On the Docket - Sun Bowl: Oklahoma (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)

Synopsis:

This game lost a bit of its luster when an announcement came that Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck is doubtful to play following surgery to repair a broken finger. Still, this game is a great opportunity for Stanford to take down yet another dominant program this season, having already defeated USC and Oregon.

Oklahoma must have walked under thirteen ladders, broken thirteen mirrors, and slept with a baker’s dozen black cats before the season, because they have come across the worst luck any team has seen in recent memory. Both of the team’s top NFL prospects, quarterback Sam Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, missed virtually the entire season due to injury. With those two players healthy, the Sooners could have potentially been a top-five team.

Player to watch: Toby Gerhart is the star of the Cardinal’s team, but the key player in this game will be Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard. Pritchard is most fondly remembered in the hearts of Cardinal nation for leading his team to an improbable upset of USC in 2007. With Luck’s status uncertain for the game, Pritchard will start and most likely play the whole game under center. All coach Jim Harbaugh will ask him to do is manage the game and let Gerhart carry the load.

Who has the edge?

Stanford is a blue-collar team in the mold of its coach, and they will be fully prepared for this game. Oklahoma has dealt with too many distractions to count this season, and are more than ready to put the 2009 season behind it.

Prediction:

Stanford 31

Oklahoma 24

Race for the Heisman – Toby Gerhart

Season Statistics: 311 carries, 1,736 yards (5.7 yards per carry), 26 touchdowns

Why he deserves to win: When it comes to consistency, Gerhart is the Cadillac of productive running backs. He broke the 100-yard mark in all but two games, and found the end zone in all but one.

His play was special all season, but he seemed to find another level when the stakes were highest. There was not a defense in the country that could bring him down at the point of attack.

Almost every team would stack the box on first down and any other short-yardage situation to stop him, but he would plow through them like a runaway bulldozer.

What Gerhart has done is turn back the clock about half a century. It has been a long time since a running back that makes a living hammering the ball between the tackles has even sniffed the Heisman.

In an era where a quarterback takes home this award every season, Gerhart has brought a refreshing new flavor to the group of finialists.

Why he wouldn’t win: The last time a player won the Heisman from a team not playing in a New Year’s Day bowl or later was 1990, when Ty Detmer won the award at BYU. It’s hard enough to be a running back in this day and age and win the award; even harder still to be a running back on a third-place Pac-10 team.

The award is as much a reflection on individual performance as it is on team. Fair or not, that’s the way it is (one dollar to Celine Dion).

Having said that, if there is a year for that trend to be bucked, it’s this year.

Best game of 2009: There are plenty of worthy candidates, but his 223-yard, three-touchdown performance against Oregon ranks as one of the best games by any player this year. The Ducks were fresh off a monumental win over USC the week before, when Gerhart and the Cardinal were literally unstoppable. After that game, people outside of the state of California took notice of the senior’s accomplishments.

Fifth Down Heisman poll is now open!

I want to know what the people think. 

Using the poll feature on the right-hand side of the page, please vote on who YOU would vote for to win the Heisman Trophy next Saturday. Voting will be open until Dec. 11, encourage anyone and everyone to stop by and vote! Would love to see a good number of people contribute. Thanks for reading, everyone. 

Heisman race finally gets interesting

Hello all, and happy Thanksgiving!

I had planned on a great day of eating, watching, and blogging on Thursday. That was until I found out my aunt and uncle had no high-speed internet. So much for that...but here is a quick recap of my thoughts on the weekend.

Jerrod Johnson and Colt McCoy put on one of the most entertaining shows of the season, combining for nine touchdowns in the Longhorns' 49-39 win. The Aggies went down swinging, but they just made too many mistakes in key moments to be able to hang with the third-ranked team in the land.

Johnson's untimely interception in the end zone, along with Christine Michael's fumbled handoff and Marquise Goodwin's kickoff returned for a touchdown cost Texas A & M its fourth victory in four years against Texas. 

As well as the Aggies played, McCoy played even better. His career-high 175 rushing yards included a highlight-worthy 65-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Every time it seemed the Aggies were making a comeback push, McCoy marched the offense down the field in convincing fashion. 

It was a Heisman-worthy performance, and hopefully set the stage for a huge weekend in deciding who will take home the award this year. 

In the past, the list of potential Heisman winners has been narrowed to three, maybe two, and even sometimes one by the last weekend of the regular season. Instead, this year there are as many as five or six guys still vying for the trophy. 

McCoy showed last night that this weekend is the perfect opportunity for all of the guys in the forefront to make a statement on the national stage. 

Mark Ingram has a chance today to carry the Alabama Crimson Tide to a second straight unbeaten regular season against Auburn. If Ingram steps up in the spotlight as he has all season, he will be a finalist in New York.

Tim Tebow has a great chance as well to keep his name in the mix. All the eyes of college football will at the very least have a peak in on the Florida-Florida State game. It will be Tebow's final home game of his illustrious career, and also a chance for the Gators to finish 12-0 for the second straight year as well. 

Toby Gerhart's dominant season has gone largely unnoticed until his Stanford team's recent upsets of Oregon and USC in consecutive weeks. Now, Gerhart has a chance to face one of the nation's worst rushing defenses in Notre Dame at home in prime-time. 

More than anyone else left with a shot at the Heisman, Gerhart needs a big game to give himself a chance. The beauty of it for Gerhart is, a great game could not only put him in contention, but could be enough for him to sneak away with the award, depending on how the rest of the nation pans out. 

Check back for more later, but if last night is any indication, we're on in for one helluva weekend in college football.