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| Lockbaum played O and D |
Lockbaum named the winner ... again.
DDT has once again voided the Downtown Athletic Club of New York’s pick for the Heisman Trophy and has given the award to Gordie Lockbaum of Holy Cross, class of ‘87. DDT is also renaming the Athletic Club’s version of the trophy as “The Trophy Given to the Most High Profile Offensive Player in the Country with the Most Video Highlights on National TV and the Most Impressive Offensive Stats.”
The idea that D defensive players are given consideration is a myth. The Heisman committee wasted Manti Te’o of Notre Dame’s time by inviting him into process, only to ignore him in the long run. This has been the pattern over the years: Give a token nod to the defense but pick an offensive player.
Among the defensive players and offensive linemen nominated in the past 20 years were: Warren Sapp, Miami (‘94); Orlando Pace, Ohio State (‘96); Charles Woodson, Michigan (‘97); Champ Bailey, Georgia (‘97); LaVar Arrington, Penn State (‘99); Roy Williams, OU (‘01); A.J. Hawk, Ohio State (‘05); Glenn Dorsey, LSU and Chris Long, Virginia, 2007; Rey Maualuga, USC (‘08); Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (‘09); Tyrann Matthieu, LSU (‘11); Manti Te’o, Notre Dame and Jedeveon Clowney, South Carolina in 2012 (He wasn't a finalist but how many sports fans knew that Clowney was even nominated this year?).
Sapp finished 6th, Pace 4th, Bailey 7th, Arrington, 9th, Williams, 7th, Hawk, 6th, Dorsey, 9th, Long 10th, Maualuga 9th, Suh 4th, Te’o 2nd and Clowney 6th.
Only Charles Woodson of Michigan won the award but he returned punts and kicks, which gave him some better stats. Other than Woodson, Te’o came closest at 2nd. Suh had an impact at 4th.
Te’o was clearly the most outstanding, high-profile player in the college game this season if you consider that he led ND to an undefeated season and to the national championship game. But, defensive players don’t get the stats, thus the award always goes to an offensive player.
The award was first conceived when players went both ways and was designed for more of an all-around competitor.
So, again, DDT is giving the award to the last true all-around nominee, Lockbaum, who played offense, defense, did the kicking and returned punts and kicks at Holy Cross.
Congrats to Lockbaum. We’ll be shipping him some new shelving to make space for this trophy, the fifth or sixth Heisman DDT has given him (we’ll have to run it through a computer and figger out how many times we’ve given him the award).
Coach fired, why a bowl?
Why is North Carolina State playing in the Music City Bowl against Vanderbilt and why is Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Oklahoma State? Both NCState and Purdue fired their coaches. If the schools were that unhappy with their football programs, should they be parading them out during the holidays with an interim coach. Teams with interims don’t usually play that well and their fans don’t travel.
Vanderbilt, a Nashville school, playing in Nashville’s Music City Bowl works: home team, big crowd, good ticket sales. The Heart of Dallas Bowl, actually played in the Cotton Bowl, may draw a fair crowd from Oklahoma State, which is driving distance. But are the Purdue and NCState fans, not big followers in either case, going to travel long distances to watch teams in transition play? And Dallas in winter is not exactly a big tour destination.
Random notes
Manziel a Longhorn?
• Some people are criticizing Texas for not recruiting Johnny Football, but we have to remember that Texas had four QBs when Manziel came out: Garrett Gilbert, David Ash, Case McCoy and Connor Wood. Two, as DDT predicted—Gilbert and Wood—transferred and the rest is history.
Texas still doesn’t have a QB, but they’ve got a running game when everybody is healthy. D line had some injuries this season, too, as in both defensive ends. ‘Horns will be good ... next year. And both UT’s president and AD have endorsed Mack Brown, saying his job is safe ... for the time being.
• DDT doesn’t blame Tommy Tuberville for getting out of Lubbock. Dead end. Cincinnati, in the rapidly declining Big East, will be less demanding.
• Sonny Dykes, recently of LaTech and son of former Tech coach Spike Dykes, would seem to be have been a better fit as Tuberville’s replacement in Lubbock, but that job wasn’t open when he was interviewing in Berkeley for the Cal job. At least Dykes doesn’t have to worry about saying goodbye to his team while they prepare for a bowl game, since LaTech muffed their invite to the Independence Bowl.
• DDT doesn’t see Bret Bielema as a fit in the Ozarks, but we didn’t see Bobby Petrino there, either. And Petrino would have been OK if he could have kept his pants zipped up. He is now undergoing PTSD counseling with Bill Clinton, former guv of Arkansas, who is not only a survivor of similar antics but is now called “the most popular Democrat in the country.” There is evidently hope after ignoring the Seventh Commandment.
The playoffs
FCS (DivOneAA) Semi finals
North Dakota State 23 Georgia Southern 20
Sam Houston State 45 Eastern Washington 42
ND State vs. Sam Houston State, Sat., Jan. 5
DivTwo Championship
at Florence, AL
Valdosta State 35 Winston-Salem 7
DivThree Championship
The Stag Bowl, Salem, VA
Mt. Union 28 St. Thomas 10
The Academies
Army and Navy met for the gridiron for the 113th time at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The Middies won a close one 17-13.
Navy takes home the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, which is presented annually to the winner of the football competition among the three major Service Academies and is named in honor of the President of the United States. Navy has won the trophy 13 times, while Army has claimed it six times.
It was Navy's 12th consecutive win over Army. The Middies have won 14 of the last 16 games against the Cadets dating back to 1997.
Next game for Navy will be the Fight Hunger Bowl against Arizona State, Dec. 29.
Air Force will meet Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth on Dec. 29.
Army's season is over. Next game, Aug. 31, 2013 against Morgan State.
1 comment:
I think it is a travesty and very unfair to 'Johnny Football' to give the Heisman to a freshman. I thought traditionally, the trophy was awarded to someone who had demonstrated a body of work, not one season.
It is unfair to Manziell - puts a helluva lot of unnecessary pressure on a sophomore and what if he has a lousy season - plus it dilutes the value of the award. True, that began with Tebow, but this means a kid, barely more than a high school senior, is now 'competent' to win one of college football's highest honors. Tebow was a bad precedent, this is even worse. Now, it's not a matter of a kid working, growing, striving, maturing, improving and finally EARNING the Heisman, it's a matter of a hot hand, a good year, and great marketing. Did not win the conference, did not play in the conference championship, but was the 'best most worthy player' as a freshman? Bunk.
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