Gerhart deserves Heisman

At this point, McCoy looks a lot like a Heisman Trophy winner. I’m not convinced he’s the most outstanding player in college football this season — or that he leads the best team — but it’s possible.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is right there, and Alabama running back Mark Ingram has been in the running. I rank McCoy second to Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, with Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore third and Tebow fourth.

McCoy seemed to seize the Heisman lead on Thanksgiving, when he passed for 304 yards, ran for 175 and produced five touchdowns in the Longhorns’ victory over Texas A&M, which happens to have a terrible defense.

“If anyone has a better Heisman moment than that, I’d like to see it,” said Texas coach Mack Brown, who spends more time lobbying the media than a desperate politician.

The race was wide open for months, but offshore book thegreek.com has made McCoy the clear-cut favorite at minus-425 (about 1-4 odds). Gerhart is plus-405 and Tebow plus-650.

But things could change Saturday, when Florida faces Alabama for the Southeastern Conference championship in Atlanta. Both teams are 12-0, so something far more important than the Heisman is at stake.

The Gators are 5-point favorites at the Las Vegas Hilton, and the line is 6 at some sports books, so shop for the most desirable number.

There’s probably no better coach at the college level than the Crimson Tide’s Nick Saban. You occasionally can bet against him as a big favorite. As an underdog, he’s dangerous. He knows Florida’s simplistic offense inside and out, and he’ll be prepared to defend against it.

Dave Cokin, veteran handicapper and local ESPN Radio host, advises taking Alabama and the points.

“I think the number is too high,” Cokin said. “It’s a field-goal game to me. I don’t see much difference between the two teams.

“They look like mirror images of one another.”

Every bettor has bemoaned a bad beat. The football season is full of them. But there’s a definite distinction between bad beats and tough luck.

In last year’s SEC championship, Tebow guided the Gators to two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 31-20 victory over the Tide. Without getting into too many details, Alabama was a 10-point underdog and should have covered. That was tough luck.

But that’s the risk in betting against Tebow, who has led the Gators to 22 straight wins and a 15-5 record against the spread during that stretch. If Tebow beats the Tide, no one will be surprised.

Here’s a classic example of a bad beat: Nebraska was a 10-point favorite at Colorado last week. The Cornhuskers won 28-20, but they failed to cover when the Buffaloes produced a miracle 56-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game.

As for the Heisman, it’s doubtful McCoy can be beat.

But Gerhart had a great moment last week, rushing for 205 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for a touchdown in a victory over Notre Dame.

“It’s the easiest Heisman I think I’ve ever seen,” Cokin said. “Gerhart should get every vote. He’s had an unbelievable season, but I don’t know how many people have seen him play.”

• CLOSING NUMBERS — I posted a 3-2-1 record last week. Here are three college plays for Saturday (home team in CAPS):

WASHINGTON (+7) over California; Cincinnati (-11/2) over PITTSBURGH; Alabama (+6) over Florida.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.

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