Ranking the Heisman Trophy Winners of the 00's

What changed in college football between 1999 and 2009? Somehow the Heisman trophy has transitioned to a Quarterback Club award, but is a quarterback the best Heisman Trophy winner of the decade?

To figure it out I crunched the numbers, the stats, the voting, the wins, and compared all ten Heisman winners. What I didn't do is take into account each players pro (or lack there of) career.

Here is how it turns out:

10. Eric Crouch, Nebraska QB - In one of the worst Heisman races of all time, Nebraska QB Eric Crouch defeated Florida QB Rex Grossman in 2001 to win the award. That season Crouch rushed for over 1,200 yards and passe for over 1,500. He added 18 rushing touchdowns, and 7 passing touchdowns to that mark. Crouch also lead Nebraska to the Rose Bowl where the Cornhuskers would fall to the Miami Hurricanes for the National Championship.

09. Jason White, Oklahoma QB - In a race that included the names Larry Fitzgerald, Eli Manning, Matt Leinart, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger it's pure honor for Jason White to say he won the Heisman Trophy in 2003. There's no denying the White put up the best numbers in the country in at QB in 2003, with over 3,700 yards passing, and a 40 to 8 TD to INT ratio. White's Senior status gave him the edge over Fitzgerald who had an NCAA record of 18 straight games with at least 1 touchdown catch, as well as close to 1,600 yards and 22 TD's on the season.

08. Carson Palmer, USC QB - Palmer play in 2002 lead USC back to prominence as a college football program. It's hard to argue that Palmer deserved the award in 2002, but his chief competition, Penn State running back Larry Johnson, ran for over 2,000 yards that season. Still, Palmers ability to bring a fledgling program back to the limelight helped him with the award.

07. Chris Weinke, Florida State QB - The 28 year old former minor league baseball player picked up the Heisman in 2000 after a close race with Oklahoma QB Josh Heupel, Purdue QB Drew Brees, and TCU RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Despite the still competition, it's hard to argue that Weinke didn't deserve the award, having lead the nation with 4,167 yards, as well as having a 33 to 11 TD to INT ratio. Heupel would go on to defeat Weinke in the National Championship Game that January, while Brees and Tomlinson would go on to have Pro Bowl careers in the NFL, spending their first five seasons as teammates in San Diego.

06. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma QB - In what was considered the best Heisman race of the decade, Sam Bradford edged out 2007's Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow, and Texas QB Colt McCoy. The race was so close, with Bradford coming in second for first place votes (behind Tebow), but racking up enough second place votes to give him the edge over 2nd place McCoy, and 3rd place Tebow. Though he would eventually lose in the national championship to Tebow's Florida Gator team, Bradford deserved the 2008 Heisman trophy. His 4,464 yards with 48 TD's and only 6 INT is incredible. On top of that he added 5 touchdowns on the ground. Bradford would never get the chance to defend his Heisman as his junior year was cut short by injury. He declared himself eligible for the NFL draft later that season.

05. Mark Ingram, Alabama RB - Ingram won the 2009 Heisman in the closest vote of all time, but his receiving the award was well deserved. Despite a list of finalists that included Nebraska NT Ndamukong Suh, 2007 Heisman winner and two time runner up Tim Tebow, 2008 runner up Colt McCoy, and Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, Ingram's performance as the best player on the best team in the country make him worthy of receiving the award. Though Gerhart had better rushing numbers, Ingram's performance in the SEC Championship game solidified him as the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner.

04. Matt Leinart, USC QB - Though it wasn't the best Heisman performance of the decade,
when I think of Heisman QB in the 00's my brain automatically shifts to Matt Leinart. Leinart beat out Adrian Peterson, defending Heisman winner Jason White, Alex Smith, and teammate Reggie Bush, for the award in 2004, and absolutely deserved it. Though he didn't light up the sky, Leinart threw for close to 3,000 yards with 28 TD's and only 6 INT's on the season. More importantly, Leinart became the first (and so far only) player to win the Heisman and the National Championship in the same season in the 00's.

