Michigan Heisman RB?
With the way Rich Rodriguez uses running backs, I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were regarding whether a Wolverine Running Back would ever win a Heisman under Rodriguez. I know most people are expecting a big year from Minor this season, but with all the talent behind him, would Rodriguez use him enough to build the stats and highlights to win a Heisman? I'm not saying we would never have one, I just think with our offense and the number of talented backs coming in, that it would be more difficult for a Michigan back to have enough carries and stats to beat out someone who is a primary back in another system. What are your thoughts?
My thoughts are that 3-9 teams don't have heisman trophy winners.
Let's go for a bowl game before we worry about individual awards.
As we all know, the wording on what constituents a Heisman winner is purposely vague going to the "most oustanding college football player". The eternal question is whether that means the most outstanding player on the most outstanding team, the most outstanding player on a bad team, or something in between.
As we've seen in recent years, it almost always means the most outstanding RB or QB on a top 5 team. Unfortunately, I don't see us being a top 5 (i.e. MNC contender) this year. Thus, it's unlikely that anyone on the team will get serious consideration.
Does that mean that Minor won't have Heisman-esque stats. No. Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan had nearly identical stats to Tebow in his Heisman winning year. But LeFevour was never really in contention for it. That's mostly because he plays in the MAC and partially because Central wasn't a top 5 team.
I don't expect Minor to have Heisman-esque stats, however, because I think that we're going to give a lot of different players a chance to run with it this year. That will make defending us more difficult as opposing defenses can't just key in on one player and gives us more experience for next year. If Minor got every handoff, then we'd lose all of that experience when he graduates.
I think Michael Shaw or Fitzgerald Toussaint have will be the next Heisman hopefuls. If you go outside the RB position, I would include Tate Forcier in the conversation (Surprise!). However, I think we will have to wait until 2010 for anyone on our team to get serious consideration.
If the offense is doing that well, it will be hard for a RB to get more votes than the QB
Today is June 17th. I can already tell you the Heisman finalists:
Baby Jesus Tebow
Sam Bradford
Colt McCoy
Terrelle Pryor
How do I know? I watch ESPN.
In 2010, the Heisman will be Pryor's to lose.
Tebow has already won it. It will be Pryor's to lose in 2010 if he has a really good season this year.
Javidh Best, Dez Bryant, and Eric Berry will have a say if they all stick around.
I'll take NCs over Heisman winners ANY DAY.
sad to see our recent run of Heisman RBs, Tom Harmon and uh, come to an end under RichRod. This is just more evidence that he is destroying the program.
Chris Perry finished 3rd or 4th his last year. Hart was in contention for it as well.
but Brady Quinn finished third in the balloting in 2006. I would hardly give him the trophy and Mike Hart finished fifth, two places below Quinn. In 2003, Perry seemed to have a legitimate shot at the Heisman, but still finished back in fourth place.
As far as the OP, it may be more difficult for the RB to garner Heisman votes in a system that splits carries between RBs and QBs. As for me, I say just win and let the individual awards sort themselves out.
Lol. Chris Perry almost won the Heisman a couple years ago.
Perry's performance in the 2003 OSU game is still my all time favorite gutty performance in a game by a Michigan running back. He had to pull himself off the ground in the second half after pulling a hamstring in the first quarter.
Maybe not Heisman worthy, but definitely Heilman's Old Style worthy. A much more delectable award!
I think our chances of landing a quality back with Heisman potential will go up with a winning season, and even more so if we land Seantrel. Even if we don't, I can't stop thinking about what Taylor Lewan is going to look like Barwisized, no homo.
I hate to sound like I am being contrary to anything that UM is doing but I have to say that I just don't see Brown or Minor being that good. I think they have a lot of talent but not tons of talent to put themselves in that category. The last RB to win the Heisman was Reggie Bush and as much as I like these 2 guys they are nowhere near what he was.
I think, because RR has said this numerous times, that he can adapt his system to the skills of his players. That is why Pat While ran the ball almost every other play at WVU. Though our system it set up for allowing the QB to run if he deems doing so the best option, RR will not let this aspect of the system get in the way of maximizing the use of a Heisman-caliber player (e.g., White). We had nonesuch last year. Unlikely we will have any such this year. But to think RR will not adapt the system (which, again, he has emphasized is highly adaptable once it is installed) to maximize hiesman-caliber potential, thus lowering the chances of having a Heisman candidate, is ludicrous.
And don't bother with the "well, he didn't adapt it last year!" arguemnt - he has to install it before he can adapt it.
I don't think there are any serious Heisman candidates on the roster at the RB position. I think Toussaint will be good, but I have no idea how good at this point.
The answer to your initial question is likely 'no', a pure rb will never win the heisman in this system. as you mentioned, reps will be an issue as they look to spread the ball around.
IMHO, a qb could win the heisman in this system...and reading about Clements at camp yesterday made me think a guy like him, a stud RB who can also be a stud slot might be in a position to get the reps to win what is strictly a statistics based award (god bless our famed #2 for being the exception to prove the rule). I guess, basically, it will take a Reggie Bush type guy.