Rex Burkhead for the Heisman? Maybe it's a bit of a long shot, but if Nebraska fans have learned one thing during Burkhead's career thus far in Lincoln, it's not to underestimate #22.
Nebraska was 9-4 in 2011, but there's no telling where the Huskers would have finished if it not for Burkhead's effort. He finished with 1357 yards and 13 touchdowns and went over the 100 yard mark seven different times and was the bulk of the offense in wins over Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa during his junior season.
There's a long ways to go until the 2012 season kicks off, but Burkhead's name is already being tossed into the mix for possible Heisman consideration this fall. He was one of 10 players given early odds to win the Heisman trophy by Sportsbook.com and one of three players from the Big Ten.
If you have an extra $100 burning a hole in your pocket, you would be awarded 20 times that amount should you place a wager on Burkhead and he follows through by bringing home the hardware in New York City on December 8th (of course, I'm not recommending or encouraging such a wager - just bringing you the facts here).
Here's a look at the 10 players who were among the initial list provided by Sportsbook.com.
| Big Ten Players | Pos | School |
Odds |
| Montee Ball | RB | Wisconsin | +400 |
| Denard Robinson | QB | Michigan | +500 |
| Rex Burkhead | RB | Nebraska | +2000 |
| The Rest | Pos |
School |
Odds |
| Matt Barkely | QB | USC | +300 |
| Landry Jones | QB | Oklahoma | +600 |
| Geno Smith | QB | West Virginia | +800 |
| Marcus Lattimore | RB | South Carolina | +1000 |
| Aaron Murray | QB | Georgia | +1000 |
| AJ McCarron | QB | Alabama | +2000 |
| Sammy Watkins | WR | Clemson | +2000 |
Matt Barkely is the early favorite and it's tough to argue with that considering what USC has coming back on offense in 2012.
As for the Big Ten, Montee Ball has the best odds at the moment followed closely by Michigan's quarterback, Denard Robinson. Ball finished fourth in the Heisman voting this past season but no doubt benefited from Russell Wilson's efforts and could suffer some in 2012 with Wilson having completed his eligibility in Madison.
As for Burkhead, there's little doubt the production will be there. Whether or not he is able to put himself in serious consider will likely be based on what type of season Nebraska puts together. If the Huskers are competing for a Big Ten title at a minimum, there's no reason Burkhead couldn't at least garner enough attention to find himself among the four or five players invited to the ceremony come season's end.
As for actually winning it? Well, let's just say nothing should surprise you anymore when it comes Burkhead.