03. Tim Tebow, Florida QB - A year after being an impact player on a national champion as a freshman, Tebow took over the NCAA and won the Heisman as a Sophomore, becoming the first underclassmen to ever win the award. In 2007 Tebow passed for 3,393 yards, 31 TD's, 7 INTs, with 838 yards on the ground, and 22 rushing TD's. Tebow's production in 2007 was astounding, and he'd carry his performance over to a national championship in 2008. Tebow's 2007 was so impressive that he beat out (by a large margin) Hawaii QB Colt Brennan who broke all sorts of NCAA records that season.

02. Troy Smith, Ohio State QB - In the most dominating Heisman poll of the decade, Troy Smith easily won the award in 2006. Smith passed for 30 TD's and just 5 INT's in 2006, while leading the Buckeyes to the national championship where the team would lose to the Florida Gators. Smith beat out Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, and Hawaii QB Colt Brennan to easily win the award. His Heisman win still stands as the second-most lopsided in the 75 year history of the trophy.

01. Reggie Bush, USC RB - The third Trojan to win the Heisman in the 00's, Bush was also (easily) the most deserving. His 1,658 rushing yards, 15 rushing TDs, 383 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 570 return yards, and 1 return TD were enough to top stiff competition from Texas QB Vince Young, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, and teammate and defending Heisman winner Matt Leinart. Bush's 784 first place votes were second only to Troy Smith's 801 in 2006 (a less competitive year for the trophy). Bush's performance was enough to make USC look unbeatable heading into that seasons National Championship, but the Trojans dynastic run would end that night at the hands (or legs I suppose) of Heisman runner up Vince Young's Texas Longhorn team.

Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now

Right now is a great moment for NFL Quarterbacks. After a beginning of the decade that saw powerhouse defenses shake passing offenses down, and running backs take the steam away from QB's, the Quarterback has once again taken over as the flashiest batch of players in the NFL.

There's no doubt that a large part of the success of the leagues passing game right now has to do with the rule changes that came in the middle of the decade, but whether we agree with those or not, there are still a lot of talented QB's in the league right now; there's a reason the 00's have produced more first round QB's than any decade in league history.

This is a list of the ten best QB's in the NFL right now. It's not a power ranking of who did the best last week, or who has been doing the best this season, it's a list of who the ten best quarterbacks in the NFL are.

This list discounts no one. It's not like the NBA where we write off KG and Tim Duncan because they're older and supplant them with Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in the Top 5. Kurt Warner and Brett Favre remain on this list, in great stature, because at this point in time they still win, perform, and show up more than the bulk of quarterbacks in the league.

Obviously Peyton Manning is number one, and the rest of the list mathematically sorts itself out after that.

Before I bore you, let me present you with the list;

The Ten Best Quarterbacks in the NFL

10. Carson Palmer - When healthy, Carson Palmer is a quarterbacking machine, and the only Pac-10 quarterback to develop this decade (sorry Matt Leinart, Kyle Boeller, Ryan Leaf, and Cade McNown). Although the Bengals have only been to the playoffs once since they drafted Palmer, he has proven leadership in what has probably been the most tumultuous locker room in league history (all the arrests). This season Palmer has the Bengals poised for another playoff run, and if things continue to work this way for Palmer he'll only be moving closer and close to elite status in the NFL.

09. Donovan McNabb - Although Donovan is dropping down the list faster than anyone, I don't think anyone should worry too much. Like Warner, McNabb has tools that can translate to any team in the NFL, and he can make any team in the NFL better, and that's what has made him so great. This decade only he and Tom Brady have been to five AFC Championship games, and only he has finished all five games (though I wouldn't exactly attribute health as a McNabb strong point). Just last year McNabb took the Eagles on a great run back to the NFC championship game that almost ended in a comeback equal to that of the 2006 AFC Championship game. Because he's been so good for so long people question how much McNabb has left in his tank, but the answer is a lot; barring another serious injury to his legs, McNabb will be a great QB in the league well into the next decade.

