So Tim Tebow, Darren McFadden, Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel are going to be in New York this weekend for the Heisman Trophy presentation.
Yeah, we saw that coming last December, especially for the first three. If we were travel agents, we could've booked those tickets for pocket change at this time last year. We love all four, having drafted accordingly in our leagues. Tebow, McFadden and Brennan and McFadden were all top 10 picks, joining names like Harrell, Brohm, Rice and Hart.
The UPDATE! Heisman goes to a different kind of player, though. It goes to the guy we picked up off waivers in Week 1, the guy on who we used a late-round pick for on draft day, the guy who had you racing to the computer to snatch him up after seeing an obscene stat line creep across the bottom of your screen in crystal-clear, holy-crap HD.
For the 10 UPDATE! Heisman finalists, we offer thanks, praise and guy-love:
Comment: Bradford completed 40 of his first 48 collegiate pass attempts. Eight went for touchdowns. Zero went for picks. In two short weeks, the frosh aced the test, skipped 15 grades, and went from total anonymity to the restricted drop list. He finished the year atop the national passing efficiency rankings. If he played the whole game at Texas Tech, OU could very well be celebrating more than just the new year in New Orleans.
REASON WHY: 2,879 yards, 34 touchdowns, seven interceptions
Comment: The casual football fan still has no idea who LeFevour is. The fantasy football manager, on the other hand, has a Fathead of him in his sports room. This year, he was a poor man's Tim Tebow, which is to say, slightly less ridiculously awesome. LeFevour's the only quarterback this year to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 on the ground. And on top of 23 touchdown's passing, he rumbled for 17 on the ground.
REASON WHY: 3,360 yards passing, 23 touchdowns passing, 13 interceptions; 1,008 yards rushing , 17 touchdowns rushing
Comment: Quick, name one Kansas football grad who has amounted to anything in the NFL. Yeah, neither can I. At 5-10, Reesing's a future financier, not a pro quarterback. He's a heck of a college quarterback, though. The 261-yard, four-touchdown day against Central Michigan got all our eyes. And the sophomore, who's the biggest reason why the Jayhawks are heading to Miami, never let up.
REASON WHY: 3,249 yards, 32 touchdowns, six interceptions
Comment: It seemed like every Conference USA game this season was the original Tecmo Bowl's San Francisco 49ers offense against a lineup of defenders from old-school electric football. Smith took advantage of league-wide lackluster defense by throwing for 300 yards in every game this season and for three-or-more scoring passes in all but three. And, oh by the way, he had 12 rushing touchdowns.
REASON WHY: 4,753 yards, 42 touchdowns, 19 interceptions; 12 rushing touchdowns
Comment: Forte only developed into a stud late in his career, but relatively late this season. His stunning 303-yard, five-touchdown performance against Southeastern Louisiana was sandwiched between pedestrian efforts against stout run defenses. Once conference season hit in October, he went on to finish second in the national rushing race, falling 11 yards short of equaling his total yardage from his first three seasons combined.
REASON WHY: 2,127 yards, 23 touchdown; 282 yards receiving
Comment: Too small? His numbers weren't. The 5-5, 170-pound Jarvis was probably the last kid picked during gym class all through grade school. Now, he's taking it out on everybody else. He opened the season with 113 yards in the Golden Flashes' win at Iowa State; he tacked on eight more triple-digit efforts the rest of the way. Kent's got two more potential years with Jarvis to boot.
REASON WHY: 1,669 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns; 306 yards receiving, three touchdowns
Comment: He was always there for you. Need a big week? Wish granted. Feeling down after that glitch against South Florida? He made it up to you. Another 181 yards and he's the all-time single-season rushing record holder. Forget that he'll have played more games than Barry. The guy's good. He's just a junior, too, so there's a chance he'll gift-wrap wins for you once again next season.
REASON WHY: 2,448 yards, 29 touchdowns; 230 yards receiving, one touchdown
Comment: Crabtree gets docked for sluggishly crossing the finish line, but if you played your cards right and dealt him for the farm before midseason, wahoo for you. The Red Raider frosh scored 17 touchdowns in the first six weeks — mind you, he was unheard of — and went on to break nearly every receiving record there is for freshmen, scoring more fantasy points than two Bowl-bound academies (Navy, Air Force).
REASON WHY: 125 receptions, 1,861 yards, 21 touchdowns
Comment: Remember that year Marques Colston was eligible at tight end and everybody who didn't have him whined to no end? Hall caused a similar uproar this season. The fortunate ones were able to stick Hall, a beast of a back, in a wide receiver spot due to his designation as such. Complaints peaked when Hall rushed for 256 and four touchdowns at Colorado State and followed it up with 275 yards against Army.
REASON WHY: 46 receptions, 488 yards, one touchdown; 1,415 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns
Comment: We sort of figured this type of year might happen last year, and good things came to those who looked back into the archives and drafted him on potential. The Wildcats were playing catch-up most of the season's second half thanks to some dreadful defense. He wasn't walking in Crabtree country, but he does get extra credit for consistency, as well as two punt returns for scores.
REASON WHY: 122 receptions, 1,606 yards, 11 touchdowns.
Yeah, we saw that coming last December, especially for the first three. If we were travel agents, we could've booked those tickets for pocket change at this time last year. We love all four, having drafted accordingly in our leagues. Tebow, McFadden and Brennan and McFadden were all top 10 picks, joining names like Harrell, Brohm, Rice and Hart.
