TimKesten.com

November 23, 2007

Given all the Heisman discussion, I think it’s time to give a little consideration to whom the Heisman trophy is supposed to be given: “The most outstanding college football player.” There is an understanding however, that the Heisman gives preference to upperclassmen and to those players whose teams are in national title contention late in the season. It has gotten to the point that those with votes in the Heisman race now site these guidelines to defend there choices. At some point, the Downtown Athletic Club should just go ahead and update their website to reflect this.

Forget all that. What about the other guys? What about the outstanding players who do not fit the unspoken criteria of the Heisman? There should be an award for the best player in the country who, by no fault of his own, has absolutely no shot of winning the Heisman. Maybe we’ll call this the Adrian Peterson award. In no particular order, here are your nominees:

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech.
Crabtree has absolutely no shot of winning the Heisman Trophy. He should, but he doesn’t. He suffers the Heisman death sentence; he is a freshman. A sophomore has never won the award, a freshman probably never will. Crabtree is leading the nation in every major receiving statistical receiving category by a healthy margin. In fact, his 1,861 yards are 420 more than the number two receiver. He has 21 touchdowns (the next highest total is 16), 125 receptions, is fourth in the nation in scoring and first among receivers in scoring.

Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech.
Speaking strictly from a statistical standpoint no one else is even in the same category as Harrell. His 5,298 passing yards are over 1,400 yards more than the next highest total. West Virginia’s Pat White, has not thrown for 1,400 yards this season. The difference between his 45 passing touchdowns and the next highest total (11) is as many White has thrown and is more than Auburn’s Brandon Cox has thrown this season. The only blemish on his impressive resume is that he has thrown 14 interceptions. That’s the same amount of interceptions as Hawaii’s Colt Brennan while Brennan has attempted 222 less passes. In fact, despite having attempted the most passes in the nation, by far, Harrell has an impressive passer rating of 160.49.

Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida.
Smith is leading the nation in scoring, thanks to his 25 total touchdowns (24 rushing, 1 receiving). He has also amassed 1,945 receiving yards and is almost a cinch to go past the 2,000 yard mark by the end of the season. He has arguably been the most consistent back in the country. He is averaging 177 yards per game, has only been held under 100 yards once this season and has rushed for multiple scores in nine of eleven games this year. For Comparison, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden has been held under 100 yards three times, and has scored multiple rushing touchdowns in three of eleven games.

Matt Forte, RB, Tulane.
Matt Forte’s 2,007 rushing yards are best in the nation. He is currently the only back with over 2,000 yards. His 22 rushing touchdowns put him second in the nation in both that category and in scoring. He is averaging 182 yards per game rushing while rushing for over 200 yards five times and over 300 yards twice. Forte leads the nation in rushing attempts and is averaging six yards per carry.

Paul Smith, QB, Tulsa.
If it were not for the aforementioned Graham Harrell, Paul Smith would be leading the nation in both passing yards and touchdowns. His 3,886 yards and 34 passing touchdowns are second to Harrell, and his 162.6 passer rating is better. To complement those statistics, Smith adds eleven rushing touchdowns, giving him 45 total touchdowns accounted for (that needs to be a new statistic, by the way), compared to Harrell’s 48 (three rushing). Only Pat White and Florida’s Tim Tebow have more rushing touchdowns from the Quarterback position.

I have several choices for honorable mention, but I’d rather hear what you think. Tell me who I missed, and why they deserve consideration for the 2007 Adrian Peterson Trophy.

November 19, 2007

Let’s all calm down. It will not be a great injustice if Hawaii finishes their season undefeated and is left out of a BCS bowl. In the extensive, well documented history of the Bowl Championship Series screwing things up and screwing teams over, there are several examples of great injustices, but this would not be one. I hope Hawaii does get to play in one of the major bowls against a quality, BCS conference team. I think most people want to see just how good Hawaii is. When their offense is in sync they are incredibly entertaining. I am not, however, going to lose any sleep if they are left out.

