Fine line between Heisman glory and goat

Winning the Heisman Trophy would be the dream of a lifetime for almost any college football player. But could it also be a recurring nightmare?

Maybe Gino Torretta could answer that.

Or Jason White.

Or Troy Smith.

Or Charles Woodson.

Torretta’s nightmare wouldn’t be that much different from White’s.

They would drop back to pass in a bowl game to determine the national championship.

When they would release the ball, it would turn into the Heisman Trophy, which would be intercepted by a defensive back from Alabama (in Torretta’s case) or LSU and Southern Cal (in White’s case).

In Smith’s Heisman nightmare, he would never get to throw the trophy.

Instead, some Florida linemen — pick any one of five from the last national championship game — would snatch the trophy from Smith’s hand, then club him over the helmet with it.

Woodson’s nightmare would be the most vivid.

The former Michigan cornerback would be sleeping soundly, only to be jolted awake by an Indianapolis Colts helmet rapping on his bedpost.

Standing beside the bed would be former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning and several FBI agents.

“Sorry, it had to come to this, Charles,” Manning would say. “I kept waiting for you to return my trophy. I finally gave up and went to the feds.”

An agent would break in: “Mr. Woodson, you’re under arrest for transporting stolen property across state lines.”

Second-guessing the Heisman Trophy balloting is as much a part of college football as second-guessing the selection of the national champions. But Heisman Trophy winners are easier targets.

At least, the top-25 polls don’t close before the bowl games. At least, the top-25 voters seem to agree on the objective: Select the nation’s best team.

Voting for the Heisman shouldn’t be any more complicated.

Instead of picking the best team, you’re trying to pick the best player.

Aren’t you?

The vote often indicates otherwise.

For one example, take last year.

Smith was the most valuable player on the No. 1-ranked team after the regular season. And he finished almost as far ahead of Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden as Florida did of Ohio State in the national championship game.

In that game, Smith looked no more deserving of the Heisman than Torretta or White, two other quarterbacks on No. 1-ranked teams that bombed in the bowls.

One game shouldn’t determine the Heisman.

But neither should a team’s ranking.

Based on recent Heisman outcomes, Southern Cal quarterback John David Booty — not Arkansas’ Darren McFadden, last year’s Heisman runner-up — should be the favorite to win this year’s award Heisman. Booty is the star quarterback on a team favored to win the national championship. Six of the last seven Heisman winners have been quarterbacks, and four of those quarterbacks played in the national championship game.

If USC lives up to its preseason billing and Booty has a good season, how could McFadden beat him?

Arkansas isn’t even favored to win the SEC West, much less the national title.

So McFadden’s best shot at the Heisman could be measured in yards. A 2,000-yard rushing season would do it. But how do rush for 2,000 yards in the best defensive conference in college football?

West Virginia running back Steve Slaton has a better opportunity to compile outrageous statistics. He plays on a team expected to contend for the national title and in a conference that’s not nearly as defensive-oriented as the SEC.

But Slaton might not be the best Heisman candidate on his team. Quarterback Patrick White is just as dynamic a player.

You might be wondering which player West Virginia will promote more heavily for the award.

Answer: Neither one.

“We’re not doing anything special,” West Virginia publicist Mike Montoro said. “Coach (Rich Rodriguez) doesn’t want anything done.”

Rodriguez believes the players will generate their own publicity by how they perform in a number of televised games, according to Montoro. The Mountaineers’ na-tional ranking should help. They’re a consensus top-five pick in preseason.

Hawaii doesn’t have the ranking, but its quarterback has the statistics. Colt Brennan, who already holds 20 NCAA records, completed 72.6 percent of his passes last season for 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns.

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm can’t match those numbers, but he’s the top-rated pro prospect at his position, and the Cardinals could challenge for a BCS bowl.

A couple of other quarterbacks — Colt McCoy of Texas and Chad Henne of Michigan — also have plenty going for them. McCoy has a talented, experienced group of receivers, and Michigan is loaded on offense.

Ian Johnson of Boise State and Ray Rice of Rutgers finished second and third, respectively, in rushing yards per game last season. But neither will have as good of a supporting cast this season.