It's Reggie Bush!

We're adding some 65 new ballots to the mix tonight. In addition, we've gotten #2 and #3 votes from a number of voters who had previously only gone public with their #1 votes. That brings the total of votes up to 378 - from 195.

Out of 923 official voters, we're expecting 785 to vote (85%). Of that total, we've now counted 20%. Our confidence level is very high, particularly given the uniform nature of the voting.

We are now projecting a runaway win for Reggie Bush. The only question remaining is whether he's the biggest winner ever (more on that later.)

Of course, the highest vote total possible is 50%. After all, a truly unanimous #1 pick would get 3 points out of the 6 cast by each voter (2 for #2, 1 for #3.) The higher number for Reggie Bush right now is an artifact of the large number of ballots that only include a #1 Bush vote - and no #2 or #3 vote.

Some notes:
* The latest batch of votes created a three-way tie at fifth place - DeAngelo Williams (Memphis) and AJ Hawk (Ohio State), and Drew Olson (UCLA). We'll see if any of them are significant enough in the early balloting to get an invite to New York.
* The ESPN Experts Poll is a unanimous Bush->Young->Leinart, but since it includes non-official voters, that's not included here.
* The SHNS Poll is also unanimous in its #1 votes (Bush), and we've deduced the #2 and #3 votes, too. Since we can't fully identify which voters voted which way, we've got "Unknown SHNS Voter" listed for some of those votes.

Kari Chisholm | December 6, 2005 | Comment on This Post (29 so far) Permalink: It's Reggie Bush!

Comments

This was an easy one. No suspense after Young laid an egg vs Texas A & M. Congrats on correctly projecting another winner!

Posted by: Dave | Dec 7, 2005 1:19:13 AM

Bush will probably win the H------ because of the short-sightedness and insufficient long-term memory capability of the voters. Is Bush a good, sensational player? Absolutely! Is Bush a comparatively better player than Young? Absoulutely Not! Is Bush as much of an asset to his team as Young? "NEVA"!!! Go ahead and gloat in Bush's H------ 2005 victory all of you adrenalin-deficient Bush fans because Mr. Bush certainly supplements your deficiency. However, if this site is still live on January 5, 2006 (this is my first year visiting it, so I don't know)I'll visit you here and help you nurse your wounds.

Ciao
alrac

Posted by: alrac | Dec 7, 2005 7:26:54 AM

Posted by: alrac | Dec 7, 2005 7:40:16 AM

The Heisman is for the most OUTSTANDING college football player. That simply put - is Reggie Bush.

For this definition: Since 1935, the Heisman Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the Outstanding College Football Player in the United States. ---- go to www.Heisman.com, and see for yourself.

Posted by: Tom Schiff | Dec 7, 2005 8:20:28 AM

If one had to pick a "Most Valuable Player" award for 2005, the winner would likely be Young. Texas would be nowhere without him. Young is far more valuable an asset to Texas than Bush is to USC. One could argue that USC might be where they are without Bush, with White handling a bigger load. One could never argue that about Texas.

But the H------ isn't an MVP award. It's an award for the "Most Outstanding Player". It it not based on what player is most important to his team (Young) or what player has the best stats (Young for QBs, and numerous other RBs). It's for "Most Outstanding".

While everyone has their own criteria for what that means (and the H------ people don't give any specifics), saying that Bush isn't one of the most outstanding players this year - not an MVP, but simply a dazzling, extraordinary, athlete - is a disservice to the award. Was Young "More Outstanding?" Who knows.

Zemek on CFN said the following "If you support Team X in the Rose Bowl, you have to vote for the player from Team Y for the Heisman, because if you truly believe Team X is the more complete team, that means the Team Y player had a great impact on their team's season." That's a great argument on how to vote for the MVP, but it's a terrible argument on why someone should vote for the H------.

When you have a player for which the entire crowd holds their breath every time he touches the ball, knowing they could bust out an amazing play, that, to many people, is "Outstanding."

