It would have been too easy to title this post as "Strike a Pose." Everybody would have known exactly what I was talkin' about.
Yes, it's THAT time of year again. T-minus 31 days until the start of college football. None of the major polls are out, but all the talk has centered around defending national champ Texas and how Mack Brown will replace Vince Young, and on the two teams who met in last season's Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame and Ohio State.
There's four guys on those two squads who have a shot at the Heisman this season: senior wide out Jeff Samardzija and senior signal caller Brady Quinn could be in New York representing the Irish this December, while senior quarterback Troy Smith, and junior do-everything returner/wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. could rep "O-H. I-O."
There's also a number of other guys who could end up hoisting the memorial trophy. Some of them play on BCS bowl contenders. Some of them play on middle of the road squads that have a chance at a solid season.
So, without further ado, here's my list of Heisman candidates for the 2006 College Football season.
--Brady Quinn, Sr. QB, Notre Dame: Head coach Charlie Weiss has turned this Tyrone Willingham recruit into the likely number one pick in next year's NFL Draft. Quinn put up some crazy number last season: 32 TDs, 3,919 yards, and a 65 percent completion rate. If he can duplicate those numbers, and the Irish can make it through a schedule that includes Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA and USC relatively unscathed, Quinn could take home the memorial trophy this year.
--Adrian Peterson, Jr. RB, Oklahoma: Peterson was invited to NYC as a freshman after tallying 15 scores and 1,925 yards. He hit what some would term a sophomore slump last year with a couple of injuries "slowing him down." AD still recorded 14 touchdowns and 1,108 yards. If he can regain his frosh form, Peterson could make it back-to-back tailbacks to win the Heisman.
--Michael Bush, Sr. RB, Louisville: His Cardinals squad has a chance to stay in the national title hunt this year. Bobby Petrino's group has just two tough games on its schedule: Miami (Fl.) on Sept. 16 and West Virginia on Nov. 2. Both of those games are at home. Michael played second fiddle to the other Bush last season, but his numbers were second to none. On 205 carries, Bush rushed for 1,143 yards and 23 scores. Michael could be this year's "El Presidente."
--Drew Stanton, Sr. QB, Michigan State: When healthy, Stanton is possibly the best signal caller in college football. With his Spartan squad's sketchy defensive play, lack of a kicking game and questionable coaching decisions, Stanton is the most important player to his team in the nation. This selection is completely dependent on State not having its annual swoon following their game against in-state rival Michigan and finishing with at least nine wins. Stanton's numbers speak for themselves: 67 percent completions, 3,077 yards, 22 TDs.
--Troy Smith, Sr. QB, Ohio State: Once he was given the reins, Smith played well for the Buckeyes last season. He missed the first game-and-a-half due to a suspension and went on to record 2,282 yards and 16 touchdowns on 64 percent. He'll probably be hyped up as this year's Vince Young. Like Young, Smith played well in his team's biggest games. He threw for 300 yards in Ann Arbor in a 25-21 win over Michigan. Smith also threw for 345 yards in the Buckeyes' Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame
My name is Jason Carmel Davis, and I am a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Journalism. Yes, we do go to class in East Lansing, not just to bars and the liquor store.
I'm almost positive I had an SI with me in the womb, checking out Ralph Wiley. He's the main reason I ever decided to pursue a career in sportswriting .
I even remember the first highlight I ever saw on SportsCenter. I don't remember who was reading it, but it was Michael Jordan's 63-point game against the Celtics in the Garden in the 86 Playoffs. I've been hooked ever since.
