Joel Buchsbaum's college notepad
By Joel Buchsbaum, Contributing editor
Oct. 22, 2001
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| There is no clear-cut front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, and three of
the leading contenders hurt their chances last weekend. Woody Dantzler
(Clemson) was just terrible against North Carolina, and both David Carr
(Fresno State) and Joey Harrington (Oregon) failed in comeback attempts
for their teams. ... Going into its big shootout with Oklahoma, Nebraska suffered a
devastating number of injuries in the Texas Tech game. Tracey Wistrom,
the Cornhuskers’ top tight end, didn’t even start the game, and then in the
game, CB Keyuo Craver, who is their best player, was hurt, as were four
other starters, including two on the offensive line. ... Right now, the Big Ten is a mass
of mediocrity. Both Wisconsin and Ohio State are way down in talent, as is Penn State. As
a result, almost any team in the conference can beat any other depending on how it matches
up. That’s why Wisconsin beat Ohio State and practically shut the Buckeyes down in
the second half, while the Badgers gave up over 100 combined points to Indiana and
Illinois. Even Penn State, which is way down in talent, can still play with most teams in
the conference. The only good team in the conference really is Michigan, and the
Wolverines are not a great team at this point. However, if Michigan’s young defensive
players continue to jell, they could be a very good team by the end of the year. Perhaps
the most disappointing team to me is Michigan State, which in terms of talent, may be
second only to Michigan but continues to underachieve. The fact the Spartans gave up over
300 rushing yards to Minnesota is just astounding and something that never would have
happened if Nick Saban was still coaching that team. ... Miami (Fla.) QB Ken
Dorsey could end up winning the Heisman Trophy if the Hurricanes go undefeated,
but he really hasn’t played anywhere close to a Heisman level. ... While North
Carolina DE Julius Peppers has unbelievable talent and could very easily
be the first player taken in the draft, he still lacks consistency in his play, and it
seems like the coaches have to often light a fire under him to get him to play up to his
ability. ... Georgia has a freshman receiver by the name of Fred Gibson,
who is starting to look like a future pro already. He has tremendous ball skills and
talent and can be as good as he wants to be if he’ll pay the price. Obviously,
he’s not yet ready for the NFL, but he’s a player to watch for the future. Verron
Haynes, the Bulldogs’ fullback, is a very underrated player who is finally
getting a chance to show what he can do this year. Haynes catches the ball extremely well,
is a tenacious blocker, an adequate runner and an excellent special-teams player. Because
of his versatility, an NFL team could give him a chance. ... Pittsbugh WR Antonio
Bryant, who has had a lot of injury problems, is playing very poorly for a player
with his talent. It would be nice if he hustled more and showed greater effort going for
the ball instead of trying to make nonchalant catches, which often lead to drops. |
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