Lee Corso
MICHAEL VICK
Michael Vick is the finest young quarterback that I have ever seen in college football, which covers around 40 years between coaching and TV. Before him, the finest was Peyton Manning. He may only be a redshirt freshman, but Vick can run, he can throw, he's tough, he's smart and he's cool. What else is there? Everybody said he was a terrific quarterback in the spring, but the fact is he came along faster than people anticipated. The reason is that he also has a nice surrounding cast -- good running backs, offensive line and receivers. The last player to make such a splash in college football was Herschel Walker.
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Kirk Herbstreit
RON DAYNE
To win the Heisman, a player has to either be on a championship-caliber team or you have to have a novelty about yourself. With Ron Dayne, he is a very talented running back on a team playing in the Rose Bowl. But the reason everyone is assuming he will win the Heisman is that he is a great story. In one year, he broke Ricky Williams' career rushing mark when some people thought the mark would be nearly insurmountable. When teams play Wisconsin, they play eight or nine defenders near the line of scrimmage to stop Dayne. Yet he still amassed 1,834 rushing yards and 6.1 yards a carry. Combine Wisconsin's great season and Dayne breaking the rushing record, and that's why he will win the Heisman.
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Mike Gottfried
CHAD PENNINGTON
Chad Pennington's inclusion among the Heisman finalists is well-deserved. He is probably going to be the No. 1 quarterback drafted in the NFL draft. He has all the intangibles you would want from a quarterback. At 6-foot-4, he has size. He is a Rhodes scholar nominee, so he has intelligence. In terms of game preparation, Pennington is Peyton Manning all over again. Marshall coach Bob Pruett said two years ago Randy Moss would make the biggest impact of any rookie in the NFL, and he did. He is saying the same thing about Pennington, and I think he is right. Pennington has a strong, accurate arm, makes plays and is a winner. He is the best quarterback in the country.
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Bill Curry
JOE HAMILTON
In 1963, Georgia Tech's Billy Lothridge finished second to Roger Staubach in the Heisman race. I was Lothridge's center, and we were crushed, thinking that no one could be better than our guy. Now we have Joe Hamilton heading to New York. His stunning career surpasses the great Lothridge. I think it surpasses everyone else. Am I objective? Nope. But here are some objective numbers: Seven last-minute drives in '98 and '99 to beat the likes of Georgia (twice), Notre Dame, and Virginia; 22 career-, season-, and single-game Tech records; No. 1 in the nation on offense (509 yards per game); 10,640 yards of offense in his career, for 83 touchdowns! Combine the numbers with the fact that Joe is a wonderful person, and you have the hands-down winner -- objectively speaking.
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Rod Gilmore
DREW BREES
People talk about Drew Brees showing up on the scene last year with the fantastic numbers, and he followed that up this year with 21 touchdown passes and 3,531 yards. But his impact is broader than sheer numbers. He has had much more impact on a conference than any other player in the Heisman Trophy race. He has changed the perception of the Big Ten somewhat. He has opened it up, brought a lot of attention to Purdue's passing game, and played well in big games against Notre Dame, Michigan State and Penn State. In terms of durability, Brees has been the best quarterback in college football the last two years. He has accuracy and timing, moves well in the pocket and gets rid of the ball quickly. His poise on the field and in the pocket reminds me somewhat of the kind of poise John Elway had when I played with him at Stanford. He's a great leader and cool under fire.
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