Posted by: Tarrant | Dec 7, 2005 8:34:17 AM

The only wounds us adrenalin-deficient Bush fans will need nursing to are that we probablly won't be able to see Reggie in action again in a Trojan uniform. He and Leinart will take care of buisness against the Longhorns. I hear their coach is a whiner, and their quarterback is a SISSY.
FIGHT ON!!!

Posted by: USCMANIAC | Dec 7, 2005 9:51:41 AM

Ciao, anyone who has ever competed for anything knows you have to step it up when it matters most, and that peaking at the right time means almost everything. Young had H------ - worthy performances early, culminating in a great, H------ - worthy performance against Oklahoma State. Over 500 yards is the kind of thing that wins you this trophy. But then in the last 3 games before the CCG, his performance declined, including an unimpressive, underachieving, un - H------ - worthy performance against A&M. In a game when all eyes were on him (and he knew it), when his team was close to losing to one of the worst D's in the nation, did Young step it up? Did he come through in the clutch like champions do, like he himself did against Oklahoma State? UT won that game, not because of its leader, but in spite of him. It's not an MVP award, so his value to the Texas team compared with Reggie's value to the USC team, is not relevant. It's an award to the most outstanding player. VY arguably had the lead in this race until his numbers declined and he couldn't get his game up when it mattered most. Reggie did. He played the games of his life when his team's season was on the line at South Bend and against Fresno State. VY's an excellent player, but this is not his year. You might say I-told-you-so after January 4, but Heisman winners are on the losing end of bowl games all the time. I know it's just my opinion, and I respect yours, but nothing that happens that night will change the appropriateness of this vote.

Posted by: John | Dec 7, 2005 11:29:03 AM

I meant alrac, not Cioa. There's that eggnog again!

Posted by: John | Dec 7, 2005 11:30:42 AM

Bush is the real deal. Young isn't even the best QB in the nation. Great player, sure...but probably not even in the top 3 QBs in the nation this year.

Reggie's going to trample the Horns on 1/4 on his way to his third straight national title.

Posted by: jt | Dec 7, 2005 1:47:44 PM

Yes. Next year it will be somehow sad not to see Reggie Bush play for the Trojans. If intelligence serves anyone right, Reggie is not only the most outstanding player, but also one who is a valuable player.
If Reggie stays it will be great because he will become better and, most importantly, he will become a solid, more mature leader.
And again, if he stays, we members of the Trojan Family, will remember Reggie.
I firmly believe he will go, but don't lose hope that he will stay. He certainly has worked extraordinarily hard to accomplish what he has. It was great to see his family standing humbly at the sidelines during the fucla game.

Posted by: Roger | Dec 7, 2005 3:24:05 PM

Plus, Young talks a lot of crap and doens't have much personality.

Posted by: Roger | Dec 7, 2005 3:38:50 PM

Honestly, Young's comments about Bush only being a "highlite" is very pitiful, and a really sad attempt to try and gain sympathy votes.

When Bush was asked about the comments of Vince Young, all Bush could say was, "Vince is a great player, and I have tons of respect for him" and not b*tch and wine like Vince did.

Once again, Bush shows why he will win the Heisman with class, since he at the very least is humble.

Texas has talked some major trash already, while USC has been absolutely silent.

Posted by: Ken | Dec 7, 2005 5:31:04 PM

USC's opponent talks trash, and USC takes it silently. The same exact thing happened last year with Oklahoma, and recently with UCLA. USC leaves everything on the field. And that is why they will win their 3rd straight national championship, and third H------ Trophy in 4 years!

Posted by: Mike | Dec 7, 2005 6:28:01 PM

Only one player makes my NCAA game obsolete...Reggie Bush. All you can say is they need to rewrite all the game code because it can't account for the outstanding abilities of Reggie Bush...no one needs additional programming to allow Vince Young to be simulated in NCAA06.

