I recognize this will be as productive as ma$turbating with a cheese grater, but I gotta weigh in here. I'm as keen on our guy (Manziel) winning it all as you guys are about yours, but the facts don't lie.
Te'o's a wonderful story and no-doubt-beyond-question a wonderful person. He's inspirational to his team, hard-working, a great role model for those whose parents don't fill the bill, and he's risen above tragic personal events to serve his team and his university with excellence on the football field as well as the classroom.
So give him a Nobel Peace Prize. He's doubtlessly done more to earn it than our beknighted Commander-in-Chief did. Te'o hasn't, however, by any objective measurable, done enough to earn the Maxwell -let alone the Heisman.
See, it still baffles me that anyone is crazy enough to think unadjusted stats tell the whole story of anything... much less for defense. Can you can make a great OL accumulate stats? Or how about lockdown CB that never gets thrown at? A big 'ol bunch of zeros is what their stat line will show.
The simple fact is Manti is given credit for multiple game changing turnovers (he also forced another 2 INTs with QB pressures that don't show up in stats), ND having the #1 defense of which he is the captain, and then team being 12-0 winning with defense. Plus... as has been stated ad nauseum... when you're on a great defense, you get teams off the field, and therefor have less plays to accumulate stats. For referrence, Texas A&M runs about 35% more plays a game than ND's defense allows... if you increase all of Manti's stats by 35%, they're godly.
But this is the inherent flaw with defensive players (and really all players besides QBs and RBs) is that we're a society that likes to quantify everything with stats... and that isn't a good measure for defensive players.
He's not among the top 100 players in college football this year in solo tackles, fumbles forced, TFL's or sacks. Not in the top 100. He is, though, 59th in the country in total tackles. 59th. How can you guys even think he belongs in the conversation? Because he's inspirational? Because he's a nice guy? For real?
Manti Te'o is a good player and a great person. Given. But he's not the best player in college football. He's not even the best linebacker in college football. Sorry, folks- the best player in college football this year is a kid from Kerrville, Texas, and he plays for Texas A&M.
See above about the stats... anyone with half a brain sees the flaw in that logic. And if he wasn't the best player in CFB, he wouldn't have won every single award imaginable for his position, defense, etc.
Manziel WILL win the Heisman. That's a forgone conclusion. The voting system completely guarantees that. But to trivialize T'eo with things like "he's not even the best linebacker!" when he won the best linebacker award, best defensive player award, and is a projected Top 10 NFL draft pick is insane. INSANE. The only other "linebacker" you can make a claim for is Jarvis Jones... who plays a completely different position than Manti. Jones is basically a rush end... Manti is an ILB that hardly ever rushes the passer.
But here's some inconvenient stats for you... more than any other player, Manziel racked up stats when the game was already in hand against inferior competition. Against ranked opponents he went 1-2... and every Heisman hopeful QB is measured on team success to some degree. And he doesn't even rank in the top 20 in passer efficiency.
EDIT: Link from ESPN about how Manziel might not even be the best FRESHMAN QB this year.
Close-game numbers don't favor Manziel - Stats & Info Blog - ESPN
