Monday Man Crush: Jahvid Best, Cal
Like many of you in college fantasy football, I single-handedly lost my week 3 matchup to Cal running back / Heisman-trophy candidate / fantasy football stud Jahvid Best.
Hey… at least you know you’re not alone.
Best ruined the home opener of a new, on-campus stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday as he accumulated 148 total yards (131 rushing, 17 receiving) and scored 5 touchdowns.
Highly regarded as the best running back in college football, Best is one of those few high profile players at a BCS-school that also has a significant amount of fantasy value. In most cases, he was probably the first running back off the board in college fantasy drafts. We had him ranked no. 14 overall coming into the year when we released our rankings in June.
This ranking of Best puts us just above borderline retarded in terms of college fantasy football expertise. Sorry about that.
On the year, Jahvid Best’s stats are sick. He has already rushed for 412 yards and 8 touchdowns on only 53 carries. He’s also caught 7 balls for 59 yards and another score.
Word on the street is that Best has logged a 4.32 40-yard dash time, and his YouTube highlights are a thing of beauty. Right now, the real debate over Best surrounds his Heisman candidacy. So…
Can Jahvid Best Really Win The Heisman Trophy?
Our initial analysis is “no.” Two previous Heisman winners are likely to be finalists (even if Sam Bradford has missed two games), and if Texas runs the table, you know Colt McCoy will be a finalist.
That said, Best is putting up some sick numbers to start the season. He has nationwide name recognition, and should have the opportunity to showcase his talents in some big, nationally televised games.
After analyzing the 10 Heismandments, the following “rules” of winning the Heisman Trophy are in Best’s favor:
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The winner must be a quarterback, running back*, or multi-threat athlete.
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Juniors* and seniors have an overwhelming advantage and, as a rule, will win over an underclassmen.
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The winner must put up good numbers in big games on TV. (note: Saturday’s game at Minnesota was not a ”big game” but Best did tally good numbers on TV).
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The winner must have some prior name recognition*.
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There will never be another 2-time Heisman trophy winner.
In order for Best to really have a shot at winning the Heisman, however, he will need to put up big numbers against USC and Oregon (Cal’s next two opponents), and Cal will have to either go undefeated… or at least win the PAC-10.
Right now, I personally would give a slight edge in the Heisman race to either Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy… with Best being the leader of the second tier of Heisman candidates.