08. Philip Rivers - Although he's entering his late twenties, Rivers is still judged as a young quarterback and rightfully so. Although he's infamously a member of the same draft class as Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, he has been given time to grow while those two were asked to be champions immediately in their careers. Thus far, Rivers has been the most successful quarterback in Chargers history, and he could be on his way to supplanting Dan Fouts as the greatest Chargers QB of all time, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. At times he's displayed toughness, and he's shown the ability to go head to head with the top tier. The only issue with Rivers is that he may be too emotional. Whereas Eli and Roethlisberger always keep their heads on their shoulders, Rivers sometimes gets caught up in his own dilemma too much, sometimes leading to unnecessary fights and penalties. There is no doubt that Rivers has the tools to become a champion, it's just a matter of wrapping his head around the concept of adulthood in the NFL.

07. Eli Manning - Say what you want about Eli being a "one game wonder," but last I checked leading his team to the playoffs every year since 2005 would qualify Eli as a five year wonder. In that same time span only his brother Peyton Manning has lead his team to the playoffs each of those seasons (meaning Brady, Favre, Roethlisberger, and McNabb have not). Some would argue that Philip Rivers' numbers are better, or that McNabb has beaten Eli time and time again, but the difference between the three is that Eli is the one with a ring, and he got in a game in which not only did he orchestrate the greatest drive in NFL history (that's right Montana, Elway, and Peyton), but he also won the MVP of. It's easy to pick on Eli because he refused to be a Charger, he doesn't have the charisma of his older brother, and well, he's kind of the Owen Hart of the NFL; but at this point in his career, Eli is in elite company when it comes to 4th quarter aesthetic, and he currently sits just outside of being considered an elite QB in the league.

06. Brett Favre - You can't argue that Brett Favre is still a top 5 QB in the NFL, the proof is in the pudding here. Favre is about to bring his third different franchise to a winning record in three years (07 Packers, 08 Jets, 09 Vikings), a feat that no other QB in NFL history has ever done. What's even more impressive? Favre is doing it an age where Montana, Marino, Elway, Aikman, Young, and Kelly were already retired at. Some question as to whether or not he's stuck around so long to break all sorts of career records, but 2009 has proved that Favre has stuck around because he can still win. A Super Bowl win this year would shut up every member of the media that said he was washed up, and cement Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy's legacy's as goats.

05. Drew Brees - You have to wonder how much of his greatness stems from that chip on his shoulders? I mean, in San Diego he was good, a Pro Bowler even, but it wasn't until he came to New Orleans in 2006 that he became a 4,000 yards a season QB. In 2008 he even became a member of the ultra exclusive 5,000 yards a season club. The real issue with Brees, and it's not entirely his fault, is that in an eight year career he only has one playoff win, and only two playoff appearances. With all due respect that's pretty bad. If we're going to ridicule players like Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb, and Philip Rivers for getting to the playoffs and losing, at some point we need to start looking at Brees, too. All signs point to 2009 as the year that everything is finally coming together for Brees though, his team is in great shape to make a playoff run, and Brees is likely to go to yet another Pro Bowl. I'm sure the QB from Purdue is hoping he'll be starting in the other Bowl game taking place in Miami though.

04. Kurt Warner - In 2006 his career looked over and Kurt Warner was going to go down as nothing more than an NFL trivial pursuit question. Then in 2007 he began a career resurgence that has been nothing short of spectacular. In 2008 Warner reminded us all why he was a 2 time MVP and former Super Bowl MVP when he lead the Arizona Cardinals all the way to Super Bowl XLIII. What Warner has done in turning the losing culture around in Arizona is worthy of all time great status, and it's the second time Warner has turned a franchise around in his career. If you really dissect it, what Kurt Warner has done in his career is nothing short of remarkable, and the way he still plays every single Sunday is absolutely astonishing.Warner is nowhere near a mobile QB, and he has some nagging injuries that you can tell still bother him, but if you need a quarterback for just one game, it'd be hard not to have him on a short list. He's a proven winner, and his arm strength is still in the elite level.

03. Ben Roethlisberger - I think we're still waiting for this guy to come down to Earth. Roethlisberger started his career with a 15-1 record as a rookie, won the Super Bowl in his second season, won the AFC North for a second time in his fourth season, and in his fifth season won his second Super Bowl. If you don't think that's great, then it's time to digest the fact that Roethlisberger has developed into a legitimate passer as well. Roethlisberger is following in the footsteps of Tom Brady in developing from elite game manager, into elite quarterback. He hasn't reached his prime yet either.