If Hawaii does not play in a BCS bowl this year, they will have no one to blame but themselves. It will not be the fault of the computers. It will not be the fault of the coaches who vote in the USA Today poll. It will not be the fault of the random former coaches, random former players, random administrators or random media personnel who vote in the Harris Poll. It will not be the fault of the East coast bias. It will not be the fault of the schools that did not want to play the Warriors. Lastly, it will not be the fault of the third easiest schedule in the nation.

It will only be the fault of Hawaii’s play. A team can play a schedule like Hawaii’s and still make it to a major bowl. However if you play such a schedule and expect to play in a BCS bowl it is not enough to beat teams. You have to look good doing it. You have to beat teams soundly. When your schedule is the 116th toughest in the nation you have to navigate it smoothly. If you can not get a high level of competition to play you, you have to play at a high level against the competition that is available. Hawaii simply has not got that done.

Hawaii needed overtime to squeak by Louisiana Tech by one point. Louisiana Tech has played three teams from BCS conferences this year (California, Ole Miss and LSU), against whom they are 0-3 while being outscored 124-22. The fact that Louisiana Tech scored 44 against Hawaii, while averaging a little over seven points per game against BCS competition shows why the Warriors are facing the possibility of being left out of the BCS mix. Furthermore, Hawaii’s average margin of victory over division 1A opponents is 16.5 points per game. Not bad until you consider the nation’s only other undefeated team, Kansas, who is also being accused of playing a soft schedule, has a margin of victory over division 1A opponents of 30.5 points per game. Hawaii plays in the WAC. Kansas plays in the Big 12. Very few would argue that the WAC offers the same level of competition as the Big 12.

Blow out wins against Charleston Southern, UNLV, Northern Colorado and Idaho will be overshadowed by tight games against Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Fresno State and Nevada, particularly because only one of those teams has a winning record this year. That team is Fresno State, who at 6-4 maybe a decent team, but was trounced 52-21 by Oregon, a team likely to figure into the BCS equation. Hawaii beat them, but only by one touchdown.

Hawaii’s schedule will get a little more respectable in the coming weeks. They will play at home against 19th ranked Boise State in, what will be at the time, the biggest game in program history, then host a 3-7 Washington team in, provided they take care of Boise State, the biggest game in program history. If they defeat both those teams, I believe that they should get to play in one of the BCS bowls at 12-0 which would then be, you guessed it, the biggest game in program history. I will not be surprised, or terribly disappointed, if they don’t.

November 5, 2007

Ohio State should not get a chance to play in the national championship. Sure, they are undefeated and have played very well at times, but they’ve played very well against a very low level of competition. Their schedule currently ranks as the 63^rd toughest in the country, right between the likes of Navy (70^th) and San Diego State (56^th). Yes, they have beaten everyone, but they have not really beaten anyone. You may remember an Ohio State team that did the same last year. They also did not deserve to play in the BCS title game, and proved that, even though were given that chance, they did not stand one.

Kansas has more business being in the national title game than Ohio State, and if you swapped their names, the Jayhawks would be ranked number one in the country. The hypocrisy of the BCS continues to dissapoint. If an undefeated Kansas’ schedule will keep them out of the national championship, so should Ohio State’s. At this point in the season, Ohio State’s opponents have a combined record of 31 wins and 46 losses. Kansas’ opponents have a combined record of 35 wins and 51 losses. To put it another way, Ohio State’s opponents have a winning percentage of .402, while Kansas’ opponents winning percentage is .407.

The disparity in their strengths of schedule should continue to grow in Kansas’ favor. Ohio State plays Illinois (7-3, not rated in the BCS) and Michigan (8-2, 12^th in the BCS). Michigan’s out of conference wins were against Notre Dame (1-8) and Eastern Michigan (3-7), and in case anyone somehow forgot, they opened the season with a loss to 1AA Appalachian State, and a 39-7 drubbing by Oregon. Illinois, meanwhile, had dropped two straight before rebounding against weaker competition in the form of Ball State (5-5) and Minnesota (1-9). If Ohio State beats these two teams it would only prove that they are better than the rest of the mediocre teams in the Big Ten.

