NEWS & NOTES: Nov. 28

Going into Saturday's games, the Heisman Trophy should be Florida QB Rex Grossman's to lose.

It would be a travesty if Rex Grossman were denied the right to win the Heisman because he's a sophomore.

The Gators host Tennessee at The Swamp. Because the Heisman voting will take place before the SEC championship game on Dec. 8, Saturday is the key game for Grossman. As he should be, Grossman is the front-runner, significantly ahead of the others. His sophomore status should be no factor in whether he should win the Heisman.

Last season I debated the age question with Chris "Mad Dog" Russo of WFAN on SportsCenter regarding Chris Weinke. Russo said he would not consider Weinke because he was 29. That was ridiculous. The age or class of a player should not be a concern. There is no rule that says the Heisman must be awarded to a junior or senior or to a player below age 23.

As the nation's No. 1-rated passer on a team possibly headed to the Rose Bowl, Grossman is deserving this season. It would be a travesty and an injustice if he were denied the right to win the Heisman because he is a sophomore.

If he doesn't win the Heisman as a sophomore, there is no guarantee he will ever win the Heisman. People can't assume he will automatically return as a junior or a senior and win the trophy. No one knows how the Gators will change or how healthy Grossman will be. He may lose one or two junior receivers, Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell, to the NFL. Too many factors could affect how Grossman performs.

Looking at the other Heisman contenders, Miami (Fla.) quarterback Ken Dorsey plays Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, Va. If the Hurricanes beat Virginia Tech and Dorsey plays well, he is still out of the Heisman mix if Grossman continues to perform at the same level. Buf if Dorsey plays extremely well and Grossman struggles, then Dorsey would be in a position to win the Heisman.

I don't feel Dorsey has had a Heisman-type season. He struggled against Boston College with four interceptions. He didn't show the arm strength to handle the windy weather conditions at Chestnut Hill, Mass. Plus, the Heisman shouldn't automatically go to the quarterback of an unbeaten team that may be playing for the national championship.

Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington should be as much of a candidate as Dorsey. In fact, I think Harrington has had a better season. What hurts Harrington is that Oregon lost a home game to Stanford, while Grossman lost at Auburn, Nebraska's Eric Crouch lost at Colorado and Dorsey hasn't lost.

However, because Crouch lost late in the season, if Dorsey and Grossman both struggle Saturday, Harrington could steal the Heisman. He has to play well Saturday in the Civil War against Oregon State, a much tougher opponent in recent weeks. The Beavers have an excellent defensive backfield and good linebackers, and they picked Harrington off five times last year.

Crouch shouldn't be out of the Heisman picture because the Cornhuskers lost a game. Remember, despite throwing two interceptions, Crouch had 360 total yards and two touchdowns in their 62-36 blowout loss to Colorado. He has carried the 'Huskers all season. Without Crouch, Nebraska has little star power and may have lost three games instead of one. Crouch elevated the 'Huskers into the national-championship hunt until last week. Crouch still deserves mention as a top Heisman contender.

I have been touting BYU running back Lucas Staley for weeks as a Heisman candidate. He leads the nation in rushing touchdowns (24) and yards per carry (8.53). In the only game he missed due to eligibility questions (Oct. 13 at New Mexico), the Cougars only scored 24 points, their lowest output of the season by far. That game indicates Staley's impact on their high-scoring offense. People question the competition he has played, but all Staley can do is produce against the scheduled opponents.

	Florida QB Rex Grossman leads the country in passing efficiency, but will Heisman voters hold his youth against him?

Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich has had an outstanding season and ranks third nationally in passing efficiency. Aside from the season-opening loss to Florida, when Marshall was missing at least two key players to suspension, the Thundering Herd have been on a roll.

Leftwich has completed 67.7 percent of his passes and has thrown 34 touchdown passes to go with only six interceptions.

And what about David Carr? He got eliminated from Heisman talk because Fresno State lost to Boise State and Hawaii and played a schedule that people questioned. The Boise State game on national TV really hurt Carr's chances. Meanwhile, Carr leads the nation in passing yards (3,867) and touchdown passes (36) with only seven picks. Unlike Dorsey, Grossman and Harrington, Carr hasn't had a bad game. He has been more consistent than any player in the country and has a chance to be the first offensive skill-position player selected in the NFL draft.

Of the defensive Heisman contenders, Oklahoma safety Roy Williams is arguably the best defensive player in college football and could earn an invitation to New York. Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney would have been in the mix as a possible top-five Heisman pick, but Miami offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie dominated him in the Hurricanes' huge win over Syracuse. North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers was an early Heisman candidate and could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, but he didn't have great performances against Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

Pining for a playoff
Aside from a playoff format, the BCS is the best scenario to decide a national champion. I don't want to bash the BCS, because it allows an opportunity for two teams to play for the national championship.

But it's certainly not perfect; there will be years when one-loss teams playing in the title game will be scrutinized. How do you decide how one one-loss team -- as opposed to another -- plays in the Rose Bowl against Miami, if the Hurricanes remain unbeaten? The key factors are when a team lost, who it lost to and how the team they lost to fared. That will leave us without universal approval about who should be playing for the national championship. Other teams will feel they are deserving.