The UPDATE! Heisman goes to a different kind of player, though. It goes to the guy we picked up off waivers in Week 1, the guy on who we used a late-round pick for on draft day, the guy who had you racing to the computer to snatch him up after seeing an obscene stat line creep across the bottom of your screen in crystal-clear, holy-crap HD.
For the 10 UPDATE! Heisman finalists, we offer thanks, praise and guy-love:
QUARTERBACKS
SAM BRADFORD
Oklahoma Sooners Comment: Bradford completed 40 of his first 48 collegiate pass attempts. Eight went for touchdowns. Zero went for picks. In two short weeks, the frosh aced the test, skipped 15 grades, and went from total anonymity to the restricted drop list. He finished the year atop the national passing efficiency rankings. If he played the whole game at Texas Tech, OU could very well be celebrating more than just the new year in New Orleans.
REASON WHY: 2,879 yards, 34 touchdowns, seven interceptions
DAN LEFEVOUR
Central Michigan Chippewas Comment: The casual football fan still has no idea who LeFevour is. The fantasy football manager, on the other hand, has a Fathead of him in his sports room. This year, he was a poor man's Tim Tebow, which is to say, slightly less ridiculously awesome. LeFevour's the only quarterback this year to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 on the ground. And on top of 23 touchdown's passing, he rumbled for 17 on the ground.
REASON WHY: 3,360 yards passing, 23 touchdowns passing, 13 interceptions; 1,008 yards rushing , 17 touchdowns rushing
TODD REESING
Kansas Jayhawks Comment: Quick, name one Kansas football grad who has amounted to anything in the NFL. Yeah, neither can I. At 5-10, Reesing's a future financier, not a pro quarterback. He's a heck of a college quarterback, though. The 261-yard, four-touchdown day against Central Michigan got all our eyes. And the sophomore, who's the biggest reason why the Jayhawks are heading to Miami, never let up.
REASON WHY: 3,249 yards, 32 touchdowns, six interceptions
PAUL SMITH
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Comment: It seemed like every Conference USA game this season was the original Tecmo Bowl's San Francisco 49ers offense against a lineup of defenders from old-school electric football. Smith took advantage of league-wide lackluster defense by throwing for 300 yards in every game this season and for three-or-more scoring passes in all but three. And, oh by the way, he had 12 rushing touchdowns.
REASON WHY: 4,753 yards, 42 touchdowns, 19 interceptions; 12 rushing touchdowns
RUNNING BACKS
MATT FORTE
Tulane Green Wave Comment: Forte only developed into a stud late in his career, but relatively late this season. His stunning 303-yard, five-touchdown performance against Southeastern Louisiana was sandwiched between pedestrian efforts against stout run defenses. Once conference season hit in October, he went on to finish second in the national rushing race, falling 11 yards short of equaling his total yardage from his first three seasons combined.
REASON WHY: 2,127 yards, 23 touchdown; 282 yards receiving
EUGENE JARVIS
Kent State Golden Flashes Comment: Too small? His numbers weren't. The 5-5, 170-pound Jarvis was probably the last kid picked during gym class all through grade school. Now, he's taking it out on everybody else. He opened the season with 113 yards in the Golden Flashes' win at Iowa State; he tacked on eight more triple-digit efforts the rest of the way. Kent's got two more potential years with Jarvis to boot.
REASON WHY: 1,669 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns; 306 yards receiving, three touchdowns
KEVIN SMITH
UCF Knights Comment: He was always there for you. Need a big week? Wish granted. Feeling down after that glitch against South Florida? He made it up to you. Another 181 yards and he's the all-time single-season rushing record holder. Forget that he'll have played more games than Barry. The guy's good. He's just a junior, too, so there's a chance he'll gift-wrap wins for you once again next season.
REASON WHY: 2,448 yards, 29 touchdowns; 230 yards receiving, one touchdown
WIDE RECEIVERS
MICHAEL CRABTREE
Texas Tech Red RaidersComment: Crabtree gets docked for sluggishly crossing the finish line, but if you played your cards right and dealt him for the farm before midseason, wahoo for you. The Red Raider frosh scored 17 touchdowns in the first six weeks — mind you, he was unheard of — and went on to break nearly every receiving record there is for freshmen, scoring more fantasy points than two Bowl-bound academies (Navy, Air Force).
REASON WHY: 125 receptions, 1,861 yards, 21 touchdowns
CHAD HALL
Air Force FalconsComment: Remember that year Marques Colston was eligible at tight end and everybody who didn't have him whined to no end? Hall caused a similar uproar this season. The fortunate ones were able to stick Hall, a beast of a back, in a wide receiver spot due to his designation as such. Complaints peaked when Hall rushed for 256 and four touchdowns at Colorado State and followed it up with 275 yards against Army.
REASON WHY: 46 receptions, 488 yards, one touchdown; 1,415 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns
JORDY NELSON
Kansas State Wildcats Comment: We sort of figured this type of year might happen last year, and good things came to those who looked back into the archives and drafted him on potential. The Wildcats were playing catch-up most of the season's second half thanks to some dreadful defense. He wasn't walking in Crabtree country, but he does get extra credit for consistency, as well as two punt returns for scores.
REASON WHY: 122 receptions, 1,606 yards, 11 touchdowns.
AND THE WINNER IS...
KEVIN SMITH
Comment: Smith wins by a nose over Forte and LeFevour. He gets the nod for unparalleled reliability and that knockout punch he gave fantasy owners, having rushed for 200-plus yards in three of his final four games and reaching the end zone 11 times in that span. From UPDATE!, congratulations, Kevin Smith. The next beer's on us. 
