2009 Heisman Trophy Odds - Don't Sleep on Jahvid Best

Heisman: Can The "Best" Man Come From Berkeley?

BetUS Sportsbook Odds

Top 10 To Win 2009 Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow +200

Sam Bradford +275

Colt McCoy +275

Terelle Pryor +800

JAHVID BEST +1000

Evan Royster +1400

Jevan Snead +1600

Jonathan Dwyer +1600

Todd Reesing +2000

Darryl Clark +2000

C.J. Spiller +2000

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The first time Jahvid Best ever touched the ball in high school, he ran for a 67-yard touchdown. He really hasn't stopped since.

Best tore up northern California, running for 3325 yards with 48 TD's as a senior at Salesian High School, and was a statewide track standout in both the 100 and 200 meters. Everybody wanted him, but he decided to stay close to home. That meant Cal and head coach Jeff Tedford.

In his first season, Best only saw brief action in the backfield, but averaged over seven yards a carry. When he got his chance following the departure of Justin Forsett, he was nothing short of dominating. In his second start, he buried Washington State with 200 yards and topped 200 against Stanford in the "Big Game." In the last game of the regular season, Best ran for 311 yards against Washington and won the Pac-10 rushing title, and was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. In the Emerald Bowl against Miami, he ran for 186 yards and two TD's, winning the game's offensive MVP award, and his 1580 yards (2247 on an all-purpose basis), with an unbelievable 8.1 yards a carry, set him up for a Heisman candidacy as a junior.

Best was slowed up in the spring, and couldn't be involved as Cal conducted practice because he was coming off surgery on his elbow and his foot.

I don't know that California will have a "balanced" offense this year. The quarterback, Kevin Riley, is capable of plenty of substandard performances. There are not many accomplished receivers coming back. This may mean more of a burden on Best, and it can cut both ways, because defenses may be able to cheat up into the box against him.

USC has been the dominant presence in the Pac-10 in recent memory, but even though the Trojans have an ensemble of running backs exceeding that of anyone in the country, they don't have an singular star on the order of Best. If he shines when these teams meet up on October 3 at Berkeley, win or lose, he can provide himself with a high-profile game to give him leverage.

It has been a long time since California has appeared in the Rose Bowl - fifty years, in fact. Getting there may be enough of an accomplishment that it gives Best's Heisman candidacy even more legs.

My sense is that there is a bit of an unknown factor with Best, since we don’t know how he's going to rebound from his surgeries, and also, he has a partner in the backfield, Shane Vereen, who could easily approach 1000 yards this season. Cal will have a great running attack, but Best may have to do too much sharing to ultimately bring home the Heisman, and I think he also has something to prove against the better teams. His bigger efforts were achieved against lesser lights, and when meeting up with USC, he only had 30 yards. All in all, I'm not sure he's a big bargain at +1000 in the BetUS NCAA Heisman Trophy sports betting odds.