My Opinion on Sports Heisman Trophy Candidates

Here are the official My Opinion on Sports Heisman Trophy Candidates for 2005. They are in order from the player who has the best chance of winning to the player who is the long shot. Each week during the football season we will update the player’s stats and reshuffle the rankings if needed.

1. Matt Leinart Sr. QB USC
Last Season: 3322 passing yards 33 TD’s 6 INT’s 65.3% of passes completed.

Being the starting quarterback for a dynasty like USC is enough to make you a Heisman Candidate, but Leinart has two national championships in two years and has a legitimate shot at a third this season. No question he is the leader of this Trojan team and he has plenty of talent around him as well. That could make Leinart the first two time winner of the Heisman since Archie Griffith and only the second ever.

2. Adrian Peterson So. RB OU
Last Season: 339 carries 1925 yards 15 TD’s 5.7 yards per carry

Peterson is the best running back in college football. Nicknamed A.D. because he seems to have the ability to run All Day, Peterson burst onto the college football scene last season and finished as the Heisman runner-up behind Leinart.

With former Heisman winner Jason White gone the Sooners will be looking for a new signal caller. This could mean more carries for Peterson. If the line can create holes for him to run through and the Sooners can pass the ball well enough to keep defenses honest that could be enough to move A.D. ahead of Leinart to win the trophy.

3. Reggie Bush Jr. RB USC
Last Season: 143 carries 908 yards 6 TD’s 6.3 yards per carry, 43 receptions 509 yards 7 TD’s 11.8 yards per reception.

Bush is the hardest working man in college football which also makes him the best all-around football player on the collegiate level. His split time between lining up in the backfield and as a receiver will cost him some votes as will playing alongside Matt Leinart. However, Leinart is on record as saying that Bush is the best player on the team and he (Leinart) does have a vote.



4. Vince Young Jr. QB Texas
Last Season: 1849 passing yards 12 TD’s 11 INT’s 59.2% of passes completed 167 carries 1079 yards 14 TD’s 6.5 yards per carry.

A spectacular performance in the Rose Bowl puts Young on the list, but he will have to prove his merit as a QB by improving on his completion percentage and his TD/INT ratio to stay on.

The departure of running back Cedrick Benson to the NFL and inexperience at receiver could make things more difficult for Young. However, if he can overcome those obstacles he should be heading to New York.

5. Jared Zambransky Jr. QB Boise State
Last Season: 2,927 passing yards 16 TD’s 12 INT’s 63% of passes completed 130 carries 326 yards 13 TD’s 2.5 yards per carry.

A tough non-conference schedule including games at Georgia and at Oregon State could do the Broncos in early and dash any of Zabransky’s hopes of making it to New York. However, if Boise runs the table again this season (17 starters return from last years team) look for the Broncos to make an appearance in a BCS Bowl and Zambransky to be a Heisman finalists.