The Alabama football team visited the White House for the third time in four years on Monday. (AP)

By Zac Ellis

For practical purposes, it might be a good idea for the Alabama football team to purchase a timeshare in Washington, D.C. The Crimson Tide made another visit to the White House on Monday to celebrate their BCS title win over Notre Dame, ‘Bama’s third championship — and third visit to D.C. — in four seasons. It’s becoming a near-annual tradition for Nick Saban and Co.

Saban and President Barack Obama must be getting pretty close at this point. The coach presented Obama with a personalized No. 15 jersey, a helmet and an autographed football, joking that the Commander-in-Chief must be collecting a full uniform at this point. Obama offered remarks in praise of the Tide’s accomplishments, mentioning Saban, returning quarterback AJ McCarron, outgoing center Barrett Jones and late Alabama athletic director Mal Moore.

Though Saban has been present for all three of his team’s recent White House trips, he said being honored by the president is always a momentous visit. “This is a really special occasion and something you never really get used to, so we really appreciate it,” Saban said.

Obama, who won re-election last fall, said he might see Saban’s crew again before he finishes his second term. “Since I’ll be around for four more football seasons,” Obama said, “I expect I just might see these guys again before I leave.”

Punter Brad Wing (38) was arguably No. 1 LSU's most valuable player this season. (US PRESSWIRE)

Today we’re taking up the mantle donned by Andy Staples in the year of the House of Spears and banging our drum (actually, it’s probably more of a tambourine) for an imaginary, expanded Heisman Trophy finalists field. The names listed here failed to earn national recognition for the most famous of bronze lumps, but would be nationally revered if we ran the zoo. Our contenders are a mixed bag of defenders, linemen, stars from overlooked positions and conferences, and even a special-teams whiz kid (guess who!), who’d have our votes in a Very Merry, Very Alt Heisman Race:

• P Brad Wing, LSU. While I could not be more pleased to see a non-offensive player among this year’s actual finalists, particularly one so fearsome as Tyrann Mathieu … I’m not at all sure he’s the best player on his team. Then again, the guy who is the best isn’t even up for his own position award. LSU’s success this season has ridden on defense, and Wing, the freshman Aussie with the adamantium leg, is a field position war machine, a siege engine who’s barricaded opponents behind their own 20-yard line on 23 of 57 tries this year. On average, LSU opponents have returned Wing’s bombs less than half a yard. The first time I saw him play in person, during the Tigers’ Sept. 25 road trip to Morgantown, Wing’s six punts landed on the three, four, five, 11, eight and nine-yard lines. But he won our hearts against Florida, where a fake punt led to a 44-yard touchdown run — that was ultimately called back for taunting under the execrable new “sportsmanship” penalty. Despair not, B-Wing: It’s etched forever on the scoreboard of our souls.

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The Switzies are named for former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, the patron saint of college football frolicking. (Rich Clarkson/SI)

Our 10 imaginary trophies celebrating on- and off-field favorites at the season’s midpoint:

• Best new toy: It’s not Clowney, Farmer or Kouandjio. The biggest impact freshman of 2011 is Clemson’s Sammy Watkins, who ranks in the top 20 nationally in receiving yards per game, sixth in kickoff returns and by the numbers is currently the FBS’ No. 10 all-purpose yardage generated. He’s recorded four games with at least 100 receiving yards in less than two months of college ball, and in two of those games has gone over 150. Against Maryland, he hit the century mark in receiving and  racked up 207 yards on kick return duty.

• Best stat: Aren’t early season cherry-picked numbers delicious? Remember those first weeks in September when Robert Griffin’s touchdown passes and incompletions hovered right around the same number? After four weeks of play that ratio was 20:18 and Baylor fan or not, it was hard not to hope it’d stay that way just for the spectacle of it. Subsequent games against Iowa State and Texas A&M knocked his incompletions out of reach. Then again, we’re talking about a guy who has a 78 percent completion rating after six games, so even his off days are nothing to sneeze at.

• Best highlight play: Nothing against the massive runs Trent Richardson’s reeling off, but there’s just something about a good catch that quickens the blood. The year’s best, thus far: Andrew Luck‘s one-handed grab versus UCLA, a move that would’ve been tricky even had the receiver been a receiver, and Mississippi State’s Chris Smith holding onto the ball in an invisible human gyroscope against South Carolina. Honorable mention: LSU punter Brad Wing‘s touchdown-that-wasn’t against Florida.

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