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Making the case for Clarett Posted: Friday December 13, 2002 12:00 PM
1. Clarett
Yes, I am aware that I will be one of very few Heisman voters to put Clarett on the first line of my ballot. That's OK. In the end, the Heisman is far too populist; more than 100 colleges play Division I-A football, and it shouldn't be so easy to annually narrow its highest individual honor down to two or three people. So I can live with being a contrarian. But I didn't vote for Clarett just to be different. Let me say something up front: A bunch of players are deserving this year ... as in years past. Often when a writer/voter begins tapping out his rationale for selecting this player or that player, it becomes an exercise in denigrating those he didn't pick. I don't want that to happen. Penn State running back Larry Johnson had a terrific season. He's in my top five, and that's not bad. Ditto for Iowa quarterback Brad Banks, the key player on the best comeback team in America. That said, here are my basic rules for performing an impossible task: That brings me to Clarett. Based on statistics alone, he shouldn't be on anybody's ballot. He gained only 1,190 yards on the season (Johnson had more than 2,000). He sat out nearly all of four games. But Ohio State is unbeaten and will play for the national championship on Jan. 3 in the Fiesta Bowl. Without Clarett, the Buckeyes would be no better than 11-2 and looking at the Outback Bowl. In an early-season matchup against a Washington State team that would climb as high as No. 3 in the nation, Clarett gained 230 yards. That was the appetizer. After missing those four contests, Clarett came off the bench to energize Ohio State as instantaneously as any player I have ever seen. Without Clarett, Ohio State was toothless, hoping for one big play to eke out a tight victory. With him, the Buckeyes were a threat from anywhere on the field. They were transformed. For this effect, I put Clarett first. Palmer goes second for so suddenly turning USC from a struggling, once-proud program to the one team in the country that I think could beat Miami right now. I realize much of what Palmer did was because offensive coordinator Norm Chow made his reads simpler, but Palmer was the best quarterback in the country after Oct. 1. Probably the best player, overall. Even with simple reads, QB is a tough position. Clarett noses out him Palmer only because Ohio State can win it all. For the third spot, it came down to Dorsey and Banks. I think Dorsey and Miami tailback McGahee are nearly equal parts of the Miami offensive machine. However, the quarterback always plays a more significant role. Always. Banks was terrific all year. Dorsey is an acquired taste. He makes some ugly plays, but more big ones than anybody else in the country. I wish I could have split my third slot, but Dorsey gets it by the smallest of margins. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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