Is the Heisman a Distraction, a Jinx, or an Incentive to Opposing Teams?

Winning a Heisman Trophy is not only uncharted waters for Mark Ingram, but for coach Nick Saban and Alabama, as well.

What effect could this award have, positively and negatively, for the Crimson Tide as they prepare for their most important game since 1992?

As far as a distraction, it wasn't just a win for Ingram, but for the team, as many celebrated the Heisman as if it were their own. Especially proud were the offensive linemen.

No player could escape the questions and talk about the Heisman. But for Ingram, there was the whirlwind of television studios and talk shows, not to mention the billboards and parades planned in his home city of Flint, Mich.

Nick Saban, who knows what playing for a national championship is all about, has never had to deal with the pressure of being the favorite and all the Heisman hype.

In theory, Saban says, nothing is different.

The game plan won't change because of Ingram's Heisman. Trent Richardson will get his carries, as might Roy Upchurch. This is a game to win a national championship, not one to showcase how Ingram is more deserving than Colt McCoy.

Then there's the Heisman jinx. Since 2002, the team with a Heisman winner is only 2-of-7 in its bowl games and 1-of-6 in BCS Championship Games.

As for the jinx, Ingram denies both knowing the statistics and caring about them. He commented that such statistics don't mean a thing; it's all history. According to Ingram, it's like the statistic of Alabama never having beaten Texas.

"They never played this Alabama team," was his response.

Lastly, will Ingram's Heisman win be extra incentive for Texas to show the world that Colt McCoy is more deserving?

According to Texas players, the answer is yes.

Many feel that McCoy's season and his previous body of work should have landed that trophy in Texas.

They aim to prove that point by making every yard tough for Ingram and gaining every possible yard for McCoy.

However, there is ample proof Alabama players are just as ready to prove Ingram deserving by opening huge holes he can blast through.

In the end, the best team will win, and the Heisman hype will just be an afterthought.