Sunday, December 4, 2011

Honey Badger for Heisman? Not going to happen


LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu returns a punt for a touchdown against Georgia during the first half of the Southeastern Conference Championship game, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
He probably won't even get a ticket to New York.
Certainly, there are other worthy candidates, and when I send in my ballot today, two of them will be on it. So will he.
The best player in college football for the 2011 season has everything you would want in a Heisman winner.
Heisman moment? Shoot, he had a pair of them in LSU's SEC Championship Game win over Georgia.
Personable? You bet. Catchy nickname? The best. “Honey Badger” was trending like crazy on Twitter Saturday night. Nice back-story? LSU was the only BCS school that offered him a scholarship because he's only 5-foot-9.
Is Tyrann Mathieu the best player on the best team in college football, which is often the criteria used by voters who don't want to spend too much time thinking about it? Absolutely.
Won't win.
Can't win.
“It's not up to me to judge,” he said.
Despite his heroics against Georgia and his highlight reel of a season, college football's best player made a mistake and this is the price he will pay. He was suspended for the Auburn game after he and two teammates reportedly tested positive for synthetic marijuana.
He put himself ahead of his teammates, and for that, the only stiff-arm he'll see is the one pushing him away from the Heisman.
The Heisman voters can't get past that. OK, some of them can't get past the fact that his name is too hard to spell.

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