Derek Carr: Can he win the Heisman Trophy

"And the winner of the 2013 Heisman Trophy is Derek Carr, quarterback, Fresno State."

Don't worry; you haven't missed the 2013 college football season yet. But is it really absurd to think that Derek Carr can't win the Heisman Trophy?

When Carr came to Fresno State in 2009, he was simply known as David Carr's younger brother. During David's illustrious career at Fresno State, he helped lead the Bulldogs to national prominence (at one time, the Bulldogs were ranked #9 in the AP Top 25 rankings) and he even graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2001 (Fresno?). David was the centerpiece of Fresno State's rise to college football notoriety.

But now, Derek has had a chance to prove that he didn't come to Fresno State just because of the name etched on the back of his jersey.

It all started in 2011 when, as a redshirt sophomore, Carr was named a second team All-WAC selection and he was named to Phil Steele's All-WAC second team. He threw for 3,544 yards that season, which is third most in Fresno State history and the most ever by a Bulldog sophomore.

In 2012, Carr earned the recognition from the national media by being named to the preseason watch lists for the Manning, Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Trophy Awards lists. He showed how much he deserved these honors when, playing in a new conference under a new head coach, he passed for 4,104 yards and 37 touchdowns. As a result of his antics, Carr was named the 2012 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. He was also named to the Sport Illustrated 2012 All-America honorable mention team.

Now that Bulldogs' fans (and the rest of the nation) know what Derek can do, isn't it time for him to be placed on one of the most prestigious awards lists in sports-the Heisman Trophy?

When the 2013 Heisman Trophy watch list comes out, Carr's name won't be on it; but he should be.

Johnny Manziel, the reigning Heisman champion from Texas A&M, enters 2013 as the presumptive favorite. He became the youngest winner last year, winning the award as a freshman. What will Johnny Football do for an encore in 2013?

Braxton Miller of Ohio State is expected to garner more attention now that the Buckeyes are eligible for postseason play. But what can he do?

And then there's the pass rushing freak Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina. Enough said.

And other names such as A.J. McCarron of Alabama, Aaron Murray of Georgia and Marqise Lee of USC will probably attend that wild and wacky party known as the NFL Draft.

So, with no clear cut favorite for the Heisman Trophy, it would appear as if Derek Carr has a realistic chance to be on the list of favorites. Or does he?

Does playing quarterback for the Fresno State Bulldogs hurt Carr's chances to win the award? What of he played for the Georgia Bulldogs?

Would Carr stand a better chance of winning the award if Fresno State played in the Pac-12 versus the Mountain West?

According to the website, Heisman.com, the Heisman Trophy is an award given to an individual designated as the outstanding college football player in the United States. It is not awarded to the player in the best conference, or on the best team-allegedly.

Judging by his numbers and performance on the field, Carr definitely falls under the criteria upon which this award was created for. Yes, he will have to take his game to another level in order to place himself in the company of the nation's collegiate elite.

But with all of the talent he's displayed on the field, Carr deserves to hang with the big boys. Why can't he strike the pose and cradle the most coveted trophy in all of college sports?

Stay tuned to FSBulldogs.com for more updates as the Fresno State Bulldogs get ready for the 2013 season. You can follow Jason on Twitter at @dodgerjason.

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