Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments on which player is the most likely favorite to win the 2009 Heisman Trophy Award.
The 2009 Heisman Race should be an exciting one to watch. To begin with, 2009 will feature the first time in history that two previous Heisman winners (Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford) will contend in the same year for another Heisman award. Added into that mix is Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, and although he has not won a Heisman yet, many consider him just as likely a contender as Bradford and Tebow.
Between those three, which candidate has the best inside track to win the Heisman in 2009?
Sports Geek will argue that Colt McCoy should be the favorite this year, and Loyal Homer will argue for Tim Tebow.
As far as Bleacher Fan is concerned, though, the conversation begins and ends with Sam Bradford.
Bradford, who will be the top pick in the NFL draft when he eventually does go pro, surprised many experts last year by declining to enter the draft, instead returning to Oklahoma for the 2009 season.
For many of the same reasons that the reigning National Champion Florida Gators are once again pre-season favorites for the title in 2009, Bradford (who is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner) should be considered the favorite to win the 2009 award, becoming the first person since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin to win back-to-back Heismans in the process.
Having also won the Davey O’Brien award as the top quarterback of 2008, Sam Bradford is without a doubt the best passer in college football. His production cannot be matched by any other player in the game, and the fact that he has another year of experience under his belt will help him to at least match, if not exceed, his results from last year.
I can hear many of you out there questioning why, based on that logic, Bradford would be considered a favorite over Tim Tebow, who has also won the award. The reason for that is because of the manner in which the two quarterbacks won their respective Heismans.
Tim Tebow was recognized as the 2007 winner due in large part to a single accomplishment, becoming the first person in NCAA Football history to run AND pass for 20 or more touchdowns in the same season. Tebow’s feat truly was an amazing accomplishment, and definitely one worthy of winning the Heisman. But, those accomplishments are difficult to repeat and impossible to rely upon. When you consider Tebow’s overall talent, he is not even close to the caliber of player that Bradford is.
Bradford, on the other hand, won the Heisman in 2008 because of his all-around play at the quarterback position. A much more prolific passer than his Florida or Texas counterparts, Bradford threw for 4,720 yards and threw 50 touchdowns, only eight interceptions, and posted a completion percentage of 67.9%. Compare those numbers to Tebow, who threw for only 2,746 yards, 30 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 64.4%, or to Colt McCoy’s 3,859 yards, and 34 touchdown passes.
As impressive as those numbers are, his career numbers are much more astounding. In two years, Bradford has thrown for 86 career touchdowns, exceeding the numbers that Tebow (67) or McCoy (85) have been able to throw in three years. And while career statistics are not a factor in awarding the Heisman for any single season, they do serve as an indication of what to expect from him in the future.
Bradford also had the opportunity to play head-to-head against both McCoy AND Tebow last year. While the games against McCoy’s Longhorns and Tebow’s Gators amounted to Oklahoma’s only losses, it was not for a lack of performance on the part of Bradford.
During the Texas game, McCoy threw 28 completions on 35 attempts, gaining 277 yards and one touchdown pass. Bradford blew those numbers away in the game, throwing 28 of 39 for 387 yards and five touchdown passes. As for the National Championship game, Tebow was responsible for throwing 18 of 30 for 231 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Bradford went 26 of 41 for 256 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. In both of those losses, Bradford still performed as good as, if not better than, his counterparts on the other side of the field.
Despite his astonishing performance in 2008, the loss to the Gators in the National Championship game has left Bradford feeling as if he still has something to prove, and he has made that his mission for the 2009 season. With teammates like offensive tackle Trent Williams, tight end Jermaine Gresham, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, and linebacker Ryan Reynolds all returning for another year, Bradford feels confident that he can lead the Sooners to their first National Championship since 2000. Thanks to a schedule that includes opponents like Brigham Young, Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State, he will have plenty of opportunities to prove his dominance against top-tier talent. It will definitely not be an easy road, but Bradford is another year older, another year wiser, and I expect that he will turn in yet another season of staggering numbers on his way to his second Heisman Trophy!
Posted by Bleacher Fan 
