Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon have separated themselves from the pack in the Heisman Trophy race. Rivals.com senior college football writer Olin Buchanan, a Heisman voter, has the two in a virtual dead heat heading into the final weeks of the regular season.
"Dixon means so much to his team that can play for a national championship," Buchanan said. "Winning is the main goal. Dixon is just as important to Oregon's success as Tim Tebow is to Florida's success."
Dixon, a senior, and the Ducks have three regular-season games left. Oregon, ranked second in the BCS, plays at Arizona, at UCLA and home against Oregon State. Florida and Tebow host Florida Atlantic and Florida State in the Gators' final two games.
If statistics were the only factor to determine the Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow would be the clear favorite. The sophomore has completed 173 of 255 passes (67.8 percent) for 2,532 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's also rushed for 718 yards and 19 scores on 170 carries.
Dixon has completed 167 of 246 passes (67.9 percent) for 2,074 yards with 20 TDs and three picks. He has 549 rushing yards and eight scores on 103 attempts. Florida is 7-3. Oregon is 8-1.
"If it was just about the stats, then the Texas Tech quarterback would win it every year," Buchanan said. "Tebow's stats are insane. I know Florida has good receivers and Percy Harvin is an amazing player but if you don't realize what Tim Tebow means to Florida then you're not paying attention."
Take a look at some of Tebow's accomplishments this season: His 19 rushing touchdowns are tied for the most by any player in SEC history and it is the most by any Florida player in a single season. Emmitt Smith (1989) and Buford Long (1952) held the school record at 14. It is the highest number by an SEC quarterback ever.
The 19 rushing TDs are as many or more than 86 teams in Division I-A. Tebow averages 325 yards of total offense per game, which is more than 13 teams in Division I-A. His 27 career rushing touchdowns are already the sixth-highest total in school history. Emmitt Smith had 36 rushing TDs from 1987-89.
Tebow has accounted for 42 touchdowns this season, the highest single-season total in conference history. The previous record was held by former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who accounted for 41 TDs in 1996. Wuerffel won the Heisman Trophy that season. The only other Florida player to win the award was current South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier in 1966.
Tebow helped his Heisman campaign last week in Florida's 51-31 victory at South Carolina when he rushed for 120 yards and five touchdowns on 26 attempts and completed 22 of 32 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
"How many did he run in, two or three?" Spurrier asked in the post-game news conference. Media members told him it was five. "He ran five? I lost count. I thought he threw a couple there. He rushed for five? I wasn't keeping up with all of them."
Spurrier could not believe Tebow's statistics. It seemed Florida's coaching staff was rather impressed as well.
Said coach Urban Meyer: "That was a Heisman performance. We're near the end of the season. I don't normally say stuff like that, but you have a young guy have 120 yards rushing and five touchdowns and then he threw for 300, a career high. Seven touchdowns is a pretty good day. I'll buy him a sandwich on the way home."
And offensive coordinator Dan Mullen: "What gets you excited about Tim Tebow is this – whatever awards he might receive, he is a 100 percent team player, an unbelievable character kid. There's no one the University of Florida would rather have represent the university than Tim Tebow because of the type of person he is."
A sophomore has never won the Heisman, dating back to 1935. Tebow, who has rushed and thrown for at least one touchdown in 11 straight games, is in position to become the first one ever. Buchanan said he does not believe there is a bias toward voting seniors ahead of juniors and so forth.
One of the times a bias was perceived was when South Carolina senior running back George Rogers won the award instead of Georgia freshman running back Herschel Walker in 1980. Pittsburgh senior defensive end Hugh Green finished second in the voting that year. Walker was third.
Buchanan said he cannot see any other players knocking Dixon or Tebow from the top two spots unless either quarterback falters mightily in their final few games. Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel is listed third on Buchanan's ballot this week.
Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is fourth and West Virginia quarterback Pat White is fifth. Prior to Florida's game against South Carolina, Spurrier called Tebow the "quarterback of the future." It's a moniker that has stuck.
"That's what everybody wants," Buchanan said. "Tim Tebow is Vince Young – a big, strong guy that's fast and can throw. Dennis Dixon fits into the same category – a guy that can run and pass. That's what everybody would like to have but those types of players are special. They are special athletes.
"Tim Tebow is going to win a Heisman Trophy. I just don't know yet if it's going to be this year."
Note: A Florida press release was used in this report.