After 2 weeks of football, we have a few new faces on the list and a few that we expected to be there. Here is how CFB Kings sees the Heisman race heading into the 3rd Weekend:
1. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan - Could he become the 4th straight sophomore to win? Well, if he even remotely keeps up his pace, he is on track to become the first ever 2,000 yard passer/2,000 yards rusher in one season. Barring injury he might run away with this award (pun intended).
2. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio St. - The pre-season favorite has performed on par with expectations and his big Week 2 win against the Miami Hurricanes solidified his candidacy.
3. Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn - The former Florida Gator has dominated defenses running Gus Malzahn’s spread attack. His 322 yards passing and 241 yards rushing are impressive.
4. Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma St. - The former All-Big 12 selection (2008) is back to form. 414 yards and 6 TDs in 2 games.
5. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas - He has dominated lesser competition to the tune of 701 yards and 6 TDs. Now he gets his first real test on the road at Georgia.
6. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St - Virginia Tech losing to James Madison makes Boise’s win look a bit less impressive. But the Broncos signal caller is still a prime candidate.
7. Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M - The athletic Aggie Pro Prospect has 671 yards passing and 59 yards rushing in the first 2 games.
8. Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas St - Has 371 yards and 4 Tds in 2 games.
9. Demarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma - The Senior has finally started a season in top health. It shows by his 311 total yards and 4 TDs so far.
10. Matt Barkley, QB, USC - The sophomore QB has 7 passing TDs to start the year. He should pile up stats agaist an overmatched Minnesota team this Saturday.
11. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina - The lone Freshman on the list got here with a 182 yard performance against Georgia.
12. Jake Locker, QB, Washington - After a disappointing Week 1 loss, Locker rebounded with a solid showing against Syracuse. A high profile matchup with Nebraska will either see him skyrocket or plummet in the contention.
13. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma - The only WR on the list has 266 yards and 3 TDs so far this year.
14. Jeff Demps, RB, Florida - As the Gators enter conference play, he has been the lone brightspot on an underachieving offense. Can he find the 100 yard mark at Tennessee?
15. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia - Might be the best player in a talented Big East conference. 303 total yards and 2 TDs so far.
16. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma - He makes 3 Sooners on the list. 380 yards and 4 TDs against the Seminoles.
17. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU - Intriguing prospect. His opening night performance against North Carolina which included a Punt Return TD has preliminarily perched him as this years Defensive Heisman Darkhorse. He’s somebody to keep an eye on.
18. John Clay, RB, Wisconsin - 260 yards and 4 TDs is a nice way to start a year. Can he keep it up come Big Ten play?
19. Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska - His 157 yards rushing and 101 yards passing this weekend was impressive enough to get notice. He might be the best dual-threat QB in America behind Robinson.
Dropped, but still on the radar:
Jacory Harris, QB, Miami - Even though only 1 of them was his fault, anytime you throw 4 interceptions in a primetime game, you have to drop on the list. The good news is that he has 3 more high profile games coming up against Pittsburgh, Clemson, and Florida State to rebound.
Christian Ponder, QB, FSU - Rough outing in Oklahoma (113 yards and 2 Ints) but can bounce back this week against BYU.
Case Keenum, QB, Houston - Needed to put up monster numbers all season to be considered. Still has time to rebound, but had a head injury and his status in uncertain.
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford - Looked below average (11 for 24 passing) against rival UCLA. Needs to pick up his play to be considered.
Dropped, and are probably out of the running:
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama - Missing 2 games wont help his chances. Especially considering that his backup has performed great.
Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech - After a home loss to FBS James Madison, his darkhorse chances are probably over.
Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh - Needed to have a quick start, but after a dismal showing in a loss to Utah, he could only manage 27 yards in a win against New Hampshire. Not the way to start a Heisman campaign.
Josh Nesbitt, QB, Georgia Tech - Was ineffective in a loss to Kansas.
Outside Chance:
Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor
Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
B.J. Daniels, QB, USF
Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
Kyle Parker, QB, Clemson
Stephen Garcia, QB, South Carolina
John Brantley, QB, Florida
Marc Tyler, RB, USC
Lamichael James, RB, Oregon
Showing posts with label Mark Ingram. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Ingram. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide
The defending National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide have earned the top billing in the GURU’s Pre-season poll partly due to talent and partly due to respect. Nick Saban has resurrected the success of his predecessors Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings and has turned Alabama back into a perennial National Title contender.
The Crimson Tide return the most experienced offense in the SEC. 8 starters return and that group is led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Ingram will be shooting to be only the 2nd player in history to grab 2 of the prestigious award. Interestingly, one of his teammates may prevent him from having a legitimate shot at that honor. Back-up RB Trent Richardson teams with Ingram to create one of the most talented backfields in the nation. While Ingram had a mammoth year in 2009 gaining 1,658 yards and scoring 17 TDs, Richardson tallied an impressive 751 yards and 8 TDs… numbers that would be impressive for a starter in the SEC. It wouldn’t surprise me if both guys went over 1,000 yards this year.
At QB, the consistent and un-flashy Greg McIlroy returns to lead the offense. His 14-0 record in 2009 came as a bit of a surprise, and now there will be more pressure put on him to perform at the high standard that SEC quarterbacks are judged by. His 2,508 yards in 2009 were in the middle of the SEC pack, but the fact that he only threw 4 ints was key in Alabama being able to execute its ball control attack.
