Denard Robinson and 10 Big Name Players with No Shot at the 2011 Heisman Trophy
With the college bowl season winding down, it's time to start thinking a little bit about next year.
Sure, a whole lot can change between now and the 2011 Heisman Trophy ceremony, but it's not too early to take a look at the candidates.
This list contains the names of 10 well-known players and then explanations of why they will not be taking home the much sought after hardware at the end of the 2011-2012 college season.
Some will be more controversial than others, but rest assured that they will not join the exclusive club of Heisman winners next year.
Denard Robinson
1 of 10
Let's start off by taking a look at the man who was mentioned in the title.
Denard Robinson was the favorite for the 2010 Heisman Trophy but fell off the pace set by Cam Newton and LaMichael James when injuries and the overall ineptitude of the Michigan Wolverines caught up with him.
Now, Rich Rodriguez is departing from Ann Arbor and Robinson may not be far behind. If Robinson leaves, there is no way he learns a new system quickly enough to win the trophy.
If he stays though, he still doesn't have a chance. Robinson's style of play is exciting, but he does expose himself on nearly every play, making injuries rather inevitable.
Also, Michigan is not going to be contending for a title anytime soon and will continue to lose games in conference play. Robinson could be an early favorite once again, but as soon as he faces Big Ten competition, he'll slip down the rankings.
John Clay
2 of 10
John Clay is one of the many threats out of the Wisconsin backfield, but there lies the problem.
People just don't win the Heisman Trophy when they aren't the absolute, exclusive, featured featured running back. And as good as Clay is, he still has too much competition for handoffs.
Then there's the offensive line problem. Wisconsin's line this year was unbelievably big and talented. But now they're losing John Moffitt and Gabe Carimi.
As good as Wisconsin is at putting together stellar offensive lines, the loss of those two players hurts quite a bit.
Clay is good, but he can't overcome all of these factors.
Terrelle Pryor
3 of 10
Terrelle Pryor has yet to live up to his incredible potential and there doesn't seem to be too much of a shot of that happening in 2011.
Especially because he'll be sitting out the first five games of the season on suspension.
Even if Pryor has the breakout year that so many Ohio State fans have hoped for, the five game absence will be too much of a detriment for him to make up.
I've been wrong before, but I feel pretty good about this one.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Taylor Martinez
4 of 10
Taylor Martinez is one of the most fun players to watch in all of college football. He can run, he can throw and he can definitely just make plays.
However, he's had a fumbling problem and he needs to improve his throwing just a bit before he's a truly elite quarterback.
Then there's the maturity problem. Martinez has had multiple run-ins with Bo Pelini and the Nebraska coaching staff and there's no guarantee that the dual-threat quarterback will even be suiting up in the same red uniform next season.
The threat of change and the always-likely chance of being benched due to inconsistency knocks Martinez out of contention in my book.
Matt Barkley
5 of 10
Matt Barkley was a very good quarterback in 2010 and should be even better in 2011, but he doesn't get the publicity necessary for Heisman Trophy candidacy.
Because of all the NCAA sanctions against USC, Barkley wasn't talked about at all during this season. What guarantee is there that he will be next year?
This kid may be incredibly talented, but until USC is held in a better light, he's doomed to irrelevancy among non-USC fans.
Trent Richardson
6 of 10
Trent Richardson has all the talent in the world and there are many people across the country that think he's actually a better running back than former Heisman winner Mark Ingram, with whom he's shared the backfield over the past few seasons.
It appears as though Ingram is going pro and Richardson will have a shot to make a real name for himself.
However, Alabama is losing so much talent that it will be tough for him to carry the team into national championship contention.
Marcell Dareus, Ingram, Greg McElroy, Julio Jones and others will all be playing professional football and that may just be too much for him to overcome.
Darron Thomas
7 of 10
Darron Thomas stepped into an awful situation, replacing Jeremiah Masoli, and still led the Oregon Ducks to the BCS National Championship Game.
Thomas can run the ball extremely well and can throw with the best of them. The problem is, it'll be quite difficult to live up to the high expectations that inherently come with a successful season like Oregon is having in 2010.
The other problem is that he isn't even the best player on his own team. That honor belongs to LaMichael James, who you'll notice is not on this list.
It's impossible to win the Heisman when there's a better candidate from your own school.
Trey Burton
8 of 10
Trey Burton is the one player in the country most likely to step in and make a Cam Newton-like impact. It seems as though he's already forcing John Brantley out the door.
Burton, just like Tim Tebow before him, can both run and throw. He's a playmaker.
The problem is, as exciting as he is to watch, Florida just isn't anymore. Even if Burton breaks out, there's no way that a slumping Florida team can regain it's swagger with a new head coach.
Burton may be a Heisman front-runner two years from now, but he won't be next year.
Aaron Murray
9 of 10
As a University of Georgia student, it pains me to include Aaron Murray on this list, but it is necessary.
Murray is an incredible talent and had a better freshman year than even our own Matthew Stafford had. The problem is, the Bulldogs didn't have a great year.
Losing Kris Durham and A.J. Green won't help either, as they were the two top receivers.
Georgia should be able to make some strides as a team in 2010 behind an improved defense and hopefully better ball security, but the Bulldogs are still quite far from being an elite team.
To win the Heisman, you have to play for an elite team. Sorry Aaron.
Kellen Moore
10 of 10
If Kellen Moore returns for his senior season, he'll be one of the favorites to win the trophy.
But there is too much of a bias against Boise State for him to receive as many votes as he would if he went to a BCS conference's school.
Plus, he's losing Austin Pettis and Titus Young, his top two receivers.
Moore is one of the best quarterbacks in college football, but he'll struggle a bit more during his senior year.
If 2010 wasn't good enough to take home the Heisman, neither will 2011.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