Posted by: Ken | Dec 7, 2005 7:28:34 PM

In today's society everything is about rankings. It doesn't take any math or ranking ability to know that Reggie is simply a phenomenom--simpy the best. Thanks Ken & Mike for your intellectual contributions to this blog.

Posted by: Roger | Dec 7, 2005 8:34:42 PM

Get a clue, alrac! Since this is your first year visiting this site, just know that this is deja vu from last year when "knowledgeable" Big 12 homers like you were trashing Leinart and touting Adrian Peterson and calling for an Oklahomo rout. I predicted the H------ for Leinart, his leading USC to another Nat'l Championship, and being the #1 pick in the draft. 2 outta 3 wasn't bad, and this year it's also deja vu except I'll be 3 for 3 with Bush. And you'll just have to deal with it. USC is a dynasty and you know it. Reggie is the MOST OUTSTANDING player in the nation, just as the trophy reads and he may win with the greatest margin in history. Stop being in denial. Reggie has a decent chance at being a Houston Texan, so you'll be jumping on the bandwagon soon enough. Mack Brown is used to crying and whining, so you can follow his lead in the meantime.

Posted by: jetmoto | Dec 7, 2005 9:24:50 PM

The word "awesome" is so overused in our culture that it no longer has meaning or luster. I move that we re-define that word to mean "Reggie Bush's performance against UCLA and Fresno State (and Notre Dame) in 2005".

These performances were simply jaw-dropping, mind-blowing awesome. Bush defied the laws of physics on every carry. Voters were captivated and blown away. The Bush's brand of ball carrying makes every viewer's heartbeat pick up several ticks a second. Even his adversaries are on the edge of their seats from the time he is handed the ball until they see him go down (typically 8.6 yards later). UCLA defenders, after watching him on tape vs Fresno State, noted that even Fresno's defenders were watching him instead of tackling him. He's that good. "Tackle low" defenders are taught but that seems to not be working either, as Bush must be taking hurdling lessons from Olymians. These are why all regions in the US have put Bush first on their ballots.

Like most voters, I considered VY throughout the season, but after Bush's last two games, the comparison just faded. Without sarcasm, I empathize with VY and his supporters because he has worked so hard and done so much and means so much to his team. Now, to prove what a great leader and sportsman VY is, he needs to first, congratulate Bush, (and Leinart), second shut up about it, and third, get to work to see if he can prove the voters wrong. But even if his team is victorious in the Rose Bowl, I don't think many voters will have regrets.

Chris

Posted by: Chris | Dec 8, 2005 10:28:01 AM

Heisman, there, it's been said! I can say Heisman the publishers of this board can't. :P

Posted by: LonoBird | Dec 8, 2005 2:33:47 PM

Said Young: "If they look at that and how much I love my teammates, how good we play together and how big of a leader I am to those guys, I should win it."

What is this gibberish...I thought the award went for outstanding play - mybe he didn't feel comfortable that his play was the most outstanding (Texas A&M) so he left that small point out.

Posted by: msb | Dec 9, 2005 10:37:23 AM

Said Young: "If they look at that and how much I love my teammates, how good we play together and how big of a leader I am to those guys, I should win it."

What is this gibberish...I thought the award went for outstanding play - mybe he didn't feel comfortable that his play was the most outstanding (Texas A&M) so he left that small point out.

Posted by: mike | Dec 9, 2005 10:37:58 AM

Vince Young is gonna lose in New York on saturday, so all his whining he inherited from Mack Brown isn't gonna help him now. It's not gonna help him win in Pasadena either.

Posted by: Drake | Dec 9, 2005 12:31:56 PM

Vince Young lost any sympathy from me when he trashed talked against Bush on national TV, degrading him to nothing more than a flashy, athletic player while calling himself the deserving Heisman. I've never heard of ANY team player PULLING FOR HIMSELF in terms of an INDIVIDUAL award. What kind of message is that sending to Young's teammates?

