Heisman Hunt

In just a few hours, the best college football player from the 2009 season will be named as the Heisman Trophy winner. This year’s five candidates make it perhaps the most contested Heisman race in years. Here’s how I think tonight’s ceremony will break down (although I may not totally agree with it):

#5-Toby Gerhart, Stanford RB: Gerhart ranks first in carries, yards and touchdowns in the nation with 311, 1,736 and 26, respectively. However, his name hasn’t been on the main stage as much this season as the other contestants. What hurts Gerhart the most is playing for Stanford, who got a spot in the sub-par Sun Bowl against a 7-5 Oklahoma team that disappointed many this year.

#4-Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska DT: Suh’s a beast, with 82 tackles and a 3rd-best 12 sacks in his senior season. However, defensive players don’t standout when it comes to Heisman winners. In fact, there has been just one defensive Heisman winner ever, Michigan’s Charles Woodsen in 1997, who was listed as a D-back and a wide receiver.

#3-Tim Tebow, Florida QB: He’s one of the most beloved (and therefore most hated) players in college football. But, there has only been one two-time Heisman winner ever, and it will remain that way after tonight. Although Tebow posted good numbers, like finishing 8th in the nation with a 155.6 passer rating, his completions, yards and touchdowns have dropped since his Heisman-winning sophomore year. Plus, Tebow landed the Gators just short of another National Championship run. However, he will go down in history as one of the best college football players ever to grace the national stage.

#2-Mark Ingram, Alabama RB: Ingram finished the season with 249 carries for 1,542 yards and 15 touchdowns. He lands higher on the list than fellow running back Gerhart for a few reasons. One being that Ingram is only a sophomore, and tearing apart defenses like he does at such a young age gives him major points. Also, Ingram has been a main reason why the Crimson Tide will be playing in Pasadena for the BCS title.

#1-Colt McCoy, Texas QB: And the winner is… This Longhorn leader ranks 3rd in completion percentage (70.5), 6th in yards (3,512) and 8th in touchdowns (27). McCoy finished 2nd in the 2008 Heisman standings as a junior, so with numbers similar to last year’s, he seems to be a shoe-in. Not to mention he will be vying for BCS National Championship title in January. Another thing in his favor: in the last 10 years, the Heisman has been given to a quarterback eight times. Congratulations, Colt.

Bruce on Life

Hello world. I apologize for my lack of blogging… it’s been about a month! But things were crazy busy with Thanksgiving break and now I have one week of classes and one week of finals left until graduation, so things are quite hectic right now if you can imagine!

Speaking of Thanksgiving break, I was at what could be Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s final concert in Buffalo. (I won’t go into detail about how AMAZING it was!) I’ve been really into his song “Land of Hope and Dreams” lately. Not only is the music great, but the lyrics are really uplifting.

While listening to non-stop Bruce lately, I’ve noticed that he uses a train as a metaphor for life in a lot of his songs; this really speaks to me. Here are some examples:

Downbound Train
I had a job, I had a girl
I had something going, mister, in this world
I got laid off down at the lumber yard
Our love went bad, times got hard
Now I work down at the carwash
Where all it ever does it rain
Don’t you feel like you’re a rider on a downbound train…

Better Days
Well my soul checked out missing as I sat listening
To the hours and minutes ticking away
Yeah, just sittin’ around waitin’ for my life to begin
While it was all just slippin’ away
I’m tired of waiting for tomorrow to come
Or that train to come rolling ‘round the bend…

Human Touch
Oh girl that feeling of safety you prize
Well it comes at a hard, hard price
You can’t shut off the risk and the pain
Without losing the love that remains
We’re all riders on this train…

What Love Can Do
Darling we can’t stop this train
When it comes crashing through
But let me show you what love can do
Let me show you what love can do…


His lyrics are one of the many reasons why I can never, and never will, have enough of Bruce Springsteen. Some of his songs are so uplifting, especially Land Of Hope and Dreams, which I will leave you with. I think it’s my stage in life right now, graduating college and getting ready to go by myself in the “real world” that makes this song stick to me so much. And as weird as it may sound to some, to me it’s like God is singing this to me, telling me that if I let Him, He will take care of me:

Grab your ticket and your suitcase
Thunder’s rolling down the tracks
You don’t know where you’re going
But you know you won’t be back
Darlin’ if you’re weary
Lay your head upon my chest
We’ll take what we can carry
And we’ll leave the rest

Big wheels rolling through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

I will provide for you
And I’ll stand by your side
You’ll need a good companion for
This part of the ride
Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow will be sunshine
And all this darkness past

Big wheels rolling through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

This train
Carries saints and sinners
This train
Carries losers and winners
This train
Carries whores and gamblers
This train
Carries lost souls
This train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This train
Faith will be rewarded
This train
Hear the steel wheels singing
This train
Bells of freedom ringing
This train
Carries broken-hearted
This train
Thieves and sweet souls departed
This train
Carries fools and kings
This train
All aboard

This train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This train
Faith will be rewarded
This train
Hear the steel wheels singing
This train
Bells of freedom ringing.