ANY QUESTIONS?

by Mike, The Pig Pen

He entered this season as the best college football player in the country. He ended it by beating the best team in the country.

What more can you ask for?

Darren McFadden rushed for 206 yards, ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Arkansas Razorbacks ended a season immersed with off-field distractions with a 50-48 triple-overtime upset win over their rival LSU, who just happened to be No. 1. The game seemed fitting. The end of the season, storybook.

But why is Darren McFadden getting the short-end of the Heisman stick? Is it because he had to play Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee instead of Colorado, Nebraska, and Texas A&M? Who's to say if McFadden had the schedule of one Todd Reesing, the Razorbacks' wouldn't be 11-0 right now?

Wins and losses. Shouldn't they only pertain to rankings? Conference championships? Bowl bids?

Why are wins and losses weighed heavier than individual performances in the Heisman equation?

If you think Kansas and Missouri would be sitting at 11-0 and 10-1 in the SEC, you need to walk outside, find a bus, and jump in front of it. As a matter of fact, why don't you grab Les Miles before you do so. If Kansas and Missouri were in the SEC, I'd bet my left nut they'd be an eight, maybe nine win team.

Does it make sense to say Todd Reesing and Chase Daniel deserve the Heisman Trophy more than McFadden just because Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas State happen to suck. That doesn't seem fair.

After the LSU game, Houston Nutt told a sideline reporter that Lou Holtz and Mark May needed to start remembering McFadden when speaking about Heisman front-runners. When ESPN jumped to Holtz and May in the studio, they said he'll have trouble winning because he didn't perform in Razorbacks' losses. Holtz adamantly recalled the Tennessee loss where he said McFadden "had a terrible game." McFadden rushed for 117 yards against Tennessee in Knoxville. If 117 yards on the road in the SEC is terrible, then you're doing something right. In the loss to Alabama, McFadden rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns. In the loss to Kentucky, he ran for 173 yards and another touchdown. He didn't reach the century mark in the slug-fest that was the 9-7 loss to Auburn, but that's about the extent of it. Shoot the guy. How about I just take 57 yards off of his 321 yard performance against South Carolina and tack 'em on to his Auburn box-score. Deal?


May mentioned he didn't reach 100 in a couple games this year, but that includes one against Florida International where he only got 16 carries. You think Nutt is the guy to run up the score on people? He's like the anti-Belichick. And one against Mississippi State where he rushed for just 88 yards. The fact McFadden had 50 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, and a throwing touchdown against State just seemed to slip May's mind.

More importantly, shouldn't a Heisman candidate be judged on how he performs when his teams in the spotlight? Not how he performs against Florida International?

In games nationally televised, McFadden is averaging 187.6 yards per game. That includes 321 yards against South Carolina on ESPN, 195 yards against 'Bama on ESPN, and 173 yards against Kentucky on ESPN.

Not to mention, racking up 206 yards against the No. 1 team in the nation the day after Thanksgiving on CBS.

May goes onto say, "So when you look at his full body of work, he has not been outstanding the entire season."

THE DUDE JUST BROKE HIS SCHOOL'S SINGLE-SEASON RUSHING RECORD WHICH HE SET FOR HIMSELF LAST YEAR!

How can you possibly say he hasn't been outstanding? He was second in the Heisman balloting last year when he rushed for 1,627 yards. This year he's rushed for 1,725 yards.

He's an unselfish, hard-working team player. Never once has he bitched about sharing carries with Felix Jones. McFadden actually said if he had a vote for the Heisman, he'd vote for Felix. Never once has he bitched about having a below-average quarterback in Casey Dick who makes hand-offs look difficult. And never once has he bitched about a defense who let three four quarter leads slip away. Two of which were lost on the last drive of the game (Alabama and Auburn).

He was the best player in the country before Week 1. And he's still the best player country.

Don't believe me.

Just ask LSU.