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 Friday, December 13, 2002
Washington's courageous leader
By Gary Danielson
Special to BCSfootball.com
Each Monday, ABC college football analyst Gary Danielson will break down the top quarterbacks around the country and rank his Top 10.
I have the utmost respect for Marques Tuiasosopo. He epitomizes everything that is good about college football.
|  | | Marques Tuiasosopo was drafted in the second-round of the NFL Draft by Oakland. |
His current coach, Rick Neuheisel, recruited him, but not as a quarterback. That's why Tuiasosopo didn't go to Colorado when Neuheisel was in Boulder. There was an 18-year-old kid that believed more in himself than any of the experts told him.
He continues to be a warrior, an absolute warrior, on the football field. He has Washington winning, coming from behind. It's one of the great stories, with our Midwestern and Eastern biases, that does not receive proper attention. If he were playing at Ohio State, Penn State or Miami, he would be a slam dunk top two or three Heisman candidate.
I am as guilty as anybody of judging his statistics and not following him as closely because he's on the West Coast. He most likely will not win the Heisman, but I don't know if there is a better story about what it is like to be a college athlete.
This past weekend, Drew Brees was off, but two of the top three Heisman front-runners performed again. They are not giving an inch.
Meanwhile, Michael Vick provides a Willis Reed scenario, except without the results.
And the best running back in the country isn't LaDainian (Tomlinson), but Damien (Anderson). I suspect Anderson will be invited to the Heisman in New York. Northwestern's run and his role in the Wildcats' turnaround has been remarkable.
However, nothing has changed with the top three of Josh Heupel, Brees and Chris Weinke.
Weinke is climbing back into it. He was my original choice to win it. And With Clemson's Woody Dantzler and Vick going down, Weinke will control the Eastern and Southern votes. Unless somebody makes a blunder down the stretch, it's going to be a very tight vote. The supporters for the players are like the cornermen of Al Gore and G.W. Bush -- trying to make sure they don't make a mistake that costs them, although that job is a lot harder in football.
No. 1 -- Josh Heupel, Oklahoma
at Baylor: 21-29-313, 3 TD; rush: 2-15, 1 TD
Season: 185-273-2507, 15 TD, 5 int.; rush: 43-87, 6 TD
This week: at Texas A&M
Josh has three games remaining before the Big XII Championship Game. For Oklahoma, it never ends. The pressure of No. 1 has not affected Heupel. He has a very competitive game this weekend at Texas A&M. Anyone that has ever been to College Station knows what it is like to face those Aggies and their fans.
He will continue to get more and more exposure and votes if he continues to perform and lead his team to the brink of playing in the National Championship Game as the only undefeated team in the country.
Heupel has good numbers. They are not as eye-popping as Brees' or Weinke's, but he is Oklahoma's offense. Whatever that offense is, the Sooners are undefeated and the No. 1 team in the country. I hope the voters do not just look at the numbers. Josh exemplifies good quarterbacks are measured.
No. 2 -- Drew Brees, Purdue
Last week: Off
Season: 240-401-2898, 22 TD, 8 int.; rush: 76-439, 4 TD; rec: 1-5, 1 TD
This week: at Michigan State
Drew has two games remaining, and is likely to put up 350-450 passing yards in each game. His career numbers will be outlandish. Although the Heisman is supposed to be a yearly vote, people like to look at career numbers. That's how Ron Dayne did it last year.
Brees will not have a high-profile game like the other two guys, which could hurt him. The Oklahoma games and the Florida State-Florida game will play on the national stage. They may attract more viewers, but Drew is doing something that has never been done at Purdue --win the Big Ten championship and go to the Rose Bowl in the same year.
No. 3-- Chris Weinke, Florida State
Clemson: 27-43-521, 2 TD
Season: 220-351-3490, 25 TD, 7 int.; rush: 24-(-82), 1 TD
This week: at Wake Forest
Weinke is back in the thick of things. He was my preseason favorite because I knew he would put up these type of numbers. Bobby Bowden rewards players who stay with the program. He did it for Peter Warrick last year, throwing the ball to him. It's almost like a go-to guy in basketball. If he feels you can do that, and you have been loyal to the school, he goes to you.
After the loss to Miami, Florida State decided it would ride Weinke and see how far he would take the Seminoles. He has been magnificent.
He is very focused. You do not grow into leadership roles because you are older. He had some of it in him when he was 21.
Some of his numbers do not mean much to me. I disregard what a player does in the fourth quarter of a rout. That's one of the drawbacks of the BCS system -- it rewards blowouts. They should move to a system where a perfect game is 28-0, and any points after 28 do not mean anything in the computers. However the system is what it is, and Chris has been very impressive. And it looks like he is going to play in the National Championship Game again.
Against Indiana, Damien Anderson had 290 yards at the end of the third quarter. Everybody was pushing for him to go back in and get 300, but head coach Randy Walker said he doesn't break records in the fourth quarter in the sixth game of a blowout. That is how you handle this thing. I know what Bobby is doing, though, and I don't have a problem with it. He is playing the system. I would probably do the same thing. I'm sure his son, Tommy, understands it, too.
Gary Danielson writes a column every Monday for BCSfootball.com
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Florida State's Marvin Minnis scores on a 98-yard pass from Chris Weinke in the first quarter.