Kansas, in contrast, gets Missouri (8-1, 6^th in the BCS) and, potentially, Oklahoma (8-1, 5^th in the BCS) in the Big Twelve championship. Missouri’s only loss came on the road against Oklahoma, and they beat Illinois and Ole Miss on the road in out of conference play. Oklahoma’s only loss came on the road to Colorado, and they destroyed Miami 51-13 in out of conference play. If Kansas manages to beat both of those two teams, and remains undefeated they would deserve the beating they would receive in the national championship at the hands of either LSU or Oregon.

Of course none of this is a given. The BCS gods have a way of making a mess of things just when you think you have them figured out. The Buckeyes could very well lose to either of their final opponents. Michigan is a rival and Illinois came within a touchdown of beating them last year, when Ohio State was arguably better, and Illinois was unquestionably worse. Kansas will have to handle the pressure of a big stage when they face Missouri at Arrowhead stadium in the first really meaningful college football game for most, if not all, of their players. If either team stumbles this will all be moot. Then we’ll have another two teams to argue about.

(Ed. Note:  I originally wrote this October 22, 2007)

The Heisman trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding college football player. Eight weeks into the college football season, Florida’s Tim Tebow might very well fit that description. Tebow is leading the nation in passing efficiency (177.48) and has accounted for 27 touchdowns and only three interceptions, while either throwing or carrying the ball in over two thirds of the plays for an offense averaging over 40 points a game. Despite all of this, Tim Tebow will not win the Heisman.

Just ask former Florida quarterback Rex Grossman. Yes, that Rex Grossman. It may be hard for the casual observer to remember, but, in 2001, Grossman was the best college football player in the country. At least that is what the Associated Press thought. That organization named Grossman the National Player of the Year. They also named him the first team All- America quarterback over fellow quarterback and Heisman winner Eric Crouch.

Grossman’s numbers were gaudy. He averaged over 350 yards passing and better than three touchdowns per game. He led the nation in passing efficiency and total offense per game. He accounted for eleven more touchdowns than Crouch, while piling up over 1300 more total yards of offense. But he didn’t win the Heisman for two reasons. Grossman was a sophomore playing for a two loss Florida team. Sound familiar?

Tebow has put up his impressive numbers while playing five of his first seven games against teams that played in a bowl last year. Matt Ryan, many people’s front-runner to win the Heisman, has played three teams that went to a bowl last year, and one of those was Notre Dame. Boston College’s bowl subdivision opponents have a combined record of 20 wins and 25 losses. Tebow, on the other hand has played teams with a combined record of 29-17. For comparison, Ryan’s efficiency rating is over forty points lower than Tebow’s, and he has accounted for nine less touchdowns than Tebow, while throwing three more interceptions.

None of that matters. Tebow is a sophomore. Ryan is a senior. Tebow’s Gators, while playing vastly superior competition, have two losses. Ryan’s Eagles are undefeated. While the Heisman trophy is supposed to be awarded to the most outstanding player in college football, the truth is it is awarded to the best player on a top five team, provided that player is an upperclassmen. A sophomore has never won the Heisman. In fact, Grossman was only the fifth sophomore to finish second in the voting.

Don’t feel bad for Tim Tebow. He has a very good chance to fare better in the next two years than Grossman did in his junior and senior years; his head coach and surrounding talent are not likely to be yanked out from underneath him, as was Grossman’s following Steve Spurrier’s departure from Florida. Tebow will likely be the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman next year, and a back to back Heisman run isn’t out of the question. Just don’t expect it this year. That is okay with Tebow. The same guy who was once quoted saying, “I’m not better than anyone else just because I play football,” had the right thing to say again when it came to the Heisman Trophy. “I’d rather have a chance to play in Atlanta than be in New York,” he said. Neither is a certainty, but Gator fans should be satisfied to know that at least the former is a possibility.

