Congrats, Mark Ingram, Heisman Trophy winner

[dolfan]

I thought Suh may have been the absolute best player in the group, but I'm just THRILLED that Ingram won tonight. I'll always remember where I was and what I was doing when Alabama got their first Heisman winner (and Nick Saban got his). Roll Tide. Beat the Longhorns!!!!!

[Rob]

Dolfan,

You do understand now, that Bama will lose the NC game since Mark has won the Heisman. The last Heisman winner to win his bowl game was Lineart.

[jdavis]

I guess it's alright to cry if you play for Bama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOKR7sI8Nsk&feature=player_embedded

[dolfan]

I don't believe in jinxes. Although, I admit to some 'hinky' feeling about all that. Still, I can't wish Ingram would've lost based on a superstition. I'm glad for him.

jdavis ---- He cried off the field. He'd never been there before. And, even at that, he got control of himself.

Tebow went on and on before the game was over and afterward. He already had a Heisman and an SEC Championship and a National Championship (make that 2 of each of those championships). Emotionally, men usually don't cry at that point. Is he Superman or Superboy? He was awfully eager to eat up the attention when it was Superman. When Superman got beaten, though, the high-strung side of Tebow emerged. I'm firmly convinced he's not even-keeled. Well scripted, but not even-keeled. A good guy, but not even-keeled. An extremely gifted college QB and well coached and in the perfect system for his skill level, but not emotionally even keeled. That's wholly different from the accomplishments of Ingram and his momentary reaction to the hardships of his life, which stand in stark contrast to Tebow's life. I hope Tim Tebow NEVER has to endure the pain that Ingram knows today; I hope Ingram can enjoy some part of the success that Tebow knows in college football.

[jdavis]

Tebow went on and on before the game was over and afterward. He already had a Heisman and an SEC Championship and a National Championship (make that 2 of each of those championships). Emotionally, men usually don't cry at that point. Is he Superman or Superboy? He was awfully eager to eat up the attention when it was Superman. When Superman got beaten, though, the high-strung side of Tebow emerged. I'm firmly convinced he's not even-keeled. Well scripted, but not even-keeled. A good guy, but not even-keeled. An extremely gifted college QB and well coached and in the perfect system for his skill level, but not emotionally even keeled. That's wholly different from the accomplishments of Ingram and his momentary reaction to the hardships of his life, which stand in stark contrast to Tebow's life. I hope Tim Tebow NEVER has to endure the pain that Ingram knows today; I hope Ingram can enjoy some part of the success that Tebow knows in college football.

OK Dolfan you win. It is obvious that you don't like
Tebow. BTW I am happy that Ingram won. I think he deserved it personally. Truthfully Tebow and Ingram are just kids in the scheme of life and it remains to be seen just how their lives will turn out and who really is even keeled.

[Pastorbps]

Ingram deserves it because of his stats combined with what his team has done BUT where was C.J. Spiller!!!! Ask every team Clemson played. They had to game plan around Spiller. ACC player of the year and a 4 year body of work. He had over 300 yards against Georgia Tech in the ACC championship. Numbers were comparable to Reggie Bush and he had more plays over 60 yards -9 than DeSean Jackson who just set the NFL mark - 8. I know Clemson was not great and the ACC was not great and he didn't deserve to win but he deserved to be there. I am partial but what a shame such a great young man didn't even get an invite.

[Rob]

Ingram deserves it because of his stats combined with what his team has done BUT where was C.J. Spiller!!!! Ask every team Clemson played. They had to game plan around Spiller. ACC player of the year and a 4 year body of work. He had over 300 yards against Georgia Tech in the ACC championship. Numbers were comparable to Reggie Bush and he had more plays over 60 yards -9 than DeSean Jackson who just set the NFL mark - 8. I know Clemson was not great and the ACC was not great and he didn't deserve to win but he deserved to be there. I am partial but what a shame such a great young man didn't even get an invite.

I guess my question for you would have been out of the 5 who were invited, who would you not have invited to invite Spiller?

Ingram? Who won!
Gearhart? Who had a great year.
McCoy? Who I think should have won. But I don't have a vote.
Suh? Who was so dominate all year long on the defensive side
Tebow? Who all he has done is win at FL.

Remember the Heisman is for a year's work not a 4 year body of work, if that had been the case Tebow would have won hands down.

But hey I understand I'm a homer too!

[Pastorbps]

Gearhart - One good year and his team had no better record than Clemson. Don't get me wrong, he is good BUT teams didn't have to rethink their entire game plan (Special teams and defense) because of him. No, you can't take the 4 year body of work but it does show he wasn't a flash in the pan. I knew nothing about Ingram and Gearhart before this year. Also I want to point out he set about every ACC career record and was only the featured back this year. This guy is unbelievable just ask any of the coaches who had to prepare for him. He did all this on a team which was not Texas or Alabama. Just think if C.J. would have had their teams. WOW!!! Colt McCoy is a question mark (Did you see the Nebraska game?). They made him look sub average. I will venture to say the Alabama game will expose him as well. Having said that, I don't begrudge any of them being there. Just should have added one more.

[Rob]

Well with all due respect the Heisman is for the work a player has done in one year. So you can't excuse Gearhart for that. Plus added to the fact that he played in the PAC-10 which this year was, by the experts one of the top two conferences, better than the ACC.

As for McCoy, yes I watched the Big 12 Championship game and McCoy looked average at best. Shame it had to happen in a Championship game, but I also watched the Bama-Auburn game, and Ingram looked average at best in that game as well.

I do believe McCoy will play much better in the NC game and I predict that Texas not Bama will win the NC. My picks will be on Pick 'em Thursday.

I do agree that Spiller was a very good player, and played great in the ACC championship game, let's see what he does against UK this time.

[dolfan]

Of course, I'll stick with being glad that Ingram won.

But, the vote was the closest ever for a lot of reasons. Suh and Gearhart were phenomenal. I don't know which one of these five players that went to NY last week would've been the "best" one to eliminate in favor of C.J. Spiller. I do know that Spiller's just reward, in football terms, lies ahead with a fat NFL contract. Did he deserve to go to NY? Well, sure, why not? But, media people do the voting. And, the media people who do the voting didn't vote enough for him to garner him a trip up. That's too bad for him, but 5 years from now no one is going to call him, "Heisman nominee, C.J. Spiller". They may be calling him "2 time Pro-Bowler C.J. Spiller", or even "Super Bowl MVP C.J. Spiller" or "NFL Rookie of the Year C.J. Spiller". Now that the Heisman is over and done, I'm sure Mr. Spiller can console himself with the fact that his best days lie ahead. The Heisman has historic sentimental value and it is a great honor, and I'm glad Mark Ingram won it for himself and because Bama never had one before him. Yet, these guys who are serious about NFL futures aren't going to get 1 mile on the gallon of gas a Heisman provides in that league. Combines can turn a Heisman winner into a hopeless cause, draft-wise.