ESPN's Hesiman Watch

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/heisman/index

By Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com
Editor's note: Each week, ESPN.com asks one of its Heisman Watch voters to explain his/her picks. You can register your vote at 2008 Vote Heisman.


My actual Heisman Trophy ballot arrived via express mail last weekend. I haven't even opened it. I believe it's still at least a four-man race between three Big 12 quarterbacks and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow of Florida. Tebow can make quite an impression the next two weeks. So can Bradford, whose team plays at rival Oklahoma State on Saturday night.

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma -- Bradford is the latest Big 12 quarterback at the top of my ballot after he out-dueled Texas Tech's Graham Harrell in last week's 65-21 rout in Norman. Bradford has been the model of consistency all season, completing 68.2 percent of his passes with 42 touchdowns and only six interceptions. His only blemish has been tossing two interceptions in the 45-35 loss to Texas on Oct. 11.

2. Colt McCoy, Texas -- McCoy is one of only three quarterbacks playing at FBS schools who have passed for more than 3,000 yards and run for more than 500 this season. (Rice's Chase Clement and Illinois' Juice Williams are the others.) McCoy has completed 77.2 percent of his passes for 3,134 yards and 30 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. His passer rating of 177.6 ranks fourth nationally and his 77.2 completion percentage ranks first. His worst game might have come in Texas' 39-33 loss at Texas Tech on Nov. 1, when he completed 58.8 percent of his attempts and threw two touchdowns and one interception.

3. Tim Tebow, Florida -- If Tebow plays well in Saturday's game at Florida State and against Alabama in the Dec. 6 SEC championship game, it will be hard for me to not move him to No. 1 on my ballot. He has been every bit as good as he was last season, when he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow leads the SEC in passing efficiency, throwing for 2,114 yards with 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions in 225 attempts. He also has rushed for 427 yards with 11 touchdowns.

4. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech -- It's so hard to separate Harrell, McCoy and Bradford. It's like trying to decide which Big 12 South team is the best. Harrell has completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 4,438 yards with 39 touchdowns and six interceptions. He played very well in Texas Tech's biggest victories -- throwing for 474 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Texas and completing 40 of 50 passes for 456 yards and six scores in a 56-20 rout of Oklahoma State.

5. Brian Johnson, Utah -- Why not? Give the senior quarterback some love for leading the Utes to an unbeaten record. He completed 30 of 36 passes for 303 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in last week's 48-24 victory over rival BYU. On Nov. 6, Johnson produced the last-minute touchdown drive to beat TCU 13-10. He's completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 2,636 yards with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.

Browns’ Quinn done for season with broken finger

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Aq.NJbjiJLOpY2ARXZT1k105nYcB?slug=ap-browns-quinn&prov=ap&type=lgns


BEREA, Ohio (AP)—Browns quarterback Brady Quinn doesn’t regret playing with a broken right finger that will sideline him for the rest of this season and may require surgery.

Quinn did more damage to his finger when he started Sunday against the Houston Texans.

“I knew that was a consequence if I went in and played,” Quinn said Wednesday. “That was something that I was willing to risk. If I had a chance to do it over, I would do it again.”

Quinn is now trying to decide whether to have an operation on the finger or just have it immobilized in a splint. Whatever he decides, the second-year QB, who waited 25 games to make his first NFL start, will miss the Browns’ final five games in what has been a disastrous season for a team that entered the season with playoff expectations.

“It’s frustrating,” said the former Notre Dame star, who broke the tip of his finger and sustained tendon damage in his second start on Nov. 17 at Buffalo. “I can’t begin to tell you. I’m hurting right now because I love to play the game. I wish I could be with my teammates. I feel bad for the fans because I really wanted to be out there and continue to play and continue to grow in this league.

“Hopefully, this will allow me to grow stronger and something good will come from this.”

Before last week’s game, Quinn consulted with team doctors as well as noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Quinn was presented with three options: keep playing, immobilize his finger or have surgery. However, when it came down to whether he would suit up or not, Quinn said he made the call.

