Voting for Andrew Luck on your Heisman ballot at all is simply a product of ESPN’s virtual monopoly on sports news.
I’ll be the first to tell you, Andrew Luck is a great player and will play well in the NFL. However, the Heisman trophy has never had anything to do with your potential until ESPN decided to make it the case. Let’s take a look at how he stacks up against Robert Griffin III of Baylor. This list doesn’t even include the fact that Baylor played the 13th toughest schedule, 5 spots above Luck’s Stanford (18th).
1) The Career Argument
Let’s start with the most egregious misconception… That even though the Heisman isn’t supposed to be a career achievement award, it plays a factor in the race and since it does it means Andrew Luck is sitting pretty.
Passing Stats alone?
RG3
9590 yds. 731/1090 67% 8.8 YPA 73 TD 17 INT 159.95 QB Rating
(not including limited 2009 season [knee] – stats that only would have helped RG3)
Luck
9083 yds. 686/1033 66% 8.8 YPA 80 TD 21 INT 161.76 QB Rating
Oh wait… there’s that rushing yard/TD factor too….
Luck
960 yds. 7 TD
RG3
2125 yds. 30 TD
Ha.
2) Back to just this year. QB Ratings:
RG3: 192.3 (NCAA RECORD)
Luck: 167.5
For those bad at math, that’s a 24.8 difference.
3) Yards:
RG3: 3998
Luck: 3170
4) Completion %
RG3: 72.4%
Luck: 70.0%
5) Touchdown Passes
RG3: 36
Luck: 35
6) Interceptions
RG3: 6 (disgusting)
Luck: 9
7) Yards Per Attempt
RG3: 10.8
Luck: 8.5
8) Rushing Yards
RG3: 644
Luck: 153
9) Rushing TD
RG3: 9
Luck: 2
10) That Balanced Offense
You know that argument that if Luck’s offense wasn’t so “balanced” that he would have similar numbers?
Number of pass attempts for RG3? 369
Luck? 373……..
Also, who plays the “if” game when voting for Heisman?
Also, also…. Robert Griffin by himself is a balanced offense.
11) Importance to Team
But which guy is more important to his team?
I’m sorry, but the argument that since Robert Griffin got hurt in the second half of the Texas Tech game and that Baylor still dominated with a backup QB is absurd. Texas Tech’s defense would make your high school’s offense look prolific.
Baylor hadn’t stepped up and beat anybody of note in more than 20 years until Robert Griffin got on campus. Robert Griffin accounts for 67.7% of Baylor’s 2nd ranked offense. Andrew Luck accounts for 57.6% of Stanford’s 13th ranked offense. I’d like to be able to argue that Baylor’s 114th ranked defense only wins because of Griffin… just like I’m sure Stanford’s 25th ranked defense can only win because of Luck….
12) Excitement
The Baylor Bears from Waco, Texas are must see TV because Robert Griffin is must see TV.
I heard one of Lucks coaches argue that Andrew Luck is great at audibles. Cool.
I heard Luck is the best at checking down to his 3rd or 4th option. Great.
Luck looks like a quarterback. RG3 looks like something we’ve never seen.
So to wrap this up, every time I see another Heisman voter tweet that Luck is his top candidate I just laugh. RG3? Heck yes. Montee Ball? Yes. Honey Badger? Yeah. Matt Barkley? Okay. Trent Richardson? ehh… maybe. But Andrew Luck? If he wins, it will make about as much sense as the BCS.
