READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
The Fading Heisman Favorites
Published: 9/27/2012 1:44 PM
Last Modified: 9/27/2012 1:44 PM

You don’t want to be among the favorites for the Heisman Trophy in the preseason.
If you are, you get no margin for error. One loss, regardless of how you play, and you’re probably out.
Ask Peyton Manning. Ask Andrew Luck.
Matt Barkley leads the parade of the top four favorites for the Heisman in preseason that are now probably out of contention to win the trophy.
Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, Michigan’s Denard Robinson and Wisconsin’s Montee Ball join Barkley, USC’s quarterback, as the top four players who are almost assuredly no longer in the Heisman discussion and we’re not even to October, yet.
A year ago, Luck, Stanford’s deluxe quarterback who was taken with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, had one bad game and was knocked out of the Heisman race. He was the preseason favorite.
However, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III was able to end the season with a couple of quality games, after having a series of poor games including loss to Oklahoma State, and he won the Heisman.
Griffin had three bad losses. Luck and OSU’s Brandon Weeden had one each.
Yet, Griffin won the Heisman.
That’s why the Heisman is wide open this season. All four of the favorites have already lost. If one player can establish himself, such as Kansas State’s Collin Klein, then a strong finish could win it.
Klein, or someone else such as West Virginia’s Geno Smith, will need a statement game. They will need to win and play well in a high-profile game late in the year.
However, if you were one of the favorites, we’re not sure anything can help you now.



Reader Comments 1 Total
Blue&Gold (5 months ago)
RGIII did more with far less and Baylor had no defense whatsoever so losses for Baylor last year were not a result (necessarily) of a poor performance on offense, but of poor performances on defense. The other thing RGIII had going for him was he had a lot more glitz and glam.

I think the Heisman will return to the East coast this year...Lattimore of So Carolina, Taj Boyd, or the QB from FSU. Alabama is excellent but doesn't really have a standout player. Maybe this year we look to defense. Manti Te'o from Notre Dame is having an outstanding season so far as well.
1 comments displayed


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

Follow John Klein on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog



Archive

 
John Klein's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.