02. Tom Brady - He started his NFL career better than any quarterback in NFL history (though Big Ben is rapidly approaching him), and has since continued to help his team win. After suffering a season ending knee injury in 2008, his backup Matt Cassell still took the Patriots to an 11-5 record and put up better numbers than Brady put up in his first seven seasons as a starter raising the question as to how good Tom Brady really is? That's a dumb question because Brady is still a great player, and he's not far from being the best in the game. His 2007 season is without question the best single season performance any quarterback has ever had, and likely ever will have. Like Roethlisberger he's had the benefit of having a very good defense to guide him to championships, when he you need 40 yards to get a game winning field goal, there's no better QB in the NFL than Tom Brady.

01. Peyton Manning - The best Quarterback in the league, and he has a chance to become the greatest of all time. It's scary to think that those years of 2003-2005 were nowhere near his prime. This half of the decade he's silenced his critics about winning the big one, picked up a Super Bowl MVP to go with his three MVP awards, and has earned a reputation as a great "clutch" performer as well. Love him or hate him, we treat Peyton Manning the same way we treat all the greats; Ali, Jordan, Kobe, Gretzky, Tiger, A-Rod: we dissect every single move he makes, and every game he plays is his make or break moment. When his team loses we blame him, when his team wins then they should have won by more... Because they have Peyton Manning. A scary thought is that if Manning wins another Super Bowl this season, he will have equaled John Elway's entire 16 year career in only 11 seasons (50,000 passing yards, 2 Super Bowl championships... Manning will likely have 4 MVPs after this season to Elway's one). Manning has also replaced Elway as the guy whose hands you place the ball in when you're down by six and need 90 (or 28) yards for a score.

So there you have. A majority of the list was easy to create. Initially I wanted to put Brees at #5 but after writing up what Kurt Warner has done since 2007, you can't put Brees ahead of him. Although it's amazing that Brees has turned the culture around in New Orleans, it's even more astonishing that Warner has turned the culture around in Arizona. Also, as mentioned, Brees has only one playoff win since 2006 (and in his career), while Warner helped take the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

Rivers versus Eli is tough because Rivers has better numbers, but Eli has a Super Bowl. Eli's ring is enough to put him ahead of Rivers at this point in his career, especially since they've each been to the same amount of Pro Bowls, and Eli has yet to miss the playoffs as a full time starter.

Rivers over McNabb was the toughest decision, but this was a list of who is the best NOW, not this decade. There is no doubt in my mind that Donovan McNabb is one of the five or six best quarterbacks of the 00's, and if I had a vote I'd put McNabb in the Hall of Fame when he retires, but right now, one game, i'd take #17 over #5.

Missing the list were Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Ryan who I'd put at numbers 11 and 12. At this point Hasselbeck is on his way down while Ryan is on his way up. Tony Romo needs to make a good playoff run before he can get consideration, while Vince Young needs to get some numbers to along with his commendable winning percentage. Joe Flacco would round out my top 15. Personally, I'm not the biggest Jay Cutler or Aaron Rodgers fan, in part because neither has been to the playoffs, and in part because I consider them "fantasy football players," meaning they put up good numbers, but where are the wins? Both inherited teams that hosted Championship games before they took over, neither team has been back to the playoffs since.

I hope you enjoy the list and I'd love to hear your feedback.

Weekly Top 10: Top 10 #1 Picks of the Decade

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Top 10's, Top 5's, Top anything countdowns. I love ranking things. My girlfriend thinks it's a sign of a rare but serious brain condition.

I think it's because I have too much free time.

Either way, every Saturday I'm going to present a new weekly countdown. This week I'm going to be breaking down the top #1 overall picks in the NFL draft from 00-09. Now I know time hasn't given us enough time to project how good the #1 overall picks from 06-09, or even 05, are going to be, but I think we can kinda tell.

