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.
