A Closer Look: Matt Ryan
The path to 2007 has been long and unkind to Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. After seeing a few snaps in 2004, Ryan has guided the Eagles to much success with little national praise. In fact, 2005, Virginia Tech is the only ACC team with more total wins than Ryan's Eagles (22).
Entering 2007, Ryan was a borderline Heisman candidate. He didn't have the high-profile-program advantage of John David Booty, or the projected numbers of Colt Brennan. He's not the dual threat that Tim Tebow is, nor was he as recognizable to voters as Brian Brohm.
After collecting 2,942 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior, Ryan was an underdog playing for one of the country's biggest underdog programs.
But three games into this season things have changed.
The Eagles are undefeated, and now the favorite to win the ACC's Atlantic Division. Ryan has a pair of 400-yard performances and seven touchdowns as compared to three interceptions.
Last week's important win over Georgia Tech is the real reason Ryan's Heisman campaign has gotten a boost. Not only was that third win a third conference win, giving BC a huge head start over the rest of the conference, but he was a one-man show against the Yellow Jackets. Ryan completed 68.2 percent of his passes for a career-high 435 yards.
Ryan re-entered the Strike the Pose ranking and CSTV.com's Heisman Watch this week, and he showed up in the No. 8 spot in the Heisman Pundit's most recent straw poll (ahead of Brohm). He's also become fodder for bloggers wanting to back his campaign.
With a difficult stretch of BC's schedule behind him, Ryan will benefit from the road ahead. With an easy four-game stretch on tap, Ryan should only continue to pad his numbers in the bitter month of October when losses and rocky play will undoubtedly knock out a few names ahead of him on most Heisman watch lists.
Before we know it, the underdog could become one of the top dogs in this race.
