Colt McCoy can't catch a break.
First, the Texas quarterback watched Oklahoma jump into the Big 12 title game, and subsequently the BCS title game, despite the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma, 45-35, during the regular season.
Then on Saturday, a Big 12 quarterback won the Heisman, edging 2007 winner Tim Tebow of Florida, and it was Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, not McCoy, who had the better game between the two in Texas' aforementioned 45-35 win.
Bradford's numbers are certainly Heisman-worthy but what I don't understand is McCoy was considered the front-runner through Texas' game with Texas Tech. After Texas lost to Texas Tech, Graham Harrell, the Red Raiders' QB, took the lead, only to be usurped by Bradford when Oklahoma beat Texas Tech.
A) I didn't realize it was a team award.
B) How do you punish McCoy, who led Texas back from a 16-point hole to take a 33-32 lead in the fourth quarter, for losing to Texas Tech?
All of this is a windup to my national AP player of the year vote and AP coach of the year vote.
I voted for McCoy, not only for his performances against Texas Tech and Oklahoma, but because Texas had no running game, other than McCoy. Tebow, while also a dual threat, at least had the services of Percy Harvin.
As for the COY, really it's no contest. Buffalo was the worst Division I-A program in the country — worse than Duke! — before Turner Gill's arrival. After winning the MAC, and eight games, the Nebraska legend has proven he deserves a gig with a BCS program.
Comments
if i had a vote.
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 16:07 — gvillegatrMcCoy was my guy if I had a vote. I'd give my COY award to Chris Peterson of Boise St.
Good call both ways
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:29 — JPDOhioBeing in the middle of MAC territory, I am familiar with how bad Buffalo was and how far Turner Gill brought them. The fact that he hasn't been snapped up already by a BCS program shows how risk averse these programs are. They would rather take someone with a BCS head coaching resume over a MAC head coach, so, if he fails, they can fall back on the credentials to try avoid blame.
As far as Colt McCoy goes, you make a number of valid points. However, all of the candidates were Heisman worthy, so I don't think the choice is completely unfair to Colt. I'm guessing that the Buckeyes are going to bear the brunt of Colt's disappointment.