How do you throw down the gauntlet to be the Heisman Trophy frontrunner for next season?
By throwing for 414 yards and leading your team on a thrilling last-minute comeback in the Fiesta Bowl, if you’re Colt McCoy.
As opposed to the showdown at Texas Tech in November when the Longhorns got down and had to make a furious comeback before succumbing to their only loss, Texas let a comfortable lead slip away, which put the ball into McCoy’s hands with the game on the line again.
He came through, calmly leading the ‘Horns down the field for the winning score with 16 seconds left. Thankfully, Ohio State didn’t have nearly as much time to work with as Texas Tech did, and a quarter of a minute would’ve been a tough task for even Harrell and Crabtree.
One can dream of what could have been had things unfolded differently in Lubbock, but as is, McCoy is in position to go from the nearly man to ‘the man’ next season.
Vince Young finished the 2004 season by leading Texas to a thrilling Rose Bowl win over Michigan, and he wound up with a runner-up finish in the Heisman balloting. Oh, and a national championship too.
McCoy already has the momentum of finishing second in the Heisman balloting this season, and while it might be a little early to pencil in Texas as a national title favorite, McCoy’s presence will have them in the conversation.
Of course, a fair amount of credit for his Fiesta feats will have to go to Quan Cosby, who caught 14 of McCoy’s tosses for 172 yards and both touchdowns, including the 26-yard grab that made for the final 24-21 margin.
We won’t know what Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow’s plans will be until after the national championship game, but if one or both of the last two Heisman winners bolt for the NFL, McCoy will be in prime position to take home the hardware in December.
You do have to wonder if Colt could up and change his mind about coming back after capping off a record-setting season in fine fashion. This year’s crop of senior QBs lacks a high first-round pick at this point, and if both Bradford and Tebow elect to stay in college, McCoy could seize the opportunity to be the first quarterback taken.
But why be so quick to jump to one of the NFL’s losers when you can have one more year of winning before you do that?
