College Football Awards Night - Who Will Win?

Who will win and who should win all the big 2012 awards?

E-mail Pete Fiutak

It’s awards time again. Who’s going to win? Who should win? Here are all the main awards with my predictions and who I voted for.

13. Butkus - Top Linebacker
Finalists: 1. Jarvis Jones, Georgia, 2. Kevin Minter, LSU, 3. Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
The vote was: 1. Te'o, 2. Jones, 3. Minter

My vote: 1. Jones, 2. Te'o, 3. Minter
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Khaseem Greene, Rutgers, 2. Dan Molls, Toledo, 3. Khalil Mack, Buffalo

Every year I always argue with my friends over at Pro Football Weekly about the Butkus - but as I joke, I believe I'm always right. I wrote in Luke Kuechly for two years before everyone finally woke up, and I totally blanked on the write-in aspect this year and forgot to put in Greene as my No. 1 until it was too late. I have no problem splitting hairs by voting for Jones as the best linebacker and Te'o as the top player in other categories in more of a leader/signature player sort of way.

12. Lou Groza – Best Kicker
Finalists: 1. Dustin Hopkins, Florida State, 2. Cairo Santos, Tulane, 3. Caleb Sturgis, Florida
The vote will be: 1. Santos, 2. Hopkins, 3. Sturgis

My vote: 1. Santos, 2. Hopkins, 3. Sturgis
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State, 2. Anthony Cantele, Kansas State, 3. Austin Lopez, San Jose State

Santos should be a lock, nailing all 21 of his field goal attempts while going 12-of-12 from beyond 40 yards. Hopkins has hit 24-of-28 field goals. Sturgis has connected on 23-of-27 attempts with three of the misses on blocks. He hit 7-of-8 from beyond the 40.

11. Ray Guy – Best Punter
Finalists: 1. Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech, 2. Kyle Cristy, Florida, 3. Scott Kovanda, Ball State
The vote will be: 1. Allen, 2. Cristy, 3. Kovanda

My vote: 1. Cristy, 2. Allen, 3. Kovanda
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Riley Stephenson, BYU, 2. Darragh O’Neill, Colorado, 3. Josh Hubner, Arizona State

Putting kicks inside the 20 might be the most underappreciated skill in all of college football. Considering what Florida’s offense does, and with field position vital, Cristy has been a key part to the puzzle. Allen is averaging 48 yards per kick with 22 inside the 20 on 45 kicks. Christy is averaging 46.1 yards per kick with 26 inside the 20 on 62 kicks. Kovanda is averaging 40.2 yards per kick with 26 inside the 20 on 44 kicks.

10. Mackey – Best Tight End
Finalists: 1. Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame, 2. Zach Ertz, Stanford, 3. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
The vote was: 1. Eifert, 2. Ertz, 3. Seferian-Jenkins

My vote: 1. Ertz, 2. Eifert, 3. Seferian-Jenkins
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Chris Coyle, Arizona State, 2. Zane Fake, Ball State, 3. Ryan Otten, San Jose State

Eifert doesn’t have the numbers, but he has the big plays for an offense that underutilizes his talents. He did enough to win the award. Seferian-Jenkins has a few more yards than Ertz, but Ertz has two more touchdowns including the season-changer against Oregon.

9. Lott – Best Defensive Back
Finalists: 1. Johnathan Banks, Mississippi State, 2. Dee Milliner, Alabama, 3. Phillip Thomas, Fresno State
The vote will be: 1. Milliner, 2. Banks, 3. Thomas

My vote: 1. Thomas, 2. Banks, 3. Milliner
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma, 2. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon, 3. Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

Thomas led the nation with eight picks, taking three for scores, while only three came up with seven interceptions. Milliner has been fantastic with a whopping 18 broken up passes, while Banks has a few more picks and tackles. Jefferson has been like another linebacker against the run.

8. Nagurski – Best Defensive Player
Finalists: 1. Jaedevon Clowney, DE South Carolina, 2. Jarvis Jones, LB Georgia, 3. Dee Milliner, CB Alabama, 4. Manti Te’o, LB Notre Dame, 5. Bjoern Werner, DE Florida State
The vote will be: 1. Te’o, 2. Jones, 3. Milliner, 4. Clowney, 5. Werner

My vote: 1. Te’o, 2. Jones, 3. Clowney, 4. Milliner, 5. Werner
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Khaseem Greene, LB Rutgers, 2. Damontre Moore, DE Texas A&M, 3. Dan Molls, LB Toledo

Greene might have been the best defensive player in college football this year. Jones has been the most dynamic defender, but Te’o should win this going away.