And either way, this is an easy countdown to break into for everyone.

10. 2005 Alex Smith, Quarterback Utah - San Francisco 49ers: Drafted in 2005 to a lot of speculation, Smith has done nothing but live up to every ounce of that speculation. Given every chance to take the starting Quarterback job, Smith has never capitalized; never failing to fail. Though it's still early in Smith's career, at this point he's without a doubt the worst #1 overall draft pick of the decade based on the lone fact that his career has thus far amounted to nothing. On the bright side the '9ers landed Running back Frank Gore in the 3rd round.

09. 2000 Courtney Brown, Defensive End Penn State - Cleveland Browns: Brown had a productive rookie campaign, but injuries slowed him down after that. He was a solid defensive end in the NFL when healthy, helping the Browns in their most successful season (2002), and the Denver Broncos in their best season of the decade (2005). He retired from the NFL in 2006 to absolutely no fanfare, and is likely to be remembered as nothing more than an NFL Draft Trivial Pursuit question.

08. 2002 David Carr, Quarterback Fresno State - Houston Texans: I can hear your sighs. Of all ten players on this list, I feel like this was the guy most people wanted to see succeed. He was fun to watch, had a nice arm, decent mobility, and reminded us of the great Quarterbacks of the 1990's, something that the NFL was desperate for in 2002. An awful offensive line, a franchise with seemingly no direction at the time, and a division that featured three solid pass rushes lead to Carr becoming the most sacked QB in the league, and left him permanently scarred. A failed one year stint in Carolina where he was eventually replaced by a 43 year old Vinny Testaverde (1987's #1 overall pick), lead to Carr backing up Eli Manning (2004's #1 overall pick) in New York, where he still resides. Whether or not Carr will ever get or earn another shot to start in the NFL remains to be seen, but he'll always have a soft spot in hearts, because we know in a better situation he would've been good. Had the Texans entered the league the year before Carr would've been drafted by the Panthers who at the time were proud to have Chris Weinke on their roster. In 2003 a no named QB known as Jake Delhomme lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl... Oh what could have been.

07. 2007 JaMarcus Russell, Quarterback LSU - Oakland Raiders: In a couple of years Russell can easily be sitting at #10, but for now I still think he's got a chance. Sure his work ethic has been called abysmal, his weight is a top tier joke amongst fans, teammates, and peers, and so far this season he's made about one good play. But let's give Russell a break, he got drafted by the Raiders. This is the same offense that made Randy Moss look like Craphonso Thorpe the year before Russell was drafted. We've seen signs of Russell being good; not great, but good. He's still young, and the Raiders have some pieces in tact. We'll know more about where he is in two years.

06. 2009 Matthew Stafford, Quarterback Georgia - Detroit Lions: I guess this is going out on a limb a little bit, but heck, in his rookie year he already looks better than half the QB's in the league. Perhaps his even greater achievement is getting the Lions their first win since 2007. If he can stay healthy, Stafford will be a legitimate NFL quarterback, and he'll help the Lions contend year in and year out. In a division that is shaping up to have some adequate quarterbacking for the next four to five years, Stafford will be the flagship signal caller. Maybe he'll be another Joey Harrington, but I think he'll fall more along the lines of a much cooler Jay Cutler.

05. 2003 Carson Palmer, Quarterback USC - Cincinnati Bengals: In 2005 I would have said Palmer was going to be the #1 of the decade. Things were looking great for Carson. He was leading the Bengals to a division title, he had a solid offense around him, a seemingly brilliant head coach, and for the first time since Boomer Esiason (stint one) the Bengals had a quarterback whose name wasn't immediately followed by laughter (sorry Jeff Blake... I always drafted you in Quarterback Club 1998 for N64). Unfortunately for Palmer that 2005 season ended in the operating table for Palmer and a knee injury was later fallowed by good numbers but few wins in 06, and 07, and an elbow injury in 08. 09 has been a sweeter year for Palmer, and he has top level QB talent. This is the seventh year of his career though and he's yet to get past the first round of the playoffs. Though it may not be his fault entirely, it's time for Palmer to start making dents outside of Fantasy Football.