There is no valid argument against a playoff, because the bowls can be tied to a playoff format.

A 16-team playoff is the most viable option because all the deserving teams will have a shot. I have always believed teams with two losses shouldn't be eliminated from the equation. It's a long season; a team that loses twice early could be playing better than any other team at the end of the season. This season it seems like every contending team will be in line to have one loss except for Miami and BYU. But where is BYU going to be? On the outside looking in. The Cougars wouldn't be on the outside in a playoff format.

I would like to see Marshall or BYU in a playoff this season. I would have liked to see Tulane, when the Green Wave had Shaun King and coach Tommy Bowden, or TCU with coach Dennis Franchione and LaDainian Tomlinson. How would they have performed in a pressure situation with a playoff?

There are already football playoffs in Division I-AA, Division II and Division III. In college basketball, with a 64-team field, there is an opportunity for a Cinderella like Villanova or N.C. State to win the national title. There are no Cinderella stories in Division I-A football. A playoff is necessary to decide the champion on the field.

The bowls are the only reason that no playoff format exists. I respect the bowls, their importance and the money they generate for college football. But the bowls can be tied to a playoff format. Plus, some teams are already playing 13 games. So throw out the argument about a playoff resulting in too many games.

There is no valid argument against a playoff format. We have to wait until at least 2007 for something to happen. Until then, if enough teams get shut out of the BCS, they may pursue a playoff. But unless there is an outcry, it won't happen.

Texas-sized question: Peppers or McKinnie?
With their first draft pick ever, the Houston Texans have to consider if David Carr is a quarterback worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. However, Carr began the year as a third- or fourth-round pick and elevated his stock significantly during the season.

Do the Texans want to risk the No. 1 pick on a player who has undergone a meteoric rise? That's a difficult question when Julius Peppers is available. During free agency, teams pay top dollar to less-than-great defensive ends like Cedric Jones or Kenny Holmes. Defensive ends are critical to a team's success. When Bruce Smith was the No. 1 pick for Buffalo, he gave the Bills great seasons, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances. At 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, Peppers is a brilliant athlete with a tremendous upside and a great work ethic.

Why do the Texans need to draft a quarterback when they likely can find one on the open market?

If the Texans are not sold on either Carr or Peppers, the best choice is Miami left tackle Bryant McKinnie. With his physical ability and aggressive approach, McKinnie is in the mold of Tony Boselli and Jonathan Ogden.

McKinnie dominated feared sack artist Dwight Freeney and has his best football ahead of him.

Look at what Boselli has meant to Jacksonville; when he has been hurt, the Jaguars are a different team. Ogden completely erases the Titans' Jevon Kearse -- and any other right defensive end -- for Baltimore. He is an obliterator. Orlando Pace has helped the Rams win a Super Bowl on an offensive-oriented team.

Pace was taken No. 1, Boselli went No. 2 and and Ogden was drafted No. 3. If McKinnie is in their class, why wouldn't the Texans take McKinnie, knowing great left tackles are picked in the top three? There's no guarantee they will ever be picking No. 1 again. The following year, the top tackles appear to be Florida's Mike Pearson and Florida State's Brett Williams, but I don't see them getting to McKinnie's level.

The Texans have three great options -- at quarterback, at defensive end and at left tackle. Which direction do they want to take? Who will be their cornerstone? I think it will come down to McKinnie or Peppers.

Why would Houston not take Carr? It's not necessary. The Texans can find a way to acquire a quality quarterback. For example, Green Bay drafted three quality quarterbacks -- Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks and Matt Hasselbeck -- and traded all three. Trent Dilfer led the Ravens to the Super Bowl last year, and nobody wanted him. Kordell Stewart is having a great season even though he had been written off completely. Jay Fiedler was once considered no better than a journeyman. Tom Brady was a late-round draft choice who has now beaten out Drew Bledsoe in New England.

Brian Griese was a second-round choice. The Raiders didn't win until they got Rich Gannon, someone they acquired on the open market. The Giants got Kerry Collins, who was a castoff from both New Orleans and Carolina. Brett Favre was acquired through a trade with the Atlanta Falcons. Nobody was high on Jim Miller when he came out of Michigan State. Nobody wanted Jeff Garcia when he left San Jose State and after he won a Grey Cup in Canada. Nobody wanted Kurt Warner either.

However, those quarterbacks resurfaced as great starters who are leading teams to playoffs and Super Bowls. So why do the Texans need to draft a quarterback when they can find one who is more ready to play on the open market? The Texans can also draft a quarterback in the late rounds who could become the next Brady.

As for left tackles, have Boselli, Ogden or Pace left their original teams? I doubt any of them ever will. Meanwhile, quarterbacks have become journeymen to a certain extent.

If the Texans think Peppers can become a defensive end like Bruce Smith or McKinnie can develop into a left tackle like Boselli, Ogden or Pace, the Texans have to take one of them for those reasons.