“It was my decision in the end,” he said. “It wasn’t anyone else’s, so it didn’t matter what anyone else thought but me.”

Quinn started but was ineffective in a 16-6 loss to the Texans. He was benched late in the third quarter by coach Romeo Crennel and replaced by Derek Anderson.

Anderson, who lost his job three weeks ago to Quinn, will start Sunday when the Browns host Indianapolis.

Although he only saw Quinn play in three regular-season games, Crennel, whose job could depend on how the Browns finish the season, sees potential in the former first-round draft pick.

“I’m impressed with what he (Quinn) has done on the field, off the field, the way he’s handled situations, the way he’s handled the team. I like the kid a lot,” he said.

Assuming he’s back in 2009, Crennel said Quinn would be his starter.

“I had planned to go with Brady as the quarterback,” Crennel said. “When he comes back, he’s going to be healthy and he’s going to be the quarterback. Quinn is the starter next training camp.”

This is why I watch softball

IU blown out again!

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081126/SPORTS04/811260473/1002/SPORTS

That's Indiana University basketball in a nutshell after yesterday's 80-54 defeat to Saint Joseph's in a consolation semifinal in the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

IU (2-2) -- which landed no players in double–figure points, had 23 turnovers and was unable to slow down the Hawks -- will play tournament host Chaminade, which lost to Alabama 78-56 yesterday, at 7 tonight for seventh place in the eight-team tournament.

"We have to all stay up, stay encouraged and encourage each other," said IU coach Tom Crean, whose team was blown out by Notre Dame 88-50 on Monday. "We just have to keep working to get through it. I have no doubt that we'll turn it; I just don't know how to expect it yet. We are all very young men, with the exception of (senior) Kyle Taber, on the court.

"And we're playing against groups of people that have been together for 'x' amount of years and have well-established programs. It's not an excuse; it's just a fact."

The Hoosiers played briefly before the NCAA announced the program would be placed on three years' probation for infractions committed under former coach Kelvin Sampson. They were within 34-29 at halftime, then got four quick points from Tom Pritchard to open the second half and narrow the gap to 34-33 with 18:05 to play. Then IU's lack of experience reared its ugly head.

A three-pointer by Saint Joe's Darrin Govens, who led all scorers with 23 points and finished 7 of 9 on threes, and two IU turnovers that were converted into dunks by the Hawks (2-2) started a 19-0 run.

The Hoosiers turned it over six times in that span and trailed 53-33 with 13:19 to play.

"We just didn't come out with a lot of energy, and we just had too many turnovers and didn't pick it up," said Taber, who had seven points and six rebounds. "It's just an area where we need to improve. We need to play with the same intensity level for 40 minutes."

Malik Story was IU's leading scorer with nine points, and Verdell Jones III scored eight.

Crean said he's encouraged by how hard his team played while facing competition that is simply higher than his Hoosiers are ready for.

"It's just a different level game right now for us," he said. "We can't mirror that in practice. We've got freshmen guarding freshmen, we've got freshmen being guarded by walk-ons, and we come out in games and we're being guarded by grown men.

"And we just have to continue to take all these experiences that we're going through, keep getting better in practice and keep trying to turn it around."

NCAA: IU Men's Basketball 3 Years Probation

http://www.wlky.com/sports/18144826/detail.html?rss=lou&psp=news

Ball State keeps on winning

They should play in one of the three main bowl games. I know people whine they played cupcake teams but 12 and 0 is well, 12 and 0.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/sports/index.ssf/2008/11/at_120_ball_state_unlikely_to.html

Ball State just finished a 12-game regular season without a loss, which might earn it a Motor City Bowl berth against Minnesota, if it wins the Mid-American Conference title game. That would be almost vulgar, and the Cardinals aren't getting much support to avoid it, even from those for whom inclusion has worked best.

