NCAA MVP (not heisman)
So we all know that the Heisman has a lot of politicking involved and has shown in the past that it sometimes goes to the quarterback of the school who has the best record or is ranked the highest. So here is my question: who is the MVP of college football? I want to know what player had the most impact on his team so that without him his team would have had significantly more losses and maybe missed a bowl game (if they even made one)
my vote goes for Mardy Gilyard. I don't think Cinn would be in a BCS game without him. While Pike is a great passer and Collaros (sp) has some great wheels as a qb, without Gilyard catching passes and setting them up with great field position on returns, Cinn goes 8-4 at best.
(Brandon Graham is my #2)
December 10th, 2009 at 11:16 AM ^
I like the question.
Jeremiah Masoli, the Oregon Spread would not function the way it does without him.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:19 AM ^
right, we saw a few years ago how the oregon spread worked after Dixon was injured.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:18 AM ^
Nesbitt at Georgia Tech is a candidate. Their backup simply has no chance to run that offense effectively.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:21 AM ^
I would go with Oregon State RB Jaquizz Rodgers. They are no where near as good as they w/out him.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:33 AM ^
I'm with you on Gilyard for the reasons you cited (field position, big plays, consistency, etc).
My #2 has to be Toby Gerhart (stats: 311 rushes for 1,736 yards and 26 touches). Take away half of those TDs and a team that wins 5 of its games by 5 TDs or less (and loses 2 by 2 TDs or less) is probably going to lose another 3 games.
#3 - Dion Lewis of Pitt. I feel the need to plug it now before those of us in Big East country get incredibly irritated with hearing it in the coming seasons.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:29 AM ^
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Colin Kaepernick , QB from Nevada. They have had a few games on late at night so I have gotten to watch them. He is amazing running the spread. Had 19 td's and 1800 yds passing plus 16 td's and 1100 yds rushing. They have 2 other 1000 yd rushers on the team but there is no way they go to a bowl without him.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:47 AM ^
I hate myself for saying this: Clausen, ND wins what 1 game without him? But man I really hate him.
But I would probably vote for Masoli.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:05 PM ^
Along the same lines, OSU would be a mess this year without Pryor.
December 10th, 2009 at 2:27 PM ^
That may be partially true, but I think that's more a function of their backups being awful than Pryor being awesome.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:25 PM ^
The fact that it's because his back-ups are bad doesn't really make him any less valuable. This is an MVP conversation, not best player.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:57 AM ^
...Cincinnati goes 8-4 at best.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:27 PM ^
please define "a real conference." The Big East is considered the 3rd or 4th best conference in the country this year...They are basically interchangeable with the ACC. 1) SEC; 2) Pc-10; 3/4) ACC/Big East; 5) Big 12; and, 6) Big 10...(rankings are based on Sagarin)...
December 10th, 2009 at 12:04 PM ^
Without him, Tennessee goes into the swamp with no swagger and gets pummeled by 30 or more. He's a mini-Woodson without the class or the 2-ways ability.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:13 PM ^
I hate bringing up a Heisman candidate in this discussion, but he definitely means a lot to Clemson and has for the last four years.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:31 PM ^
Hard to say this but, Golden Tate has to be somewhere on this list. I know Clausen throws hail merry passes, and deep fades all day long.....but the kid doesn't miss!!
Total:
150 touches
1,800 yards
18 Td's
Hate his cockyness! Wish we had that confidence on the field at times.
Maybe 3-9 without him
December 10th, 2009 at 2:46 PM ^
but it's a Hail Mary pass.
That said, Golden Tate should be in the conversation.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:38 PM ^
Dan LeFevour is pretty valuable to CMU.
December 10th, 2009 at 2:29 PM ^
And I think it's a crime that he didn't at least get invited to the ceremony.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:39 PM ^
Glenn Winston - without his jailbreaking runs against Michigan the Green Raiders(Sparty) would not be playing the Red Raiders in the Alamo bowl.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:53 PM ^
For me it is a tie. The SEC officials and the SEC replay officials. Without their ability to make the wrong call with as much confidence, Alabama would have destroyed someone else in the title game.
Seriously, I would say Shipley or Spiller.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:09 PM ^
You might wanna rewatch the LSU/Bama or Tenn/Bama games. Bama got alot of bad calls in their favor in those games. That interception called out of bounds in that LSU/Bama game was unbelievable!
December 10th, 2009 at 1:36 PM ^
yeah, it's crazy that shipley didn't make the first all-american team that was put out, i think it was the AP but im not sure. I do know that Gilyard was on that team though.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:35 PM ^
I define MVP as how far would a team fall without this person?
MVPs IMHE:
-Golden Tate (unstoppable by almost any team)
-Toby Gerhart (Stanford's other offensive weapons are average and the defense is porous)
-Gilyard at Cincy
-SEC refs
-Tie: Florida's OC from last year and pre-concussed Tim Tebow (Florida has drooped on offense when each of these left the building)
-Ricky Stanzi (Iowa wins one if not two more games with him healthy)
-Any of the Nevada runners
-Possibly Stafon Johnson (hard to say but USC probably would have won a couple more with him)
-Ndamukong Suh (singlehandedly won multiple games)
-Masoli
-GT QB Josh Nesbitt
-Navy's quarterback
-Dan LeFevour
-Brian Cook
NOT MVPs in my mind (i.e. teams would have done as well without them):
-Terrell Pryor (without him, OSU probably uses a more competent drop-back guy and a conventional offense and still wins the Big Ten)
-Mark Ingram (we already know, he was a non-factor in several Bama wins)
-Nebraska's offensive coordinator
December 10th, 2009 at 2:32 PM ^
Totally agree with Suh, even though he is a heisman candidate. There were so many games where he just single-handedly dominated the line. Without him Nebraska finishes no better than 4th in the south.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:43 PM ^
Navy's coaching staff has those kids playing every year.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:47 PM ^
dion lewis. Bill Stull might have led the big east in passing yards, but he didn't lead his own team in importance
December 10th, 2009 at 2:07 PM ^
Freddie Barnes, WR for BGSU. Finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. 138 receptions, 1551 yds, 18 total TDs.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
* Whoever is leading the Reggie Bush investigation into it's 4th year allowing USC to remain USC.
* ESPN for giving up any semblance of objective Journalisim to be an NCAA business partner.
* The NFL changing the rookie salary cap rules and still not allowing underclassmen.
* SEC football: The opium of everything south of the Mason Dixon line and the fallback for those who dont military qualify.
* FCS/1AA As the example of a post season to aspire for.