7. Outland – Best Interior Lineman
Finalists: 1. Jonathan Cooper, OG North Carolina, 2. Barrett Jones, C Alabama, 3. Luke Joeckel, OT Texas A&M
The vote will be: 1. Jones, 2. Joeckel, 3. Cooper

My vote: 1. Joeckel, 2, Cooper, 3. Jones
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Jesse Williams, DT Alabama, 2. Star Lotulelei, Utah, 3. Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

Jones isn’t even the best lineman on his own team – I’m an unabashed fan of Williams - and might be the fourth best blocker on his O line. Cooper has been fantastic, but Joeckel has come up with an outstanding year helping protect Johnny Manziel.

6. Davey O’Brien – Best Quarterback
Finalists: 1. Collin Klein, Kansas State, 2. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 3. Braxton Miller, Ohio State
The vote will be: 1. Klein, 2. Manziel, 3. Miller

My vote: 1. Miller, 2. Manziel, 3. Klein
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Tajh Boyd, Clemson, 2. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois, 3. Marcus Mariota, Oregon

It would be a toss-up between Miller and Boyd if Boyd was on the ballot. Take Miller off of Ohio State and the team might have struggled to get to 8-4, much less 12-0.

5. Doak Walker – Best Running Back
Finalists: 1. Montee Ball, Wisconsin, 2. Kenjon Barner, Oregon, 3. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
The vote will be: 1. Barner, 2. Ball, 3. Franklin

My vote: 1. Ball, 2. Franklin, 3. Barner
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona, 2. Stefphon Jefferson, Nevada, 3. Dri Archer, Kent State

I’m fortunate enough and honored to be one of the consultants for this, and it has been amazing how this went from being a slam-dunk for Barner to a wide-open field with lots and lots and lots of options. I pushed for North Carolina’s Giovani Bernard, but how can anyone pick against Carey, the nation’s leading rusher? In an all-around aspect, Archer deserves a much bigger audience. UCLA might have lost twice to Stanford, but Franklin tore up the top run defense with 194 yards and two score in the Pac-12 championship. Ball stepped up his play in a big way over the second half of the year and finished with 21 scores. Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell probably should've been in the mix, too.

4. Bednarik – Best Defensive Player
Finalists: 1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina, 2. Jarvis Jones, LB Georgia, 3. Manti Te’o, LB Notre Dame
The vote will be: 1. Te’o, 2. Jones, 3. Clowney

My vote: 1. Te’o, 2. Jones, 3. Clowney
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Khaseem Greene, LB Rutgers, 2. Damontre Moore, DE Texas A&M, 3. Dan Molls, LB Toledo

Jones has been a dominant pass rusher and a terror into the backfield, and Te’o might be a big more hype than actual production, but it’s hard to argue with the signature star on the No. 1 team in the nation. I’m going with the nebulous “great leader” tag for a defense that carried the Irish to a potential dream season.

3. Biletnikoff – Best Receiver
Finalists: 1. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia, 2. Marqise Lee, USC, 3. Terrance Williams, Baylor
The vote will be: 1. Lee, 2. Bailey, 3. Williams

My vote: 1. Lee, 2. Bailey, 3. Williams
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Tavon Austin, West Virginia, 2. Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech, 3. DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

This is harder than it appears. Lee seems like the obvious answer, but the raw numbers for Austin and Bailey are amazing. Williams might be the best on the lot, leading all the top receivers averaging 18.57 yards per catch. I’m going with Lee mainly because he has been the signature wide receiver of the 2012 season.

2. Maxwell – Best Player
Finalists: 1. Collin Klein, QB Kansas State, 2. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M, 3. Manti Te’o, LB Notre Dame
The vote will be: 1. Te'o, 2. Manziel, 3. Klein

My vote: 1. Te'o, 2. Manziel, 3. Klein
Who Got Hosed?: 1. Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 2. Jarvis Jones, Georgia, 3. Marqise Lee, USC

The Maxwell usually goes to one top player, and the Heisman goes to another. Manziel will get one, Te'o will get the other.

1. Heisman – Best Player
Finalists: 1. Collin Klein, Kansas State, 2. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 3. Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
The vote will be: 1. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 2. Manti Te’o, Notre Dame, 3. Collin Klein, Kansas State

My vote: Withheld, because the Heisman people asked, but I voted Braxton Miller No. 2 and Jarvis Jones No. 3.
Who Is Going To Get Hosed?: 1. Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 2. Jarvis Jones, Georgia, 3. Marqise Lee, USC

This might be the worst Heisman race ever, opening up the door for an unprecedented win by a freshman or a true defensive player. No one was doing jumping jacks over the idea of voting for Klein, and then the Baylor game ended the fun. This is going to be close - Te'o will be No. 2 on almost everyone's ballot who doesn't make him No. 1, while Manziel will be left off several ballots entirely.