College Football: 2013 Heisman Watch QB List

It is the most coveted and decorated position in college football. It is a position filled with fundamentals, mechanics, emotions, heart, toughness, and leadership. To the average person, playing quarterback for a Division 1 FBS school seems like an easy dream come true, but in all actuality it is the hardest position to play. Though, quarterbacks receive much love from fans, the media, and female admirers, they have the daunting task of making sure that they guide their team to victory game in and game out. In college football, two positions mirror each they are known as the coach and the quarterback. For some people it may seem eerie that these two positions mirror each other, but to be honest both positions provide the same challenge. It is a constant chess match against the opponent for a quarterback and a coach. From a coach’s mindset, the chess match is trying to counter punch what the opposing coach is throwing out. The idea is the same for a quarterback, the lone difference is that he is actually playing the game and he is trying to counter act what the opposing defense is throwing at him.

Everyone loves to be rewarded for what they do and a quarterback is no exception. College football offers many individual awards including the Maxwell Award, the Doak Walker Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Don’t get me wrong, all of these awards are outstanding, but it seems that the one award that quarterbacks are infatuated with is the Heisman Trophy. The reason why is because the Heisman Trophy symbolizes the toughness, passion, pride, and heart that one player brings to the team. After the BCS National Title Trophy, the Heisman Trophy is the most coveted award in college football. Since 2000, 12 players (Chris Weinke, Eric Crouch, Carson Palmer, Jason White, Matt Leinart, Troy Smith, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, Mark Ingram, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, and Johnny Manziel) have won the bronze hardware, 11 of them are quarterbacks, and three of them are SEC quarterbacks. Each year a list goes around during the college football preseason. This list contains the names of players that have been counted worthy to be called Heisman Hopefuls.  The unique thing about this list is that it tells you the players to look out for, but in college football anything can happen.

I honestly believe there are seven quarterbacks in this upcoming season that are worthy to be on the Heisman Watch List and even more shocking I believe that one of the quarterbacks from my list will win the Heisman Trophy this year. The seven quarterbacks that I have chosen possess it all. They have the fundamentals as well as the intangibles.  Here is my preseason Heisman Watch QB List:

PRESEASON HEISMAN WATCH (QB’S)

1. Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M/2012)

a. 68.0 percent of passes completed

b. 5,115 total yards (3,706 passing and 1,409 rushing)

c. 47 total TD’s (26 passing, 21 rushing)

d. 9 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 155.3 (3^rd in the SEC among starting QB’s)

f. Led the Aggies to an 11-2 season (1^st season in the SEC)

g. *Won the Heisman Trophy last season

 

2. A. J. McCarron (Alabama/2012)

a. 67.2 percent of passes completed

b. 2,933 yards passing

c. 30 TD’s

d. 3 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 175.3 (Led all starting SEC QB’s)

f. *Won an SEC Title last season (against Georgia)

g. *Won two BCS National Championships as the starting QB

h. All of his receivers are back this season

 

3. Aaron Murray (Georgia/2012)

a. 64.5 percent of passes completed

b. 3,893 yards passing

c. 36 TD’s

d. 10 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 174.8 (2^nd in the SEC among starting QB’s)

 

4. Tajh Boyd (Clemson/2012)

a. 67.2 percent of passes completed

b. 4410 total yards (3,896 passing, 514 rushing)

c. 46 total TD’s (36 passing, 10 rushing)

d. 13 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 165.6 (Led all starting ACC QB’s)

f. *Sammy Watkins returns this season

 

5. Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville Cardinals/2012)

a. 68.5 percent of passes completed

b. 3,718 yards passing

c. 27 TD’s

d. 8 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 160.5 (Led all starting AAC QB’s)

f. Led Louisville to an 11-2 season

g. Led Louisville past Florida in the Sugar Bowl (33-23)

h. Heisman Trophy Dark Horse

 

6. Braxton Miller (Ohio State/2012)

a. 58.3 percent of passes completed

b. 3,310 total yards (2,039 passing and 1,271 rushing)

c. 28 total TD’s (15 passing, 13 rushing)

d. 6 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 140.5

f. Led the Buckeyes to an undefeated 12-0 season under Head Coach Urban Meyer (* On probation)

 

7. Marcus Mariota (Oregon/2012)

a. 68.5 percent of passes completed

b. 3,429 total yards (2,677 passing, 752 rushing)

c. 37 total TD’s (32 passing, 5 rushing)

d. 6 INT’s

e. QB Rating: 163.2

f. *Won the Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State (35-17)

g. *No more Chip Kelly