2011 Duckie Awards

The Duckie Award:

The Duckie Award goes to the nation’s best player this season regardless of team or position. 

Nominees:

Andrew Luck

Robert Griffin III
Montee Ball
Tyrann Mathieu
Trent Richardson

Winner: Robert Griffin III

Griffin has been nothing short of spectacular this year and has put Baylor on the college football map.  After four games this season, RG3 had more touchdown passes than incompletions.  Griffin would be the Heisman frontrunner if his team had a defense.

Lou Brown Award:

The Lou Brown Award goes to the national coach of the year based on both pure achievement and exceeding expectations.

Nominees:

Kevin Sumlin

Les Miles
Bill Schneider

Winner: Les Miles

In a way, Miles has delivered a disappointing season by not committing any serious blunders in playcalling or clock management.  The Hatter deserves a lot of credit, despite the overwhelming amount of talent on his team, for keeping the team together in the face of multiple suspensions and off-field distractions over the course of the season. 

Barney Stinson Award:

This award goes to the best game of the regular season.  Importance of the game on a national scale is a factor, so no Tuesday night MAC shootouts are eligible.

Nominees:

Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (regular season)

LSU vs. Alabama
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (conference championship)

Winner: Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (regular season)

This game featured everything: National Championship implications; Scoring outbursts; A late comeback; And, of course, a controversial Hail Mary touchdown when the clock hit zero.  This game effectively knocked Wisconsin out of the National Championship race, and the two teams did not disappoint when they met again in the conference title game.  In fact, the dramatic ending is the only reason this one wins out over the rematch.

The Devo One Hit Wonder Award:

The Devo Award goes to the most impressive single game performance by a player, though that player may not actually be a one hit wonder.

Nominees:

Robert Griffin III- 21-27, 359 Yards, 5 TDs vs. TCU

Patrick Edwards- 7 Rec., 318 Yards, 5 TDs vs. Rice
Case Keenum- 24-37, 534 Yards, 9 TDs vs. Rice

 Winner: Patrick Edwards

The only thing more impressive than Keenum’s nine touchdowns against Rice was his teammate Edwards’s five touchdowns against Rice.  Edwards scored those five touchdowns on just seven receptions, gaining 318 yards.  That’s 45 yards per catch.

Chet Steadman Award:

The Chet Steadman Award goes to the rookie of the year, or top freshman in America.

Nominees:

Sammy Watkins

Jadeveon Clowney
De’Anthony Thomas

Winner: De’Anthony Thomas

Everybody else will give this to Sammy Watkins, who had an unbelievable freshman year.  Thomas, however, made a bigger impact on a national scale.  With injuries to QB Darron Thomas and LaMichael James, Thomas was the player who seemed to step up and make the game changing plays in the biggest games of the year, while Watkins disappeared late in the year.

Charlie Sheen Award for Winning:

This award goes to the player, team, coach, conference, fan base, etc. that thoroughly embarrassed itself or wasted the most potential over the course of the season.

Nominees:

Stephen Garcia

Bill Stewart
Pac-12 South

Winner: Stephen Garcia

This one was a no-brainer and needs no real explanation.

Desperate Housewives “You’re still on TV?” Award:

The Desperate Housewives Award goes to the player who has seemingly been playing way longer than his eligibility should have allowed.  Just like I was shocked to learn that Desperate Housewives is still on TV, these players should all have been long gone before this season.

Nominees:

Rodgers, Oregon State

Jared Crick, Nebraska
Keith Nichol, Michigan State

Winner: Keith Nichol

How long has Keith Nichol been around?  He competed with Sam Bradford for the starting quarterback job at Oklahoma when they were freshmen.  Obviously, Nichol has since transferred to Michigan State, sat out a year, started at quarterback for the Spartans, and eventually moved to receiver, where he made one of the most memorable plays in Spartan history.

The Tranny Award:

The Tranny Award goes to the player who made the biggest impact as a transfer this season.

Nominees:

Russell Wilson

Jarvis Jones
Arthur Brown

Winner: Russell Wilson

Tom O’Brien chased off one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and Wisconsin reaped the benefits.  There’s not a lot of detail needed here, as it is easy to see the impact Russell Wilson had on the Badgers this year.

The Tony Award:

The Tony Award goes to the best play of the season, be it a spectacular individual effort or a game or season changing play.

Nominees:

Michigan State Hail Mary to beat Wisconsin

Andrew Luck one handed catch
Eric Reid goal line interception against Alabama

Winner: Michigan State

Eric Reid may have saved the SEC title for LSU with his interception against Alabama, but nothing tops the drama of Kirk Cousins’s Hail Mary to Keith Nichol to beat then undefeated Wisconsin. 

Charlie Steiner “Follow me to freedom!” Award

The Charlie Steiner “Follow me to freedom!” Award goes to the player who picked up the lantern, put his tie around his head, and carried his team on his back over the course of the season.  This is the most prestigious of all the Duckie Awards.

Winner: Collin Klein