Northern Illinois University quarterback Jordan Lynch
deserves to be in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy. The senior quarterback
has put up gaudy numbers for the second consecutive season while leading the
Huskies to an 11-0 record to start the season. Now, I should state that I am a
proud NIU alum, but that does not fuel my claim. Just look at the statistics:
Passing Yards: 2,418
Completion
Percentage: 66.3%
Passing Touchdowns:
21
Rushing Yards: 1,434
Rushing Touchdowns:
17
Those numbers would make any BCS conference quarterback the
front runner for the Heisman Trophy, yet Jordan Lynch is having trouble just
garnering serious consideration. While I do think Lynch deserves consideration,
I do not think he should, nor do I believe he will win the Heisman Trophy. I
just simply feel he needs to be recognized for his accomplishments.
Detractors could easily point to the fact that Lynch plays
in the Mid-American Conference, and by doing so he faces inferior defenses.
Fair enough, but Lynch has also succeeded when given a chance to compete
against BCS schools. This season against Iowa and Purdue, Lynch has completed
65% of his passes for 482 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, 91 rushing yards, and one
rushing touchdown. Granted, Iowa and especially Purdue aren’t the greatest BCS opponents
to make a strong case for Lynch’s Heisman campaign, but Lynch has proven that
he can perform well against better competition. Furthermore, I’m not necessarily
sure that Lynch’s numbers would be a whole lot worse if he played for a quality
BCS program. Even though Lynch would be facing tougher defenses, he would also
have much more help offensively. If Lynch was the quarterback of an average BCS
conference school, he would have a better offensive line, better receivers, and
better running backs to compete against the tougher defenses in the country.
Whether Jordan Lynch is the quarterback of NIU or Alabama,
the fact still remains that he is one of the most dynamic players in all of
college football. The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s “most
outstanding player”, and I find it hard to believe that Jordan Lynch isn’t near
the top of that list. I’m not asking for Lynch to win the Heisman, I just believe
that he has done everything he can to deserve a trip to New York for the
Heisman Trophy presentation.
-Eric Tichelbaut
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