President-elect Barack Obama? He supposedly represents the party of inclusion and broad thought but certainly dumbed down college football with his recent call for an eight-game playoff. First, he will stabilize the economy and establish world peace before a playoff. Second, since there are 11 conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision, you might think someone interested in diversity would include all the champions.

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly? He shares a Grand Valley State background with Brady Hoke, Ball State's coach, though they were assistants there at different times. Kelly also was a head coach in the MAC.

His Bearcats are one victory from a major bowl in a conference, the Big East, which is under scrutiny for its automatic bid. So you might think Kelly would favor any argument for inclusion, including the legitimacy of Ball State's Bowl Championship Series candidacy.

"If you were asking that question and both Utah and Boise State weren't also in the mix, I would say, 'Absolutely,' " Kelly said. "But it's getting a little crowded, so I think it gets to be a question of who are the best two out of the three."

Essentially, it was pointed out, that means non-champions from the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences warrant a major bowl before an undefeated Ball State.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying," Kelly said.

Oh, the lack of love Ball State must feel after completing its regular season with a 45-22 victory Tuesday against Western Michigan.

I'm completely left-wing on the subject of college football inclusion. I favor a 16-team playoff, because I think the Sun Belt champion should find out what a first-round game at Norman, Okla., is like. I once advocated Steve McNair for the Heisman Trophy.

I also realize no one from Alcorn State wins the Heisman, I will not live to see a major-college playoff and, unfortunately, Ball State's best chance to qualify for the broken BCS model is if Boise State loses its last game, Friday against Fresno State.

It isn't as if the 10 BCS spots can't accommodate three unbeatens from the MAC, Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West, Sun Belt and Conference USA -- unless you cling to the idea of power teams in power bowls, in which case there isn't room, not with Texas and Oklahoma death-watching each other in the Big 12 South, and the Alabama-Florida SEC winner almost certain to play for the national title.

Who can tell one of those teams it not only won't play for the national title, but won't play in a major bowl?

Ball State is the one staking that holdout argument, although it has become clear that inclusion -- the purpose of the fifth-game addition to the BCS -- means inclusion up to a floating glass ceiling, which never has been whacked harder than Ball State seems likely to do now.

The ceiling level might change from one year to the next, but this year, it seems to be two -- the number of non-power conference teams likely to be admitted to the $17 million bowl club, whether Ball State finishes 13-0 or not.

The only guaranteed breakthrough is if Ball State cracks the BCS top 12. At 15th, and with the Big East and ACC champions behind them yet to be determined, the Cardinals' numbers are iffy, even factoring in a MAC title win against Buffalo.

As with all things pertaining the major bowls, a conference championship always carries added heft -- as long as it's the right conference.

That's why the logjammed ACC, which is packed with average and below-average teams, is guaranteed a major January bowl.

It's also why if Ball State plays in January, it's just as likely to be the International Bowl in Toronto.

E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com

Vick in court yet again

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ordine/blog/2008/11/post_515.html

Michael Vick was in court again today, this time in Virginia to plead guilty to state dog fighting-related charges, as the former star quarterback's legal problems continue to unwind.

According to reports, Vick's plea deal in Virginia will set the stage for his eventual release from federal custody in July, just about the time that NFL training camps will be opening. Actually. the timing might be a moot point since Vick may still have to spend time in a halfway house that could preclude him from attending an NFL camp.

However, whether it is this summer or midway through the season or even in anticipation of the 2010 season, at some point Vick will be in a position to ask the NFL to lift his suspension and seek to resume his football career.

The question is will there be any takers?

Vick may be the most toxic exiled player to ever hope for another chance. Without debating the relative egregious nature of various bad behavior -- substance abuse, assaults, domestic violence -- that have led to NFL players being suspended, there's no question that the public relations fallout for any team signing Vick will be noisier than in any other case.

So who would take such a chance? Well, a lot will depend on teams' needs at the time and the comfort level with the local fan base. And there will be the not inconsiderable issue of Vicks' skill level after two or more years out of the game.

Posted by Bill Ordine on November 25, 2008 9:57 AM | Permalink