2007 Heisman Night

It's Heisman night when either Tim Tebow or Darren McFadden (let's be real here) will walk away with The Trophy. Before the big evening hits, here's a final breakdown of why each of the finalists should and shouldn't win the biggest individual prize in sports.

2007 Brutally Honest Heisman Breakdown

FINAL

By Pete Fiutak   

- Heisman Rankings Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
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It's Heisman time now with the race finally ending on Saturday. Here's the breakdown of each of the likely finalists with why they should and shouldn't win it.

The Predicted Overall Finish ...

7. QB Pat White, Jr. West Virginia
134 of 197 for 1,548 yards and 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He ran 177 times for 1,185 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He Should Win It Because ... He's basically Darren McFadden at quarterback. One of the nation's most electrifying playmakers, he ran for 147 yards or more in four straight games down the stretch as he carried the team to the brink of the national championship game. An efficient passer, he could do it all. On an MVP level, West Virginia lost two big games when he was hurt.

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... He might have injured his thumb, but he couldn't lead the team to a win over Pitt to get to the big show. There's too much Heisman traffic ahead of him.

6. RB Kevin Smith, Jr. UCF
415 carries for 2,448 yards and 29 touchdowns, 21 catches for 230 yards and a score.

He Should Win It Because ... He was the most productive running back in the nation with a the second greatest rushing season in D-I history. When needed to come through down the stretch, he ran for 170 yards or more in the final seven games with 16 touchdowns over a seven game stretch while leading the team to the Conference USA title. He also ripped up Texas and NC State along the way.

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... While he might be the real deal, no one has any clue who he is. Almost all votes will come on his stats alone with few having seen him play.

5. QB Dennis Dixon, Sr. Oregon
172 of 254 for 2,136 yards and 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran 105 times for 583 yards and nine scores.

He Should Win It Because ... He's the most valuable player in college football. When he was healthy, Oregon was in the driver's seat for a shot at the national title, but once he tore up his knee, the team lost its final three games. With several sympathy votes, he could slip into the top three.

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... You have to be in it to win it. It's a cruel world, but not being there for the stretch run ended what was almost a slam-dunk Heisman win.

4. QB Chase Daniel, Jr. Missouri
372 of 534 for 4,170 yards and 33 touchdowns with ten interceptions. He also ran 104 times for 284 yards and four touchdowns.

He Should Win It Because ... Arguably the best player in the Big 12, he was the triggerman for Missouri's improbable run to the No. 1 spot late in the year. In the key final three-game stretch to get to the Big 12 Championship, he threw ten touchdown passes and no interceptions.

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... Oklahoma. He completed 23 of 39 passes for 219 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in the loss to the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship. He was in a perfect position to secure a top three position with a win, and maybe would've pulled it out, but the team couldn't help him out.

3. QB Colt Brennan, Sr. Hawaii
337 of 472 for 4,174 yards and 38 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, He also ran for eight scores.

He Should Win It Because ... The Heisman has nothing to do with lifetime statistics, but many voters can't help but throw them into the mix. The numbers really are amazing with 14,024 yards and 131 touchdowns with just 39 interceptions and 15 rushing scores. When the team absolutely needed him, he came threw with huge performances in tight overtime wins over Louisiana Tech (548 yards and four touchdowns) and San Jose State (545 yards and four scores), and he rolled with the spotlight on against Boise State (40 of 53 for 495 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions) and Washington (42 of 50 for 442 yards and five touchdowns).

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... He plays in the WAC. When your best wins are over Boise State and Washington, it's hard get everyone on board.

2. RB Darren McFadden, Jr. Arkansas
304 carries for 1,725 yards and 15 touchdowns, 6 of 11 passes for 123 yards and four touchdowns, and 21 catches for 164 yards and a score.

He Should Win It Because ... Everyone acknowledged that he was the best player in America from the start, and despite slipping out of the race in the middle of the season, he came back roaring with 321 yards and a score in the win over South Carolina. And then when everyone was watching, he lit up No. 1 LSU for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... He was way too average in too many games with just 43 yards against Auburn and 88 against Mississippi State. The stats are great, but he didn't lead the nation in rushing and he didn't lead the team to a title of any sort this year.

The Heisman winner will likely be ...

QB Tim Tebow, Soph. Florida
217 of 317 passes for 3,122 yards and 29 touchdowns with six interception. He ran for 194 yards for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns.

He Should Win It Because ... He had one of the great seasons in the history of college football being the first player ever to run for and throw for 20 touchdowns. Think of all the great backs in SEC history, and none of them ever ran for as many touchdowns in a season as Tebow did this year. While he had to carry the team throughout the year on the ground, he also was one of the nation's most best passers all year finishing second in passing efficiency.

He's Not Going to Win It Because ... There's always going to be a stigma against sophomores, and there's a feeling that he'll get is chance to win the big prize over the next two years. Many also knock him down a peg for so many short scores. Yeah he ran for 22 scores, but how many were because Florida doesn't have a fullback to pound it in? He might be Superman, but he wasn't as thrilling as Darren McFadden.