2012 Heisman Trophy Picks and Predictions – Johnny Football the Favorite

2012 College Football Heisman Trophy Picks and Predictions Aside from the Army-Navy game, the college football season is in the books. For the Heisman Trophy contenders, their resumes are complete, and if they haven’t done enough to win over voters at this point, there is nothing they can do about it now. Although there are at least a handful of worthy candidates, the list of realistic contenders has dwindled. The three players that have emerged as the frontrunners are Johnny Manziel, Collin Klein and Manti Te’o. The only question left is which of the three players will take home the trophy.

2012 College Football Heisman Trophy Picks and Predictions

Who Will Win?

Since knocking off then top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has been the frontrunner. In addition to his statement victory, he has been an offensive machine. He threw for 3,419 yards and 24 scores to go along with 1,181 rushing yards and 19 more scores. His 4,600 total yards from scrimmage set an SEC record, moving him ahead of both Cam Newton and Tim Tebow. For the record, Newton and Tebow both won the Heisman the year they set their records. Manziel was the definition of a dual-threat QB, and his efforts helped the Aggies crack the top 10 in the polls in their first year in the SEC. He has the gaudy statistical numbers, and his efforts against the Crimson Tide grabbed the attention of the media. Right or wrong, many voters gave Manizel the Heisman after the Alabama game, and everything that happened before or after the that game hasn’t seemed to matter. A lot of players have strong numbers, but at the end of the day, the hype around Manziel is what sets him apart and will ultimately win him the Heisman.

Who Should Win?

Call me crazy, but the fact that Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein literally bulldozed the Wildcats to a Big 12 title and a BCS bowl counts for even more than one big win. After all, Klein was the heart and soul of a team that won its conference while Manziel’s Aggies finished third in their own division and tied for fifth in their conference. Not to mention the fact that Kansas State is ranked ahead of Texas A&M. Yes, Manziel has the better statistical measurables, and while the argument has been made that he piled up his numbers in the toughest conference in the country, Klein has actually been better against top competition. Manziel is just 2-2 against power conference teams with winning records and has five touchdowns compared to six turnovers in those games. Meanwhile, Klein is an impressive 7-1 against power conference teams with winning records and has 25 touchdowns compared to just five turnovers in those games. Somehow that incredible disparity against top competition has been lost. Klein may not have the overall numbers that Manziel has, but he led his team to the better season, and he massively outperformed Manziel against top competition.

Odd Man Out

He is the best defensive player on a Notre Dame team that is undefeated and playing for a national title mainly because of its defense, but linebacker Manti Te’o is facing an uphill battle. Yes, he had more than 100 tackles. Yes, his seven interceptions are an incredible total for a linebacker. Yes, he was the heart and soul of the top-ranked scoring defense in the country. However, he is also a defensive player, and they just don’t win the Heisman Trophy. Heck, LSU corner Tyrann Mathieu had countless game-changing plays and touchdowns on defense and special teams for an undefeated, top-ranked Tigers’ team last year, and he was basically just a courtesy invite to New York. The only chance that Te’o has is the fact that he plays for the Fighting Irish. There is no program in college football that the media loves more than Notre Dame. The late Beano Cook once said that the easiest way to win the Heisman Trophy was to play for Notre Dame or to beat Notre Dame. Media bias aside, Te’o just didn’t have enough standout plays to overcome the stigma of playing on the defensive side of the ball.

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