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December 4, 2007
Heisman Watch 2007-8, Final Ballot
It is very interesting that despite the fan vote being, in all likelihood, strongly in Tim Tebow's favor, the press vote will not be. There are those in the press who won't vote for Tebow because he is a sophomore, and they think there is no way that a sophomore could be the best player.
There are also those who won't vote for him #1 because they haven't seen him play. I know that seems strange in the world we live in with games on television all the time, all season. It is hard to not have your games on the air. But remember, that a lot of these voters are writers, covering a single team, seeing sometimes a single conference all season long. They don't have the ability to sit on their couch and watch 20 games in a weekend.
This is the primary reason why the balloting is broken into the regions like it is. In the past, it would be hard for someone from a region like the West to see all the games in the SEC. They did not want the balloting in the West to unduly influence the final vote, so it was only a single region with the same number of writers as everywhere else.
I don't believe it should be an excuse, but a lot of writers say that what they see in person is more important than what they see on television. Because Florida has been out of the National Championship race for quite a while, they haven't been the "draw" game. There hasn't been the great influx of journalists into Gainesville this season to watch Tebow play. Most have only seen him on the highlights, and even though the numbers and the highlights are staggering, they aren't sold.
I have heard it on podcasts, and I have heard it on television. You are going to see a much closer vote, thanks to Darren McFadden's final game, than you would have if Florida were in the BCS games, or the hunt for the title. In the end, I think the sentiment still is with Tebow (and the Heisman Pundit agrees, which is almost a lock for the Gator QB).
Here is how I see my rankings, if I had a vote (remember, the ballot only allows you to list three names):
- Tim Tebow (QB Florida) - 68.5%, 3132 yds, 29 TD, 6 INT, 838 yds rush, 22 TD
- Dennis Dixon (QB Oregon) - 67.7%, 2136 yds, 20 TD, 4 INT, 583 yds rush, 9 TD
- Pat White (QB West Virginia) - 68.0%, 1548 yds, 12 TD, 4 INT, 1185 yds rush, 14 TD
Others Receiving Consideration, in order:
Darren McFadden, Chase Daniel, Colt Brennan, Michael Hart, Todd Reesing, Kevin Smith, Andre Woodson
Posted by bmiraski at December 4, 2007 1:30 PM
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