Consider the carnage:
UCLA's DeShaun Foster ran for 187 yards against the defending SEC champions. Fresno State is the next victim. Nebraska's Dan Alexander averaged 12.2 yards per carry. Rudi Johnson rushed for more yards (174) by himself than
Auburn has put up as a team in two years.
Now reconsider the Heisman race. It has definitely changed, with new candidates
announcing themselves over the weekend.
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| DeShaun Foster was nearly unstoppable against Alabama.(AP) | |
Foster came back from injuries in
1999 to beat up Alabama. Alexander we knew about, but as Eric Crouch carries
less for Nebraska, perhaps he is becoming the workhorse. Any Husker I-back
who rushes for 208 yards in any game should be considered a candidate at
this point.
Johnson? A junior. A virtual unknown. He came from Butler County (Kan.)
Community College and enrolled in January. He won the job with 98 yards in
the spring game. He lists Bo Jackson as his favorite former Auburn athlete.
From what we've seen, he also runs like him. There were three touchdowns
against Wyoming, including a multi-tackle-breaking 70-yarder that is the play
of the year so far. There's nothing like a go-to tailback in the SEC to make
things a whole lot easier for a program on the rebound.
That's what makes September fun. The whole world goes Beano. Everyone is a
candidate. When was the last time Toledo had more candidates (Chester Taylor
and Tavares Bolden) than Penn State (zero)?
Foster, Alexander and Johnson should stay in the hunt, at least until
Saturday. UCLA gets to beat up on Fresno State this week. The stakes have
been raised for Nebraska, which goes to suddenly tough Notre Dame.
Auburn travels to Mississippi for a game in which Johnson's story will be
shoved to the background. It is Tommy Tuberville's first visit to Oxford
since he bailed a couple of years ago.
This kid -- what's his name? -- Drew Brees might even find his way onto
our radar.
This week's ballot:
1. Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech: Notice all those highlights over the
weekend? The most overlooked part of Vick's game is his ability to get the
Hokies on television. Their scores are on the crawl, their games are
televised, the highlights run from day until night.
All Vick, all the time.
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU: LT still hasn't played a game,
but a storm is building. Anything less than 250 yards against Nevada this
week will be unacceptable.
3. Quincy Carter, QB, Georgia: Only a nagging rain kept Q from really going off against Georgia Southern.
