The Morning After - Quick Thoughts

It's a busy morning here, but I wanted to get some initial quick thoughts down before I am lost to meetings until the early afternoon, during which I will give a full analysis of last night's game and Thursday's big game (plus give my bonus pick for the GMAC Bowl in the shameless promotion of one of our clients).

1. Colt McCoy should have won the Heisman Trophy. I posted about this earlier in the season, but it seems there is a new term out there worth mentioning, and that is the "word" Heisman-esque. Everyone seems to be searching for that Heisman-esque moment from a quarterback, and it is looking more and more like that is the ultimate criteria for voters. Yet among the three finalists, only Tebow and McCoy truly had these moments. And Tebow's was not so much one moment as his famed post game speech that led to his ridiculous numbers for the remainder of the season. What was Bradford's moment? That idiotic leap toward the end zone in an eventual blowout win of Okie State? He didn't even score! Meanwhile, Colt lead a 2 (now three) fourth quarter comebacks this year, one against Bradford and the Sooners and (HOLD YOUR BREATH) one against the Red Raiders. Unlike Tebow, who blew it on 4th and 1, Colt was watching from the sidelines as the defense rendered his efforts futile. On Monday, Colt showed again why he is the leading candidate for next year's Heisman trophy. Which leads me to point number 2...

2. Terrelle Pryor is incredible. He will definitely be in the mix for the next 3 Heisman trophies, and his team will be in the BCS Championship game in the near future. But heed this, oh Sweater Vest: be careful in Pryor's development. He could be a better overall quarterback than Vince Young if he is allowed to be. In the second half of the Fiesta Bowl, Pryor became a run-first guy. And it worked. And the more he realizes that running will help him win games, the more he will run. But he cannot afford to start thinking running is the only answer, given that he needs to work on his checks, mechanics and down field vision. He's not a great passer by any stretch, so I hope he develops that aspect of his game, because then he will truly be fun to watch.

3. Beanie Wells actually might have hurt his draft stock last night. His first half performance was leading to a game for the ages. But then he got hit and concussed in the second half. Another injury for the big running back. Is he durable enough for the NFL? There is a little of the Adrian Peterson caution aura around him that he might not be injury prone. He will likely need to fine tune his running style to limit big hits, or else he needs to work out a little harder. Beanie could be a top running back in the NFL, but he has to be healthy to get there.

4. Texas needs a running back. Chris Ogbannaya is a senior, and he was never hugely effective unless he was catching passes out of the backfield. Fozzy Whittaker has gamebreaking speed and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, but he is small and has poor vision. Cody Johnson is a big boy, but not fast enough to be an every down back. Vondrell McGee didn't even see a snap last night (was he hurt?) As good as Colt is, someone needs to step up next season if the Longhorns are going to live up their inevitable pre-season hype. That someone could be a guy like DeSean Hales, a top 3 ATH recruit that red shirted this year and who has 4.3 speed. Hales is expected to see time at RB and WR. It could also be a combination of Fozzy and Chris Whaley, an incoming freshman who, at 6'3, 218 is already running 4.5 and had a great game at the Army All-American Bowl. If Whaley can run over people and wear down defenses while occasionally breaking a big run, it will take a lot of pressure off of Fozzy and Colt, allowing the run game to progress from what it was this year. And don't forget Vondrell. His year was up and down this season, but there were times (more so in 2007) where he showed he can be an explosive back.

5. Todd Boeckman throws a good ball. If he could just work on his footwork, he actually could succeed in the NFL. The problem is he never moves from the pocket and can't throw on the run. Some conditioning and reps can really help him here. He made some really good throws yesterday, despite being Brian Orakpo's tackling dummy.

6. I will really miss college football. This time of the year is the dark ages. But we can already look forward to next year. And I think the teams to beat will be Florida, Texas, Alabama and USC. Expect a lot more on these predictions later, as well as more game analysis, recruiting updates and a live title game blog. And also look for us to debate why Utah does/does not deserve to be a national champion, but certainly does deserve to be considered.