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Tebow wins Heisman Trophy |
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1. Tim Tebow
Florida, quarterback, So.
Previous rank: 1st.
2006 Heisman voting: Not in top 10.
2007 stats: 12 games, 217 of 317 passing for 3,132 yards, 29 TDs, 6 INTs; 194 rushes for 838 yards, 22 TDs.
2006 stats: 14 games, 22 of 33 passing for 258 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT; 89 rushes for 469 yards, 8 TDs.
Last game (45-12 victory vs. Florida State, 11/24): Tebow broke his right (non-throwing) hand on a 5-yard TD run on the first series of the third quarter and no one could tell. That’s how tough he is.
Tebow scored five touchdowns and it seemed hardly anyone noticed. That’s how good he has become.
And once again the opponent knew he was the man they had to stop, and once again they failed, even though he was injured. That’s how good he is.
Through the air, Tebow went 19-of-28 for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns without a pick. On the ground, Tebow ran it 13 times for 89 yards (an average of 6.8 yards a tote) and 2 more touchdowns.
He’s been so impressive, he had the opposing coach joining in his Heisman campaign.
“We could not get him down," said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. "If he doesn't win the Heisman Trophy, it's because of the sophomore thing. But if he doesn't, he should win the next two years."
It would be shameful if his class standing was the only thing that prevented him from winning. As for playing on a team with three losses, both Paul Hornung and Ty Detmer did the same but their individual excellence won out.
Tebow has played at an extremely high level the entire season and has accomplished things (20 TDs running and throwing) that no other QB has done before; that kind of consistency should properly be rewarded.
Season review: Everyone knew Tebow was a threat to run the ball but few, if any, believed he was ready to become a threat as a passer.
How wrong they were. Tebow finished the season second in the nation in passing efficiency, completing 68.4 percent of his passes for 29 TDs against just 6 interceptions.
Oh yes, and he could run the ball as well, finishing with 838 yards and 22 TDs to become the first quarterback in NCAA history to post a 20 (TDs throwing)-20 (TDs throwing) season. Making that kind of history alone should make it clear whom the choice should be.
The hallmark of his season, though, was his consistency. He averaged scoring more than 4 touchdowns a game, something a fantasy player couldn’t even fantasize. And only once did he score less than three in a game (2 vs. Auburn).
He played hurt, he always played hard, he always had to be on to help overcome his young defense and he displayed a list of intangibles that screamed “football player.’’
This year, he was as good as they get.
Bowl game: Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1 vs. Michigan.
Next season: Regardless of how the vote turns out this season, Tebow will head into next season as the Heisman frontrunner. And with 17 of 22 starters returning, he will have sufficient help to help make that become a reality.
Schedule: vs. Western Kentucky (W, 49-3); vs. Troy (W, 59-31); vs. Tennessee (W, 59-20); at Mississippi (W, 30-24); vs. Auburn (L, 20-17); at LSU (L, 28-24); at Kentucky (W, 45-37); vs. Georgia at Jacksonville, Fla. (L, 42-30); vs. Vanderbilt (W, 49-22); at South Carolina (W, 51-31); vs. Florida Atlantic (W, 59-20); vs. Florida St. (W, 45-12).
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