Wow, preseason football practice is just 16 days away, which means we’re a week or so away from the third-and-long blitz of preseason predictions and discussions. Most likely the greatest topic emanating from WVU is quarterback Patrick White and his bid for the Heisman Trophy.

While White doesn’t need to throw and run for 50 touchdowns–which Tebow had to do to overcome the bias against sophomores–he does need to be able to raise a few eyebrows with his stats. Totaling at least 40 touchdowns running and throwing should get the job done. He also has to show some real improvement as a passer. While the raw yardage numbers don’t need to be there–and likely won’t due to the system he is in–it is definitely within his abilities to challenge for the nation’s passing efficiency crown. He’s got to keep the interceptions below double digits and his touchdown passes above 20. Also, I think he’ll need to throw for minimum 2,000 yards and rush for minimum 1,000.

Oh, well, nothing to it: 40 total touchdowns, at least 20 passing touchdowns, fewer than 10 interceptions,  2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. Pardon? There’s more? Sheesh…

The first is on the road on Sept. 18 against what should be an improved Colorado team and the second is at home on Oct. 23 against SEC power Auburn. These two games will be key to his Heisman campaign. Beating Colorado early will keep him on the short list of Heisman contenders and beating Auburn a month later could conceivably move him to the top of the chart if WVU is still unbeaten at that point. He can lose one of these games and still have a shot at winning, but he can’t lose both. Being the quarterback, he will get the credit–and the blame–for the team’s fortunes. He’ll close the season out with a revenge game on the road against Pitt and a home tilt against what could be a highly-ranked South Florida squad. So the opportunities are there for White to show his stuff….or to screw up.

OK, now that does make some sense. He obviously has to play a big part in big wins and a big Pat White performance typically coincides with a victory. So, there you have it … come again? More? Fine…

The voters know he is probably not going to be a stat machine. In that regard, they will not be looking for record-breaking numbers (though, as mentioned earlier, they’ll want something spectacular to show up in the box score). They doknow how valuable he is to his team, though. They know that without him, the Mountaineers wouldn’t be in the top 10 and challenging for national titles. While White didn’t start every game of his freshman season, he has helped lead the Mountaineers to three 11-win seasons, with a shot at a fourth. Can any quarterback in the history of college football say likewise? If WVU can once again get to 11 wins, White will go down as one of the all-time winners in the annals of the sport. There is probably not a more powerful argument to be made on his behalf in his quest for the Heisman.

That indirectly raises an interesting question, which I’ll now present: Could Pat White win the Heisman Trophy on career achievements?