AT WR, the Tide have Julio Jones, arguably the best athlete in the country, returning. He started 2009 in the familiar “sophomore slump”. He was double-teamed for much of the year as he watched Ingram carry the load. Jones’ 596 yards was far below what was expected of him, but after healing some lingering injuries, he looks to reclaim his place as the SEC’s most talented WR in 2010. Marquis Maze will line up opposite Jones to create one of the better tandems in the south. While TE is a position of concern, the Tide can take solace in the fact that they return 2 of the best Offensive Linemen in the conference in James Carpenter and Barrett Jones.
This is where the “respect” part of my ranking process comes into play. The Tide only return 3 starters on defense, which would normally be a red flag that would knock a team down in my rankings, but I have long been a proponent of the saying “They are the Kings until they are dethroned.” Last I checked Alabama hasn’t lost a game in over 19 months, so they retain the top spot in my poll. Those 3 returning defensive starters are LB Dont’a Hightower, and safeties Mark Barron and Robbie Green. DL Marcell Dareus showed his worth in the National Championship game with his effective QB pressure that included an interception for a TD. The CB position will worry Coach Saban all year, but if he can identify 2 solid starters prior to the late September matchup with Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks, then the Tide should be OK.
The schedule will provide a daunting challenge for Alabama. After a Week 1 cupcake, the Tide host Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions. A Week 4, 5, 6 gauntlet of Arkansas, Florida, and South Carolina will truly determine how good this Bama team will be. They have a challenging October that includes Tennessee and Ole Miss and then start November with a contest against LSU at Death Valley in Baton Rouge. Then, as always, they close the year against a tough Auburn squad that could be in position to win the SEC West themselves.
Although Alabama is talented at every position and potentially explosive on offense, I simply don’t think that they can navigate such a tough schedule with such an inexperienced defense. I expect the Crimson Tide to be in position for a BCS Bowl berth, but a back-to-back National Championship appears out of reach.
Key Returning Players:
QB Greg McIlroy
RB Mark Ingram
RB Trent Richardson
WR Julio Jones
OT James Carpenter
DL Marcell Dareus
LB Don’t’s Hightower
S Mark Barron
Key Games:
Sept 11 - Penn State
Sept 25 - @ Arkansas
Oct 2 - Florida
Oct 9 - @South Carolina
Nov 6 - @ LSU
Nov 26 - Auburn
The Crimson Tide return the most experienced offense in the SEC. 8 starters return and that group is led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Ingram will be shooting to be only the 2nd player in history to grab 2 of the prestigious award. Interestingly, one of his teammates may prevent him from having a legitimate shot at that honor. Back-up RB Trent Richardson teams with Ingram to create one of the most talented backfields in the nation. While Ingram had a mammoth year in 2009 gaining 1,658 yards and scoring 17 TDs, Richardson tallied an impressive 751 yards and 8 TDs… numbers that would be impressive for a starter in the SEC. It wouldn’t surprise me if both guys went over 1,000 yards this year.
At QB, the consistent and un-flashy Greg McIlroy returns to lead the offense. His 14-0 record in 2009 came as a bit of a surprise, and now there will be more pressure put on him to perform at the high standard that SEC quarterbacks are judged by. His 2,508 yards in 2009 were in the middle of the SEC pack, but the fact that he only threw 4 ints was key in Alabama being able to execute its ball control attack.
AT WR, the Tide have Julio Jones, arguably the best athlete in the country, returning. He started 2009 in the familiar “sophomore slump”. He was double-teamed for much of the year as he watched Ingram carry the load. Jones’ 596 yards was far below what was expected of him, but after healing some lingering injuries, he looks to reclaim his place as the SEC’s most talented WR in 2010. Marquis Maze will line up opposite Jones to create one of the better tandems in the south. While TE is a position of concern, the Tide can take solace in the fact that they return 2 of the best Offensive Linemen in the conference in James Carpenter and Barrett Jones.
This is where the “respect” part of my ranking process comes into play. The Tide only return 3 starters on defense, which would normally be a red flag that would knock a team down in my rankings, but I have long been a proponent of the saying “They are the Kings until they are dethroned.” Last I checked Alabama hasn’t lost a game in over 19 months, so they retain the top spot in my poll. Those 3 returning defensive starters are LB Dont’a Hightower, and safeties Mark Barron and Robbie Green. DL Marcell Dareus showed his worth in the National Championship game with his effective QB pressure that included an interception for a TD. The CB position will worry Coach Saban all year, but if he can identify 2 solid starters prior to the late September matchup with Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks, then the Tide should be OK.
The schedule will provide a daunting challenge for Alabama. After a Week 1 cupcake, the Tide host Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions. A Week 4, 5, 6 gauntlet of Arkansas, Florida, and South Carolina will truly determine how good this Bama team will be. They have a challenging October that includes Tennessee and Ole Miss and then start November with a contest against LSU at Death Valley in Baton Rouge. Then, as always, they close the year against a tough Auburn squad that could be in position to win the SEC West themselves.
Although Alabama is talented at every position and potentially explosive on offense, I simply don’t think that they can navigate such a tough schedule with such an inexperienced defense. I expect the Crimson Tide to be in position for a BCS Bowl berth, but a back-to-back National Championship appears out of reach.
Key Returning Players:
QB Greg McIlroy
RB Mark Ingram
RB Trent Richardson
WR Julio Jones
OT James Carpenter
DL Marcell Dareus
LB Don’t’s Hightower
S Mark Barron
Key Games:
Sept 11 - Penn State
Sept 25 - @ Arkansas
Oct 2 - Florida
Oct 9 - @South Carolina
Nov 6 - @ LSU
Nov 26 - Auburn
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