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Commentary: Griffin deserves Heisman Trophy

This Nov. 26, 2011 file photo shows Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) during an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, in Arlington, Texas.

Sharon Ellman/FRE This Nov. 26, 2011 file photo shows Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) during an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, in Arlington, Texas.

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By Tom Archdeacon, Staff Writer 1:37 AM Thursday, December 8, 2011

My Heisman Trophy vote went to Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

When the season began, I had Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck at the top of my list and he stayed there through a good part of the year. I like a lot of things about the guy on and off the field and he probably is the better overall player, but Griffin — who by all accounts is a class act away from the game, as well — had a better season and did it against tougher opposition.

Because of Griffin, the Baylor Bears were on the national stage this year. They won nine games for the first time in a quarter century. They beat then-14th-ranked Texas Christian University in the opener, 50-48, as Griffin threw for five touchdowns while completing 21 of 27 passes for 329 yards.

He had 551 total yards to lead Baylor over Oklahoma for the first time in 21 games and last week he threw for two scores and ran for two more to lead the Bears past Texas 48-24.

Griffin passed for 3,998 yards this year and 36 TDs against just six interceptions. He rushed for 644 yards and nine more TDs. Incidentally, all those numbers top Luck’s.

Baylor doesn’t have much of a defense, which makes Griffin’s efforts all the more impressive. He means more to his team than almost any player in the nation.

My second-place vote went to Luck, who led Stanford to an 11-1 season. If this were a career award, I’d give him the nod over Griffin, but it’s about the year at hand.

But don’t get me wrong. Luck had a great season, too. He threw for 3,170 yards and 35 TDs with nine interceptions. He completed 72.5 percent of his passes.

And when the NFL Draft rolls around next spring, he almost certainly will be the No. 1 pick.

As for the third spot on my Heisman ballot, that went to Wisconsin running back Montee Ball. He leads the nation in rushing with 1,759 yards, averaged 6.4 yards per carry and has scored 38 touchdowns (rushing and receiving). That’s more touchdowns than the entire Ohio State team has scored.

With a pair of TDs in the Rose Bowl, Ball will break Barry Sanders’ all-time record for touchdowns in a single college season.

Had Wisconsin not kept him on the bench in the fourth quarter of almost half its games this season, he already would have the mark.

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