12.12.2009

Race for the Heisman – Mark Ingram

Season statistics: 249 carries, 1,542 yards (6.2 yards per carry), 15 touchdowns

Why he deserves to win:

With an untested quarterback starting for Alabama this season, Ingram put the offense on his back in most of its games, leading the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 season.

From the opening game against Virginia Tech in Atlanta, where he ran for 150 yards and scored one touchdown both rushing and receiving, Ingram was clearly the best player on the best team.

He is not the flashiest player in the country, but he is as versatile as they come in terms of his ability to run both in between the tackles and on the perimeter.

Why he wouldn’t win:

If the voters want to select the player who had the most outstanding season, it’s Toby Gerhart. If they want to select the most dominant player, it’s Ndamukong Suh. If they want to select the player who did the most for his team, there’s an argument for Ingram.

However, his two backups, Trent Richardson and Roy Upchurch, both ran with great power when they were in the games and were arguably nearly as impressive as Ingram.

While Ingram had a great season, playing his best football against the best opponents, he simply never stood out above the rest.

Best game of 2009:

Like Suh, Ingram saved his best game for last. In the same building where the Tide started the season, Alabama rolled the top-ranked Florida Gators 32-13 for the SEC championship.

Ingram scored three touchdowns in that game to lead the way while rushing for 113 yards on the ground. It is always an advantage to leave the voters with your best game fresh in their minds as they fill out the ballot. For Alabama to have knocked off a-Florida, and b-Tim Tebow thanks in large part to Ingram, it gives him a great shot at having his named called around 8:58 p.m. Saturday night. 

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