NCAAF: Manziel will win Heisman
This Saturday December 8 the 2012 winner of the Heisman Trophy will be announced. The finalists were named on Monday and it is the first time since 2008 that there will only be three finalists at the awards ceremony. The finalists are Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Collin Klein quarterback from Kansas State and Manti Te’o, linebacker from Notre Dame.
Manziel, if he wins, will be the first freshmen to every win the Heisman Trophy. He would also join 1957 winner John David Crow as the only Texas A&M Aggies player to win the coveted trophy. The last time an Aggie player was in the top 10 in the final voting was in 1991, when Bucky Richardson a quarterback finished 10th.
Te’o is the first player from Notre Dame to be invited to the final Heisman ceremony since 2006 when quarterback Brady Quinn attended. He is also attempting to become the first pure defensive player to win the Heisman. In 1980, Hugh Green of Pittsburgh was the highest defensive player to finish in the voting. Green finished second that season to George Rogers the running back from South Carolina. Ross Browner, a defensive end for Notre Dame finished fifth in the Heisman voting in 1977.
Klein is only the second player on Kansas State to make the finals ceremony for the Heisman. Michael Bishop the K-State quarterback in 1998 placed second in the final vote behind Ricky Williams the running back who attended the University of Texas.
One player left out of the final four and due in part because the team is playing under sanctions set down by the NCAA is Braxton Miller the quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He quietly led his team to a perfect season and a no. 3 ranking in the nation even though they will not be eligible to play in their conference championship or a bowl game.
The two favorites going into the Saturday final are Manziel and Te’o. The battle between the two is usually what keeps a player from winning. Those casting final votes do not like to award the Heisman to a freshman, as no freshman has ever won and they do not like awarding the trophy to a defensive player. Just Charles Woodson won back in 1997, but he also returned kicks and played wide receiver at times during the season.
Top two…
Manziel has over 4,600 yards from scrimmage this season. He has passed for 3,419 and rushed for 1,181 and has been involved in 43 touchdowns, 24 passing and 19 rushing. He helped the Aggies to defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide, the only loss the Tide suffered all season. He also helped the Aggies to their best record in 15 seasons.
Te’o is someone who reads the game as well as any defender in all of football. He has to be defended on every play regardless if it is a pass or run. As a linebacker, he recorded 103 tackles this season and seven interceptions, which were good enough for a tie for second nationally. 
After all the dust is settled and the votes are tallied Te’o will joined Hugh Green as the highest pure defensive player and finish second in the balloting, as Manziel will be voted as the first freshmen to ever win the award.
The youngster keeps not only every defender on their toes, but every viewer on the edge of their seats because of his playmaking abilities. South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier said that the passing game of Texas A&M could beat some of the teams in the NFL.
