Show Me The Trophy!

Finalists for the nation's more prestigious college football awards were announced earlier this week. ESPN.com lists the finalists for all the awards, but the Nasties crew is here to help break down three of them.

Doak Walker Award


Mike Hart, Darren McFadden, and Ray Rice round out the competition for the nation's best running back. After an excellent first 7 weeks, Michigan's Mike Hart tapered off at the end of the season, missing 3 games with an injury and only rushing for 44 yards against rival Ohio State. However, Hart's impressive 1232 yards and 12 touchdowns accumulated in only 9 games keep him in the conversation. Scarlet Knight Ray Rice has put together the most impressive numbers this season (projected 1759 yards and 20 total touchdowns), but the Nasties crew is giving the edge to last year's winner, Darren McFadden. On pace to mirror last year's stats of 1794 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns, the Razorback earns this award for compiling impressive numbers in the nation's best conference. Monster games against South Carolina (321 YDS 1 TD) and Alabama (195 YDS 2 TDs) help seal the deal for this junior.

Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award

Two great players were nominated in Oregon's Dennis Dixon and Missouri's Chase Daniel. Dixon threw for 20 TDs and rushed for 9 more during the season, but weak performances against Cal and USC combined with a leg injury suffered against Arizona last week could shatter more than the Ducks championship hopes. The centerpiece of a high powered offense in Missouri, Daniel has thrown for 3,590 yards and 30 touchdowns. Passing highlights include 5 touchdown performances against Mississippi and Colorado as well as 350 yards and 3 TDs against A&M. However, another SEC boy in Tim Tebow will win this award; this super-sophomore has rushed for 749 yards and 20 touchdowns in addition to throwing for 2,870 and another 26 touchdowns. Especially against tough SEC competition (5 total touchdowns against Kentucky, 5 rushing TDs against the Gamecocks), Tebow's 177 QB Rating gives extra reason for why he should win this award.

Maxwell Award

Dixon, Tebow, and McFadden are all looking to join Brady Quinn as a Maxwell Award winner this season. Sidelined for the rest of the season with knee surgery, Dixon will be unable to finish his impressive season and stands little chance of coming away with this trophy. While McFadden makes a strong case for winning this award, the Nasties crew woefully congratulates evil enemy Urban Meyer for producing a Maxwell winner. Even in losses to #1 ranked LSU, Auburn, and Georgia, his QB rating never dipped below 114, and against LSU, he still managed to accumulate over 200 total yards and 3 total touchdowns while only turning over the ball once. Tebow's impressive numbers should be enough to win him the Maxwell Award, if not the Heisman, this season.