NEW YORK - This was one comeback Colt McCoy couldn't complete.
After leading his team to a comeback win against Oklahoma earlier this season and being on the verge of downing then-No. 6 Texas Tech, McCoy finally met his match in the Heisman voters.
McCoy came in second place with 1,604 votes, behind Sam Bradford's 1,726 and just ahead of Tim Tebow's 1,575.
Out of the three finalists, nobody expected McCoy to be here in the preseason. After a season where you throw 18 interceptions, New York seemed out of reach.
But that's just what he did.
Still, there's no doubt he wanted to win it.
"You want to win that trophy," McCoy said. "You set your goals high as a player since you were a little kid. I'm coming back next year, so hopefully I'll be here again."
While McCoy filed for paperwork to see his status in the NFL Draft, he soon after announced he would stay for his senior year. Bradford is a projected top pick for whenever he gets out, but the jury is still out on McCoy, and that may have affected his decision.
"I love my teammates," he said. "I love my coaches. I want to get my degree. God has blessed me so much. He's given me the opportunity to play for four years, and I want to be able to soak it all in and have fun."
And he's already got big plans for what he wants to do next year. After breaking the NCAA record for completions this year, he knows he wants to do the same next season.
"The completion record's just there so I can break it next year," McCoy said.
Many critics think McCoy's Texas squad belongs in the national title conversation. The one-loss Longhorns defeated Oklahoma, but lost the tiebreaker due to BCS rankings. If that's bothering McCoy, he's not letting on.
"God has a plan for me. He has a plan for this team," McCoy said. "I'm just going to do His will….We're not going to be disappointed about anything."
A Fiesta Bowl win against Ohio State would make McCoy and his team feel just fine then.
"I'm excited to get back home and start practicing for Ohio State," McCoy said. "We want to win our bowl game and finish out our season as best we can….There's going to be no letdown."
If he wants tips on how to defeat the Buckeyes, just ask Tebow or any other UF player on the 2006 Gators team.