04. 2001 Michael Vick, Quarterback Virginia Tech - Atlanta Falcons: Before he went to prison in 2007, Vick's career was already under scrutiny and was seemingly on the decline. That being said, outside of Eli Manning, Vick went deeper in the playoffs than all of the other QB's taken in the first round this decade, and won more playoff games than all of them combined (then again so has every Quarterback who's ever won a playoff game). In 04 Vick came a win away from the Super Bowl, and holds the record for most yards rushing in a single season for a QB. Overall Vick's career in Atlanta has to be considered above average, and given the 07 and 08 seasons to develop, it's not absurd to suggest that Vick may have developed even further as a QB. At this point in time though, it's hard to see Vick ever returning to the explosive player he was from 2002 to 2006, but NFL history will one day write that there was a time period where Michael Vick was the most feared player in the NFL.

03. 2008 Jake Long, Offensive Tackle Michigan - Miami Dolphins: It's been barely over a season but Long has already made his impact. He's a solid Left Tackle, and in 08 he helped the Dolphins establish a solid running game, and helped Chad Pennington finish as runner up in MVP balloting. A lot of GM's will say that the left tackle is the most important position in football (right tackle if your QB is a lefty) and one season into his career, Long has already established himself as a top shelf left tackle, making the Pro Bowl in his rookie year. If he stays healthy, Long will likely find himself in a lot of Pro Bowls, as he follows in the footsteps of Orlando Pace as OT's taken #1 overall.

02. 2006 Mario Williams, Defensive End NC State - Houston Texans: When the Texans announced before the draft that they were going to take DE Mario Williams #1 overall in a draft that included Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and A.J Hawk, the average football fan let out a resounding "do the Texans ever want to get good?" As the season started the drafting of Williams looked even worse as Dominick Davis got hurt before the season started, David Carr... well he is the #8 player on this list so I guess that's all I need to say, and the Williams started the season slow, never really picking up his pace. That same season Reggie Bush helped the Saints to the NFC Championship game, Vince Young won Rookie of the Year, and Matt Leinart showed signs of brilliance. Since then, Bush, Young, Leinart, and Hawk have played average to below average football at the pro level, while Williams has picked up 26 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and over 100 tackles. He's been a Pro Bowler, a first team All-Pro, and has helped the Texans defense develop into one of the most respectable defensive units in the league.

01. 2004 Eli Manning, Quarterback Ole Miss - San Diego Chargers: Where do we begin? We all know about the trade to the Giants. We all know about the Super Bowl MVP where he outperformed Tom Brady; We know about "the Catch pt 2" We know about "the touchdown." But anyone who has watched the NFL since 2005 knows there is a lot more to Eli than those two plays. It seems like week in and week out, Eli does what he has to do just win games. He's become the unsung king of the two minute drill, and without a doubt he's evolved from punchline to elite QB. In 2004 it looked like the Chargers were going to get the better end of the deal... at least until Nate Kaeding played the Jets, but in 2005 when the Chargers drafted Shawne Merriman with a pick from the Giants, and in 2006 when Merriman and Philip Rivers who the Chargers got in the Eli trade, lead the Chargers to a 14-2 record, it looked like a "lights out" trade for the Chargers (awful pun... I hope you cringed). Since Ellis Hobbs and company did lights out in the 2006 AFC Division playoffs in San Diego, the trade has turned face. Merriman has thus far fallen off, Nate Kaeding, though good, is still just a kicker, and it's hard to argue Rivers case versus Eli (sounds like a great post to come).

Needless to say, Eli has handled the pressure of New York better than anyone ever has. Eli has kept a cool head, never missed the playoffs, and has yet to miss a start since taking over from Kurt Warner in 04. All things considered it's hard to imagine Philip Rivers keeping as cool of a head as Eli in the city that has made a living hell out of the lives of Alex Rodriguez, Brett Favre, Wayne Gretzky, and Patrick Ewing.

So there you have it. 10 years of number one picks, and Eli Manning pans out (thus far) as the best. How many of these guys will be enshrined in Canton? Will any of them? Usually it's between two to three players, which seems about right for this decade.