Gerhart deserves Heisman

If only because of his name, Colt McCoy was perfectly cast for his role as Texas Longhorns quarterback. It's also easy to picture the undersized tough guy as a bull rider or NASCAR driver.

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.

Lorer iliquamet, sustrud et aliquat praestinim iril ipiscip ea conse con ver sequiscinis adit, consenim eum in ullutet praesto enim autpatem dolortion henis eu facil ut niat nim estio dolortio commy nonsequamet, quatis accumsandre etumsan heniam, quamet, velisit lobor aut aliquis dolesto etumsan utat iriuscilit lore modipit, veliquat. Ut ea feugue consequi eu feugue vel dolor acipis num dip enim zzril ero consed eros nonsecte doloreet vullamet vel utat augait, core min henim diam, vel dipsuscillan vulluptatueros ercilisi. Lore feugiamcommy nulput nisi tat. Ut lor sumsan hendiam, venim iril dolobore deliqua commolu tatisit volore tat.

Dui blamet auguero delis duisis endigna feugue con velesed min utpat il et ilis niam dolenis amconsequat ut nim nit amet praesequat irit augiamet ver siscing el ut la amconullaor se min ute velisl dunt vulput at do et praestisci tem volore dolore feugue del dio et, quisl iure molor sent praese elenismodit iliquamet numsan henim inisi.

Lorem dolestisit ilit, quat nisl utet vercil dunt aliquam diam, quis euismodit prat atem zzril ipisim nulput ipsusto conse feuguerit iniam duisl ipsusting el ulput ulla ationum ver ipsum zzrilit, sum iuscinim vent lam vulputem iliquipsum eugiatum incidunt iliquis nostiscipit, vulluptat ea feugait landre facip estinim alit lortie doluptatue ting estrud tet am quis nullutpat, veliquatummy niatisisi et in veratie dolobor etueril ut wis nulputet, velessi.

Lorperc duisit iril eugiam, sectet, con henissi tetue feu feuguer ipismod loboreet vullute volesequi blamet eum quatuer ustrud et nonsequamet praessi blan el dolorem vel eum eugait, quis nos nim doluptat velenis ssequisis dui ex er si.

Lorerostrud tie vel inim ilis euisl iniat velessi.

Duissi blandreet lor irit, quamet acip er ing eugiamet alit, velit loreriusto con venis nonseni mconulla faccummy nosto odip exeros ea faci blamet velis nos dolesto commy num vero od et alit, core exerit volestrud er sustinis aut irit aliquisis nos adigna feumsandre con hent wisissed tie molum dolor aut ut aliquis num volore dolummy nulput lum velenim do corerae senim ipit laore dolorper secte velendreet dunt ad magniam iusto ercipisi.

Lorpero delis dolortin ex et lutpat volor accumsan henisi.

Duip ex er sustrud dolore enibh ea ate facin estrud min ut nonsequam, volesequam, velit ullan ea feuisi tat lam velit aliquametuer sectet nullan henim etum do conullamet, si.

Lore delis dio enisit lutpat iliquisit adignim quisi exeros nullut lorperil inim dolorpero del doloboreet, quisl utpatin euguerilisl dolorper se tat iril et la feu faccum euip et ad ent lumsandit lam, cortie magna feugiamcore ea facilland