On an unusually warm October day, even for Florida, I attended a University of Florida football game with a very important guest, my older sister. It was 2001, my Senior year at Florida. I had been to countless Gator football games, but this game, I will never forget. This game, as it turned out, proved me right about something that I had suspected for a long time. College football is special. My sister was a three sport all conference athlete in high school and briefly played sports at the collegiate level, before she realized that the drain on a collegiate athlete took too much from everything else she wished to experience as a college student.
By the time she attended that game with me she had grown tired of sports in general, having to spend holidays with her sports-crazed brothers and cousins, listening to discussions over turkey and gravy about who should start, who should be fired, and why there should be a college playoff.
And so my sister came to visit me for the weekend. I was 21, enjoying what looked to be shaping up as a possible national championship run. She was 24, enjoying what looked to be a weekend tolerating her little brother and his hard partying friends. I bought two tickets for us. In those days you could still use student tickets even if you were not a student, but I couldn’t find any. No matter, I was sure my sister wouldn’t have wanted to stand and cheer the entire four quarters anyway, as is required of everyone positioned in the student section. So we sat in the corner of the north end zone as Florida racked up a large lead on Vanderbilt in this homecoming game. Stacy, my sister, got a kick out of Mr. Twobits, as he led each section of the stadium, “All for the Gators stand up and holler!” She got a kick out of the student section leading the entire stadium, all 85,000 plus back then, begging the alumni with “ORANGE!… ORANGE!… ORANGE!…,” Until the alumni section obliged by repeating “BLUE!,” each time.
At halftime we were up big, and I figured Stacy would probably be over all of it. I asked her if she wanted to leave, go get something to eat and head back to the house. She replied, “Not unless you want to.” I thought she was just being polite, so I asked her, “Are you sure? We don’t have to stay just for me.” She replied, “No, this is fun.”
So we stayed for the entire game. We cheered. She followed my lead when it came to “the chomp” and did her best to keep up with the rest of us as we yelled, following the cues from the band. We swayed back and forth between the third and fourth quarters as the rest of the 85,000 plus and I sang “We are the boys.” Stacy didn’t know the lyrics but she swayed with us anyway, and laughed heavily at the end of the song. Relishing, as someone who couldn’t care less about sports, “that is so great,” she said through chuckles, laughing at the hokeyness of it all. It is hokey. We all know it’s hokey. She knew that we knew it was hokey, and yet all of us sang with so much joy and passion, any skepticism didn’t stand a chance. We do it every Saturday from September to November, and we wouldn’t miss it for anything.
My sister thinks that my obsession with college football, and my family’s obsession with college football are both annoying and ridiculous. I don’t blame her. I think it’s beautiful, but deep down even I know it’s ridiculous. Yet I can watch plays from last season or ten seasons ago, and still get goose bumps. I see the blocked field goal against South Carolina that saved our national championship season three years ago or a not-so-fleet-of-foot Danny Wuerfell running for a touchdown against Florida State in the National Championship of 1996, and both make me proud to be part of something bigger than myself. Suffice it to say, Florida football is fourth in my life, but only because God, my family and my friends are so incredibly important to me.
As we swayed back and forth in the Florida sun almost eight years ago, my sister had a look of amusement on her face. She didn’t know the words that the rest of us were singing, but she could sense the joy that was behind the song. “Through all kinds of weather we’ll all stick together, for F-L-O-R-I-D-A.” She didn’t care about the score, just the pageantry. Just the passion. Just the conviction behind all of us chanting, “It’s great! To be! A Florida gator!”
In that moment, if not in any other, she saw why it’s great to be a college football fan.
Just don’t ask her to admit it.