Alabama’s Mark Ingram takes commanding lead in Heisman Trophy poll
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Alabama tailback Mark Ingram garnered 10 of 13 first-place votes to take a commanding lead in the latest HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll released on Tuesday.
The sophomore from Flint, Mich., totaled a season-best 59 points in the weekly survey of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. It’s the fifth week in a row Ingram has stood atop the poll, and his 24-point margin over second-place Colt McCoy (35 points, one first-place vote) of Texas is the biggest lead of the season by any candidate.
“It seems like the Heisman picture has cleared up considerably over the past couple of weeks, and it’s turning into the Year of the Running Back,’ said one voter. ‘Ingram is my No. 1 guy because he’s producing every week against some of the toughest defenses in the country, but Toby Gerhart is coming on strong.’
Gerhart, a senior running back from Stanford, surged into third place -- just a shade behind McCoy -- with 33 points and a first-place vote. Clemson running back C.J. Spiller moved into fourth with 23 points.
Florida’s Tim Tebow scored his lowest point total of the year -- 16 points -- to fall to fifth place.
‘I don’t believe Tebow deserves a seat at the table,’ said a voter. ‘He’s still a great player, but his role is reduced this year and I’d hardly call his production ‘outstanding.’”
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll appears every Wednesday in the print edition of the Orlando Sentinel and in various Tribune Company media outlets.
About the Poll
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on. Last year’s final Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote, including the winner.
Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.
Chris Huston of HeismanPundit.com coordinates and also votes in the poll.
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll, 11/17/09
Total points (with first place votes in parentheses)
1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama--59 (10)
2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas--35 (1)
3. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford--33 (1)
4. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson--23
5. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida--16
6. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State--14
7. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame--6 (1)
Case Keenum, QB, Houston--6
9. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt--1
LaMichael James, RB, Oregon--1
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska--1