Posted by: Roland | Dec 9, 2005 2:18:05 PM

All these biased comments...Can anyone who isn't a USC or Texas fan make a unbiased decision? I am an Oklahoma Fan and can't even make a unbiased opinion, I never want a longhorn to win anything....I do have to say that Reggie Bush is the next "great one", aka, tony dorsett, barry sanders, possibly terrell davis in his prime....

Posted by: Damon | Dec 9, 2005 6:47:41 PM

fucla's DB Cassel will be forever imortalized as the guy diving for Reggie's knees and plowing into the sideline crowd while Reggie 'flies' over him and into the endzone. This picture has appeared on virtually every web site, newspaper and TV highlight for a week. It will certainly be the corner stone of the Bush highlights on the awards show.

Posted by: Mike | Dec 9, 2005 8:46:22 PM

First, Bush was pretty much awarded the H------ when the season began. It was his to lose. He didn't HAVE to be phenominal EVERY game this year. And he WASN'T. Bush had 2 or 3 games this season that were less than stellar. No one that follows college football can argue that point. But whatever awards Bush wins he most certainly deserves - including the H------.
Second, I've been watching Vince play since his 10th grade in HS, and I can honestly say that football fans across the nation hasn't seen half of what this kid can do. I also feel that whatever awards he receives he deserves, except the H------ - this year. Every game this season would have had to have been a 20 minute highlight reel in order for him to take the award from Bush. But keep one thing in mind from here on: Once he has learned all that he needs to, he WILL change the QB position forever.

Posted by: rmarsh | Dec 10, 2005 10:20:57 AM

Don't worry America, the Heisman will be Reggie Bush!

All I can say is...294 yards on only 23 carries and a new PAC-10 record with 513 all-purpose yeards against a descent Fresno State Team...

The Verdict's in....sorry Vince, and well Leinrat, you were never in this race...

BUSH is the newest member of the most elite group in the nation

Posted by: Reese Barillari | Dec 10, 2005 5:06:08 PM

OK.....Bush and Young are both extraordinary players and it's tough to argue that Bush didn't deserve the award. However, let's stop pumping up Reggie's 500+ yards against a Fresno State team that was clearly overated after they got dumped by Louisiana Tech!?#$?@ Huh? Plus, it's a little misleading to count all of Reggie's return yardage especially since Fresno kicked off to him like 8 times......his final stats were really 293 yards rushing an 68 yards receiving.....which is really no more impressive than Vince's incredible rush/pass game against Oklahoma State....let's just say they're both great players and Congrats to Bush....

Posted by: joey tomusco | Dec 13, 2005 6:39:45 AM

yo all i know is reggie bush is just a geat all around player i even wrote a rap just putting words togather with him doing dives,stiff arms,spins,shakes,jukes,in's ,out's. it go like this who is reggie bush u kno that boy number 5/ he can hit u with 5 different moves at a time/ he shake u spin truck juke or do what eva/ how u want it his name is reggie 619/ repping his spot where he laid down all the time/ im going to leave it at that cause i don't want anybody to take it so im not going to write the rest holla ~1~ be looking 4 me delaware wilmington peace

Posted by: Keevis | Jan 3, 2006 1:54:55 PM

I agree with yall,but um Reggie & Vince are gonna get knocked out in the NFL.First Reggie he's to small.Then Vince, sure he can walk through the hole just like that in college, but soon as Vince get that Ray Lewis hit he's gonna try to quit.

Posted by: Baby J | May 16, 2006 8:03:17 PM

Both Reggie Bush And Vince Young are both unstoppable,but Vince is better.Put it like this Reggie and the Trojans been wining Champships and Heisman.But then Vince bust in the seen and under 2 years stoped the wining streak.Vince and Bush went head to head who won...Vince.Maybe Bush won the Heisman but its all good.But all I have to say is Vince Young stepped up Reggie didnt

Posted by: Baby J | May 16, 2006 8:21:12 PM

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