This Week's Number: 3

3 : Heisman Finalists.

Go ahead. Start the Rant music...

Only 3 guys are going to the heisman award. i'm not positive why - either no one else got enough votes to qualify for an invite, or the NYAC just picked the Big 3. Three guys from 2 schools? THE 2 schools? the winner certainly needs to be Young or Bush - either is fine with me - but to not pick 2 others to come out and share a little spotlight is a disgrace. it's not like there aren't candidates.

Brady Quinn has better numbers in every serious category than Leinart (both, obviously, eclipse Young as a passer), and he outplayed Leinart badly in their showdown. How is the story of Quinn's season not on par with Carson's in 02, when he brought SC back from the Darkness? Is that not what Quinn has done, on an even bigger stage?

How about the superb Mike Haas at Oregon State? Absurd stats, and, effectively, the only serious player on his team - short of VY, has any one player been more vital to his team?

Or my man Brett Basanez? So he lost big to Ohio State... so what? With that funky spread offense he passed for a hair short of 3000 yds, ran for almost 400 and kept NU afloat into mid November. that's not worth a chair in NY?

And I guess they don't play football in the SEC - here's some heresy: if you switched DJ Shockley and Vince Young, UT might get a half-a-click drop off. the difference between them is almost entirely their preseason expectations, which were astronomical for VY and sub-zero for Shockley. Turns out, DJ has been fantastic all year, made countless pressure plays and only dragged his team to the championship of the SEC. His only loss was that miracle that Auburn pulled off (he was out for Florida).

Here's DJ v VY passing

210.1: Yards/Game, UGA's DJ Shockley
230.8: Yards/Game, UT's Vince Young

8.3: Yards/Pass, UGA's DJ Shockley
9.7: Yards/Pass, UT's Vince Young

21: TDs, DJ
26: TDs, VY

5: INTs, DJ
10: INTs, VY

If you need 20 extra yards per game, I guess you take VY. But if you could do with 50-percent less interceptions, then DJ might be a better QB.

DJ also rushed for 250 in an offense he wasn't supposed to. In Greg Davis' 'create space' scheme, he'd have been good for a lot more.

Feel free to make the same argument for LSU's Jamarcus Russel, who led the SEC in yards and wins, was never sick at sea on the toughest schedule in the country, and did it all with Fats Domino sleeping in his dorm room besides.

Of course, what they SHOULD have done is let two defense guys come to NY. Just for the effort. AJ Hawk, maybe? Or that Penn State guy who's supposed to be so good.
Or somebody from that Alabama D?

But 3 guys? THOSE three guys? Disgraceful.