placed back on the clock, and because all of the six major BCS conferences HAD TO HAVE a second placed back on the clock, and because the referees figured they might never have a chance to work for the league ever again if they do this wrong ... that's how it went.

*snip*

 

I'm not going back to look, because if its true, I'll just be that more pissed...

[lilred]

In my opinion, it should be between Spiller and Suh.

[Apathy]

*snip*

But that ending of the Big 12 championship game was just wrong.

 

Here's exactly what happened: There were 24 incomplete passes in the Texas-Nebraska game. On every one of them — every single one (I know, I went back and checked in slow motion) — the game clock ticked off that second, and sometimes another. That's how it always works in this and every other game: There's a bit of a human element (the eye sending the message to the brain, the brain relaying it to the finger on the clock button, the electronic impulses prompting the clock to stop).

 

And so, when Colt McCoy inexplicably decided to run a play with six seconds remaining instead of calling timeout or, well, showing any sense of urgency, he rolled out and threw the ball away, way out of bounds, as the clock ticked down to 0:00.

 

Nebraska rushed the field, Bo Pellini's team seemingly in possession of a sensational 12-10 triumph.

 

But since Texas coach Mack Brown wanted a second placed back on the clock, and because the Big 12 wanted to have a second placed back on the clock, and because all of the six major BCS conferences HAD TO HAVE a second placed back on the clock, and because the referees figured they might never have a chance to work for the league ever again if they do this wrong ... that's how it went.

*snip*

 

I'm not going back to look, because if its true, I'll just be that more pissed...

 

WOW If that is freakin true....I'm going to flip but I don't want to go back a relive that game for another few months.

[Shansen]

Suh would have had a better chance had the Huskers won but he should at least be on the stage.

[Ohio Pete]

In my opinion, it should be between Spiller and Suh.

Gerhart was pretty good this year as well, but that should really be the top 3. Tebow, McCoy, Ingram are good college players who are playing for outstanding teams.

[Paul in WI]

He finally got to be seen on a national stage where people were forced to watch the game. If his stock didn't rise in people's eyes, they simply had their heads in the sand.

 

Not to hijack the thread.....but there is one "collective theme" in the media that is really bothering me. If Texas would have rolled us, nobody in the media would be griping about their worthiness. Since they barely squeaked by us, the media seems to be saying that Texas isn't worthy of a shot at the title. You know......that is really dissing our team and downplaying just how outstanding our defense really is. WE should be receiving some credit for being a good football team. I find it completely disrespectful to what Suh and company have done all season long.

 

Back to Suh. I'm really going to miss that guy, but I'm also going to love watching him in the NFL. Here's to hoping that our d-line continues to flourish in his absence. I think it will.