For the longest time, the “Heisman Jinx” was a thing. A lot of close observers of college football noticed that players who won the Heisman Trophy often lost their edge, and struggled badly in their team’s postseason bowl game. True or not – and there were just as many times when the Trophy winner did fine in the bowl game as there were times when he struggled – there was that perception floating around out there.
Had the set up been different – if the Downtown Athletic Club had annually waited until AFTER the bowl season, and allowed voters to include a player’s performance in what was very often he and his team’s biggest game of the year – you not only could have gotten more consistent and inspired postseason performances over the years, but you’d also often times have had a different Heisman winner.
As things stand (and always have) college football crowns it’s “Most Outstanding Player” before said player plays in his biggest game(s) of the season. But there’s always been plenty of support for waiting until after the entire season is complete. That’s because way the best players play in the most important games doesn’t currently matter in Heisman voting.
Over the past four decades, there have been a lot of “Joe Burrow” moments, when the Heisman winner goes off for a monster game and leads his team to a title. But there have been some very notable exceptions, when the performances in bowl or championship games would have very likely changed the Heisman outcome.
Back in 1995, Ohio State running back Eddie George beat out Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier for the Heisman. The Cornhuskers were playing for a second consecutive national championship in the Fiesta Bowl against second-ranked Florida that year, while George and the Buckeyes were playing Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
When all was said and done, George rushed for 75 yards on a sloppy field and the Vols beat the Buckeyes 20-14. Meanwhile, with the National Championship on the line, Frazier scalded Florida with 105 yards passing and 199 yards rushing, including a 75-yard touchdown run for the ages as the Huskers blasted the Gators 62-24.
Had the vote been held after bowl season, Frazier would have taken home the trophy.
In the 2006 Rose Bowl, Heisman winner Reggie Bush and USC faced runner up Vince Young and Texas. When the lights finally went out in Pasadena, Young had led Texas to an epic 41-38 win by passing for 267 yard and rushing for 200 more, including the game winning TD run with just :19 to play. It’s been termed a “Legendary” performance. Bush meanwhile, was okay, rushing for 82 yards and adding 85 receiving yards. He had a spectacular catch and run TD…and an equally egregious lateral fumble that proved costly.
Had the vote been held after bowl season, Young would have taken home the trophy.
At the end of the 2015 regular season, Alabama’s Derrick Henry was awarded the Heisman Trophy. In the College Football Playoff, he had a mediocre 75 yard rushing game in a win against Michigan State, followed by a 158 yard performance (4.4 yards per carry) against Clemson in the title game. A few days earlier in Pasadena, Stanford star Christian McCaffrey, the Heisman runner-up that year, had a record breaking performance against Iowa in the Rose Bowl. He set an all-time record with 386 all-purpose yards, including rushing for 172, adding 105 receiving yards and 91 yards in kick returns.
Yep. Had the vote been held after bowl season, McCaffrey would have taken home the Heisman.
And finally the following season in 2016, Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, runner up for the Heisman that year, threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns, including the game winner in the waning seconds to lift the Tigers to a national championship win over Alabama 35-31. He added a rushing TD as well. Meanwhile, the Heisman winner, Lamar Jackson of Louisville, was getting drubbed by LSU in the Citrus Bowl 29-9. Jackson mustered just 33 rushing yards after being sacked eight times, and only passed for 153 yards and had a lost fumble as well.
And yes, if that vote been held after playoff season, Watson would have taken home the Heisman trophy.
There are several more similar cases to be made.
Waiting to decide who is the Most Outstanding Player in college football until after the postseason would result in the most deserving player winning it. It would eliminate opt-outs, including having a team like Notre Dame, with Heisman finalist Jeremiah Love, chose not to participate. It could be a win-win for best players and for college football.
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