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Asmussen | College football awards season is upon us and I've got votes

bob asmussen, the news-gazette, champaign-urbana, ill.
·4 min read

Dec. 2—CHAMPAIGN — Normally, I am uber decisive. Buying a shirt at Kohl's takes less than a minute. Ordering at a restaurant, fast-food or sit-down even less.

IMHO, haste gives you more time to do things that are really important. Like watching a game or doing Wordle.

But one area of life where I don't rush is when deciding college football awards.

Here's a list of the awards I vote for: Heisman, Lombardi (top interior lineman/linebacker), Maxwell (top player), Bednarik (top defensive player), Doak Walker (running back), Biletnikoff (receiver), Groza (kicker), Ray Guy (punter) and Broyles (top assistant).

That is eight individual awards. This year, I am also a panelist for The Associated Press All-American team and The AP All-Big Ten team. Of course, the most prestigious award is the Heisman Trophy, with the winner announced Dec. 9 in New York. Besides voting, I'm the Illinois state representative, meaning I get to figure out who votes in the Land of Lincoln.

Easy for me not to reveal who I am voting for because at the moment I have no idea.

There is a long list of viable candidates. At the top are quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (LSU), Bo Nix (Oregon) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State). Another player who deserves consideration is Oklahoma State tailback Ollie Gordon II.

One of those five is likely to win the award. Nix, Penix and Gordon all could impress voters one more time this weekend. Daniels and Harrison are done until their bowl games, which neither is certain to play.

Daniels has staggering numbers as both a passer and runner, with 50 combined touchdowns, while topping 1,000 yards on the ground for a 9-3 team. The losses hurt his cause until you realize he played well in all three games.

Entering Friday night's Pac-12 title game, Nix had a ridiculous 37-2 touchdown to interception ratio and had completed 79 percent of his passes. Crazy good.

Penix's big advantage before squaring off against Nix and the Ducks on Friday night in Las Vegas, was that he beat Oregon in their previous matchup.

What about the other awards? Here is my take:

Maxwell

Finalists: Daniels, Nix, Penix.

If there is a no-doubt-about-it candidate like Joe Burrow in 2019 at LSU that is usually my pick. But when it is close, sometimes I will choose somebody other than my Heisman winner to spread the wealth. There is no right answer, only opinion.

This one is way to close to call and will require more input. In this case, final games for Nix and Penix.

Bednarik

Wilson leads the ACC in sacks and tackles for loss and Turner plays for Alabama. But Latu should be the winner thanks for 13 sacks and 211/2 TFLs.

Doak Walker

Finalists: Gordon II, Missouri's Cody Schrader and North Carolina's Omarion Hampton.

Gordon is the only one playing this weekend with the Cowboys meeting Texas at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Big 12 title game, and he would be a worthy winner after a 20-touchdown season. But Schrader is an amazing story, a former walk-on transfer from Truman State who has turned into an NFL prospect .

Biletnikoff

Finalists: Washington's Rome Odunze, Harrison and LSU's Malik Nabers.

Odunze is the only one with a game this weekend. His school is pushing his candidacy, but Nabers has better numbers and Harrison a higher profile. My hunch is Harrison will win.

Lombardi

Finalists: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt, UCLA's Latu and Utah defensive end Jonah Elliss.

Not sure why Bowers, a future NFL superstar, is on this list. He will win the Mackey Award. Close call between Latu and Elliss, who had double-digit sacks.

Groza

Finalists: Miami (Ohio)'s Graham Nicholson, UNLV's Jose Pizano and Alabama's Will Reichard.

All fantastic kickers. Nicholson hasn't missed in 23 field-goal attempt going into Saturday's MAC title game against one-loss Toledo. Reichard is 3 for 3 on kicks over 50. He will likely be the winner.

Ray Guy

Finalists: Florida State's Alex Mastromanno, Iowa's Tory Taylor and Vanderbilt's Matthew Hayball.

Iowa would not be in Saturday night's Big Ten title game against Michigan in Indianapolis without Taylor, who saved the team's inept offense in multiple games, a 15-13 home win against on Nov. 18 Illinois included. He should win in landslide vote.

Broyles Award

Finalists: Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker, LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.

To me, Parker is an easy choice based on what the defense meant to Iowa's success. And the fact that his defense is good every year, despite heavy graduation losses. Moore should be a head coach at a big-time program very soon. He handled the weird Jim Harbaugh situation with great skill.