Tebow takes command in Heisman Trophy poll

Tim Tebow has taken charge of the Heisman Trophy race.

This time last week, the Florida quarterback was barely cleared to practice after suffering a concussion. His pursuers could vault past him if Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner, could not play at LSU.

Of course, Tebow wound up playing, as he has never missed a game in his Gators career. Florida cruised to a 13-3 win and now the landscape shapes up oh-so favorably for Tebow to become only the second player ever to win two Heismans, along with Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1974-75.

There’s a chance the defending national-champion Gators (5-0), who host Arkansas Saturday, will not play another ranked team until the SEC Championship Game in December. There Alabama looms, but that’s the same Crimson Tide team that Tebow almost single-handedly vanquished in last year’s SEC title matchup in Atlanta, throwing for 3 TDs while rallying UF to a 31-20 victory.

Tebow earned eight of 10 first-place votes in this week’s Scripps Howard Heisman Trophy poll. Interestingly, the remainder of the top five, QBs Colt McCoy of Texas, Tony Pike of Cincinnati, Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame and Case Keenum of Houston did not get a single first-place vote.

More evidence that the award is now Tebow’s to lose.

Voting tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points for a first-place vote, four points for second, etc. First-place votes are in parentheses.

This week’s poll, with statistics from last week:
Player, Position, School, Last Week, Points
1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 11-of-16, 134 yards passing, TD, int., 38 yards rushing , 40 (8)
2. Colt McCoy, QB, 32-of-39, 265 yards passing, TD, int., 25
3. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati, Did not play, 13
4 (tie). Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame, Did not play, 12
4.Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 39-of-52, 434 yards passing, 4 TDs, 2 ints., 12

Others receiving votes: Nebraska DT Ndamukong, Suh, 7; Miami QB Jacory Harris, 6; Texas WR Jordan Shipley 5 (1); Kansas QB Todd Reesing 5 (1); Alabama RB Mark Ingram 5; Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, 2; Boise State QB Kellen Moore, 2.

Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Trophy poll voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Mike Griffith, The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel; Michael Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune; Bob Condotta, Seattle Times; John Lindsay, Scripps Howard News Service; Tom Luicci, The (Newark) Star-Ledger; John Rohde, The Oklahoman.

Contact John Lindsay at lindsayj@shns.com.