Like it or not, when it comes to the Heisman trophy presentation lately there are two categories of winners, quarterbacks and non-quarterbacks. Unfortunately Heisman trophy voters have never voted in the true spirit of the award which is supposed to be rewarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football regardless of their position.

In reality the unspoken criteria goes a little something like this:

1. Must be a junior or senior
2. Must be an offensive skill position player
3. Must play in a BCS conference on a highly ranked team. True even before the advent of the current BCS system.
4. Must play in at least three nationally televised contests against other BCS opponents
5. Preferably, be a quarterback.

Tebow won the Heisman as a sophomore.

Tebow won the Heisman as a sophomore.

Of course there have been exceptions to these unspoken guidelines like when Charles Woodson of Michigan became the first ever true defensive player to win the award in 1997 and even he played some at wide receiver, Tim Tebow won as a sophomore in 2007 and both Ty Detmer and Andrew Ware won from non-BCS programs, BYU and Houston, in 1989 and ‘90.

From 1973-’83 there was a run of 11 straight running backs but with 8 of the last 9 awards going to quarterbacks, the preferences of Heisman voters has clearly moved over to the signal callers.

Colt McCoy hot both on the field and off

Colt McCoy hot both on the field and off

So understanding how the award is ‘really’ determined I have no doubt that Colt McCoy has just wrapped up the 2009 Heisman trophy. Over the past month McCoy has been outstanding while leading the Longhorns to wins over Oklahoma State, Kansas and in-state rival texas A&M, all on national television.

Of the two candidates who meet the unspoken criteria listed above (Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow), McCoy is having a slightly better statistical season than Florida’s Tebow, and if it stays close the voters are more likely to reward McCoy his first trophy knowing Tebow won the award just two years ago.

McCoy’s Heisman Moment Against A&M
On the ground and through the air, McCoy accounted for 479 yards of total offense including a career-best 175 rushing yards and five touchdowns against Texas A&M. It was the third-highest individual total in school history, trailing only Vince Young’s 506 yards against Oklahoma State in 2005 and his own 483-yard performance against Central Florida earlier this year.

For the season he’s 310/432 (71.8%) for 3300 yards with 29 TDs and just 9 interceptions. With the Longhorns on the verge of playing for the national championship, McCoy is the best candidate left standing.

Like it or not, it’s Colt McCoy’s trophy this year.

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