The Bloguin Heisman Poll - Preseason
With the dawn of September comes the first edition of the weekly Bloguin Heisman Poll. Last year at RSS we had our own Heisman Watch each week of the college football season - but now as a part of the Bloguin Network, we wanted to kick things up to notches unknown for the new college football season. The Bloguin Heisman Poll is an open collaboration of many dedicated bloggers here at the Bloguin Network that love college football. Each week, bloggers from across the country will send in their votes for their top 3 Heisman candidates (3 pts for 1st, 2 for 2nd, 1 for 3rd). Then, we here at RSS will give you the results and tell you who the Heisman hopefuls really are every week during the college football season.
Here is what you'll see each week in the Bloguin Heisman Poll:
-The Top 5 total votegetters and quotes from bloggers in support of their candidates.
-A list of all players that receive votes in the Bloguin Heisman Poll
-Poll Notes that look at some of the interesting facts, figures, and trends of the poll.
-The BHP Roll Call of voters and the links to their respective blogs.
Without any further adieu, on the eve of the 2010 College Football Season, here is the 1st Bloguin Heisman Poll...
1) Terrelle Pryor (QB-Ohio State) - 39 Points, 31.20%, 9 1st Place Votes
* Looks to build off a mean Vince Young impression after breakout Rose Bowl victory over a very good Oregon team last year, Pryor has all the tools. He has to get more consistent, but he has a top title contender in Columbus, something voters love (best player on best team, ala Ingram at Alabama). If Ohio St. gets a BCS title game bid, and Pryor tops 3,000 yards passing, 20+ td passes with single-digit INT's, and rushes for 600-700 yards, Pryor should take home the trophy.
-Sean Hawkins, WSU Football Blog
* Pryor is back with a vengeance this season after having a great sophomore season and finishing up with a breakout performance in last years Rose Bowl. It appears that the "Sweater Vest" and Pryor are actually on the same page and that many of his teammates have bought into his hype. With stat padding games like Ohio, Marshall and Eastern Michigan and the marquee television match-ups all at home (Miami, Penn State and Michigan), Pryor should have the numbers and exposure to lift the stiff armed trophy come September.
-KGG, Subway Domer
* I am buying what Ohio State and Pryor are selling this season. I love Pryor's skill set, and I believe this is the year he puts everything together and really breaks out. Last year's passing stats were modest, completing 56.6% for 2,087 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 779 yards and seven more touchdowns. I think we'll see around 2,500 yards in 2010 with a decrease in interceptions and another 800 or so rushing. If he displays some moxie and leadership in big games, he'll likely stay near the top of my list. He showed me a lot in the Rose Bowl last season, and I think that carries over to 2010.
-Kris Brauner, Saturday Night Slant
2) Mark Ingram (RB-Alabama) - 25 Points, 20.00%, 5 1st Place Votes
*Note: Most ballots were sent in before news of Ingram's injury broke Tuesday.
* Don't actually think he'll win it, based more on how good his teammates are (Especially Trent Richardson), than anything he will or won't do. But it's Week 1, and Ingram deserves the nod.
-Aaron Torres, Aaron Torres Sports
* We were on the Ingram bandwagon all last season and were excited for the prospect of him battling to challenge Buckeye legend Archie Griffin as a two-time winner. But, the presence of Trent Richardson and now his knee injury will make that task even more difficult. Still, Ingram is the hardest, most fierce runner that college football has seen in years. If he comes back with a flourish in some marquee games, his stats and more importantly the hype he gets from ESPN, could catch him up in a hurry.
-Ryan Yoder, Randall Simon's Sausages
* Should continue to shine in Bama's run-first system, but the emergence of co-star Trent Richardson could prevent Ingram from repeating.
-Cody Strahm, Phins Focus
3) Kellen Moore (QB-Boise State) - 12 Points, 9.6%, 0 1st Place Votes
* Moore is going to put up crazy numbers again and if the Broncos defeat Virginia Tech in the opener it's going to be hard to dismiss him again this season. The pollsters are starting to show Boise some real love, so it's time for the Heisman voters to do the same.
-Tom Perry, Eye and Eer Blog
* He has the arm and the abilities. What is not for certain is will he and his team have the respect in 2010? Earn the respect and he could earn the trophy.
-Flounder, Leftover Hot Dog
4) Jake Locker (QB-Washington) - 9 Points, 7.2%, 2 1st Place Votes
* This kid is crazy gritty. He wins, and he does everything imaginable on the way to that. He runs, he throws, he scores. He wins.
-Elliott Roberts, Bama Sports Report
* I have drank so much Jake Locker kool aid that I think he's the next coming of John Elway. Washington will probably suck, but I think he can pull off an invite to New York anyway.
-Scott King, Bearcats Blog
5) Case Keenum (QB-Houston) - 7 Points, 5.6%, 2 1st Place Votes
* After putting up ridiculous numbers in 2009, Keenum’s numbers will be too hard for the Heisman voters to overlook.
-Ian Bethune, Sox & Dawgs
* Here is the token small school guy who will put up tons of stats. Keenum is a good quarterback and put up numbers last year. He will need to do that again and win to get Heisman consideration.
-Philip Rossman-Reich, Rise Northwestern
Also Receiving Votes - Ricky Dobbs (QB-Navy) 6 pts, Ryan Mallett (QB-Ark) 5 pts, Michael Floyd (WR-ND), Dion Lewis (RB-Pitt), Jacquizz Rodgers (RB-Or St) 3 pts. Jacory Harris (QB-Mia), Andrew Luck (QB-Stan) 2 pts. Adrian Clayborn (DE-Iowa), Ryan Williams (RB-VT), Jon Clay (RB-Wisc), Patrick Peterson (CB-LSU), LaMichael James (RB-Ore), DeMarco Murray (RB-OU) 1 pt
Poll Notes
-Terrelle Pryor and Mark Ingram are the runaway preseason choices. They total 64 out of 125 total points (51.2%) in the initial poll. All other votegetters total 61 points (48.8%).
-Pryor appeared on the most ballots - 17 out of 21.
-Outside the Big 2, Kellen Moore appeared on the most ballots with 8 2nd or 3rd place votes.
-Quarterbacks and running backs dominate the poll as the only players to appear on multiple ballots. The only first place vote not given to a QB or RB was Michael Floyd of Notre Dame, a wide receiver. -After Ndamukong Suh's dominant year last season, 2 defensive players make the poll to start the 2010 season... albeit at the bottom - Iowa's Adrian Clayborn and LSU's Patrick Peterson each received 1 3rd place vote.
-A few Cinderella candidates emerge in the preseason list. Along with Kellen Moore, Case Keenum (2 1st place votes) and Ricky Dobbs (2 1st place votes) are quarterbacks from non-BCS schools who appear on the list.
Bloguin Heisman Poll Roll Call
Aaron Torres Sports - Aaron Torres
ACC Rivals - ACC Rivals Staff
Bama Sports Report - Elliott Roberts
Bearcats Blog - Scott King
Blatant Homerism - Allen Kenney
Eye and Eer Blog - Tom Perry
Hawks Highlights - Deborah Horton
Lambeth Field - Hamilton Riley
Leftover Hot Dog - Flounder
Phins Focus - Cody Strahm
Randall Simon's Sausages - Matt Yoder, Ryan Yoder, Brandon Yohey
Rise Northwestern - Philip Rossman-Reich
Saturday Night Slant - Kris Brauner, Kenny Hill
SEC Rivals - Darrell Owenby
Sox & Dawgs - Ian Bethune
Subway Domer - KGG
UO Sports Dude - Keith Becker
WSU Football Blog - Sean Hawkins
