Rank Truth, Heisman Heavily Favors Polls

Gentlemen, start your hype engines.

We're just past the halfway mark of the college football season and, forget the battle for who will play for the BCS title, the most intriguing campaign is for the Heisman Trophy.

The latest flavor of the month is Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who has been touted by several TV talking heads and is the top candidate at HeismanPundit.com.

That's understandable, but why has there been hardly no Heisman mention for West Virginia's Noel Devine and Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis, who are the nation's third and fourth leading rushers?

"Dion's been very consistent," Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said. "You expect a freshman running back like him to perform that way maybe like three or four games a year, not eight games in a row."

Ingram obviously deserves consideration for the award, but is it not so much for what he's done, but who he plays for? After all, he has the No. 1 requirement to win the Heisman – he plays on a team that's ranked in the top five

Devine and Lewis have comparable -- if not better numbers -- than Ingram and have put up their numbers against tougher rush defenses than Alabama has faced (More on that later). Yet, Devine and Lewis likely won't make the Heisman ceremonies without buying a ticket because of one reason: their teams are not ranked high enough.

Since 1991, 16 of the past 18 Heisman Trophy winners all had one thing in common -- they played for top five ranked teams. Five of the last six winners were on either the nation's No. 1 or No. 2 ranked team.

Only Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007 and Texas' Ricky Williams in 1998 won the Heisman playing for teams that were not ranked on an Associated Press top five team entering the bowl games when the Heisman is awarded. In 2007, Florida was No. 12 and in 1998, Texas was No. 20.

Apparently Heisman voters -- and yes, I have a ballot -- vote for the most outstanding player in college football based on who the best player is on one of the best teams in the nation and not the overall best player period.

Ingram currently is the nation's fifth-leading rusher, averaging 125.5 yards per game. Devine is third (130.3 yards per game) and Lewis is fourth (128.6 yards), yet they are getting little Heisman mention.

Even HeismanPundit.com, called by Sports Illustrated as the Heisman's "foremost authority," does not have Devine or Lewis among its top 10 candidates, which includes Ingram and Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, the nation's 10th-leading rusher, averaging 115.7 yards per game.

Did we mention Devine and Lewis have posted better numbers against tougher run defenses than Ingram?

Ingram, who has eight rushing TDs, is averaging 6.56 yards per carry. Devine, with 10 rushing TDs, is averaging 6.66 yards per carry. Lewis, with 11 rushing TDs, is averaging 5.56 yards per carry.

The average ranking of the opposing rush defenses Alabama has faced this season is 78th out of 120, compared to West Virginia's opponents (57th) and Pittsburgh's opponents (50th).

Ingram has faced only one Top 50 rush defense (Tennessee, 33rd), while Devine has faced three (Syracuse, 6th; East Carolina, 29th; and UConn, 50th) and Lewis four (N.C. State, 13th; Rutgers, 27th; Navy, 42nd; and UConn, 50th).

"It's tough for the head coach to stand up and start screaming for his players to be a Heisman Trophy candidate," Wannstedt said. "Dion's numbers speak for themselves. When you look around at other running backs in the country, no one's been as productive as him. He's done it against very good competition."

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said he doesn't ever want to single out one player, but Devine is a one of a kind back.

"Noel's special," Stewart said. "Our players know he's special. I've had our linemen tell me 'give the ball to [No.] 7 coach.' Our players know it's still a team game. He would be the first to tell you.

"If people don't watch him, see him, read about him, know about him, they're living in a cave somewhere."

Hopefully Heisman voters will emerge from their caves and consider more than a team's ranking when voting this season.

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Latest College Football Photos

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, John William Lomax III is shown Lomax, 21, of Bloomfield, Conn., has been charged with murder for the stabbing death of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut Police Department)

University of Connecticut Police Department

Latest College Football Images

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, John William Lomax III is shown Lomax, 21, of Bloomfield, Conn., has been charged with murder for the stabbing death of Coonnecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut Police Department)

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, Jamal Todd is shown. Todd, 21, of Hartford, has been charged with a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment, in connection with the stabbing death of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. Police say Todd pulled the fire alarm that emptied the dance, triggering the fight. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut Police Department)

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, Hakim Muhammad is shown. Muhammad, 20, of Bloomfield, Conn., has been charged with conspiracy to commit assault, in connection with the stabbing death of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/UCONN PD)

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, John William Lomax III is shown Lomax, 21, of Bloomfield, Conn., has been charged with murder for the stabbing death of Coonnecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut Police Department)

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, John William Lomax III is shown Lomax, 21, oif Bloomfield, Conn., has been charged with murder for the stabbing death of Coonnecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut Police Department)

Robert S. Hudd, center, Chief of Police for the University of Connecticut Police Department, makes an announcement of an arrest in the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 in Storrs, Conn. Connecticut Department of Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III, right, looks on. Howard, a starting cornerback on the football team, was stabbed early Oct. 18 outside a university-sanctioned dance, hours after helping his team to a homecoming game win over Louisville. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Major Ron Blicher of the Univesity of Connecticut Police Department, speaks during a news conference where they announced an arrest in the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, in Storrs, Conn. Connecticut Department of Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III, right, looks on. Howard, a starting cornerback on the football team, was stabbed early Oct. 18 outside a university-sanctioned dance, hours after helping his team to a homecoming game win over Louisville. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno leaves his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, in State College, Pa. Penn State is scheduled to play Northwestern in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Pat Little)