This yr’s Heisman Trophy was as tough a vote as I can keep in mind in 25 years as a Heisman voter.
The most dynamic candidates in my eyes all had main flaws or large obstacles down the stretch: accidents price Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Michigan’s Blake Corum, losses set again USC’s Caleb Williams and TCU’s Max Duggan in convention championship video games.
Saturday evening, it was Williams who was topped the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner — the nation’s “outstanding college football player,” based on the Heisman mission assertion — after following Lincoln Riley and transferring to USC from Oklahoma and instantly turning the Trojans right into a winner.
(*25*)For Williams, it appeared a success of his future. He got here to OU from Washington, DC, to play for Riley and win a Heisman. It occurred for Baker Mayfield, it occurred for Kyler Murray, and it virtually occurred for Jalen Hurts. Williams’ unbelievable playmaking capacity is matched solely by Riley’s pedigree as a quarterback whisperer.
When Riley bolted for USC and took Williams with him, he additionally took with him yet one more Heisman statue out of OU’s Heisman Park.
I virtually voted for Williams. Instead, I went with Duggan.
(My third-place vote went to Hooker, who energized Tennessee to new heights beneath former Sooners QB and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. Hooker completed fifth this yr.)
Going into final week’s championship video games, Williams had a slight edge over Duggan on my poll.
Ultimately, it was Duggan’s heroic efficiency in the Big 12 title recreation that gained me over. Frankly, we’ve not seen that type of singular will to win since Tim Tebow ran the desk following his “promise” and beat the Sooners for the nationwide title.
In addition to Duggan’s title recreation efficiency — in a loss — my most necessary standards for casting my Heisman vote is how a participant did towards the highest competitors.
Duggan, who started the yr as Chandler Morris’ backup however stepped in and by no means gave it again when Morris went down in the season opener, did his finest work towards TCU’s finest opponents: 212 yards and three touchdowns towards Iowa State, 327 yards and two scores towards Baylor, 280 yards and three TDs towards No. 17 Kansas State, 286 yards and three scores towards No. 6 Oklahoma State, 308 yards and 5 TDs towards No. 19 Kansas, and 302 yards and 5 touchdowns towards No. 18 Oklahoma. He repeated with 251 yards and two TDs in the Big 12 Championship Game towards No. 10 Kansas State.
That’s stellar performances towards 5 ranked groups, the Big 12’s finest protection and the Big 12’s defending champ.
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Ultimately, in addition to a more durable schedule, I narrowly pushed Duggan previous Williams due to their performances in their respective championship video games.
As Williams’ Trojans had been blown out by Utah, he threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns however was severely restricted by a hamstring damage. If he’d stayed wholesome, who is aware of what would have occurred? Maybe USC wins, and the Trojans would have made the playoff.
A day later, Duggan’s Horned Frogs misplaced in extra time to Okay-State, and he accomplished solely 18-of-36 passes for 251 yards, however extremely ran 15 instances for 110 yards and a landing and helped ship 11 factors in the ultimate 7 1/2 minutes to tie it, most of it along with his legs. Down two scores, he put the crew on his shoulders and despatched it to OT with a discipline objective drive, a landing run and a 2-point conversion cross.
Like Duggan, Williams performed his finest towards high quality competitors. He had 381 yards and 5 touchdowns in a loss to No. 20 Utah, 470 yards and two TDs towards No. 16 UCLA, 232 yards and a landing towards No. 15 Notre Dame.
I used to be actually torn with what to do with my first- and second-place votes.
Williams threw for 4,075 yards and 37 touchdowns with simply 4 interceptions, whereas additionally speeding for 372 yards and 10 TDs. Facing strain this season, Williams led the nation in passing yards and threw 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. He additionally led the nation with 47 complete TDs.
Duggan threw for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns and 4 INTs, whereas additionally speeding for 404 yards (two 100-yard video games) and 6 scores. He led the nation in completion proportion (.500) on deep throws this season.
To the 870-member voting physique (plus all of the residing winners), it wasn’t so shut.
In this yr’s balloting, Williams acquired 544 first-place votes, whereas Duggan acquired 188. Stroud bought 37, Bennett bought 36 and Hooker 17. Williams was the runaway winner with 2,031 ballot factors (three factors for a first-place vote, two factors for second, one for third), whereas Duggan bought 1,420.
Both lifted their groups to sudden heights in 2022. TCU was picked to complete seventh in the Big 12 however went undefeated in the common season, whereas USC went 4-8 final yr however instantly turned issues round to an 11-2 document.
Ultimately, Duggan went 12-1 towards a more durable schedule than Williams (11-2): USC’s energy of schedule ranked thirtieth this season, whereas TCU’s ranked eighth.
As Williams identified in his acceptance speech, he is bought the Heisman, however fellow finalists Stetson Bennett, C.J. Stroud and Duggan are all going to the College Football Playoff.
“Can’t win ’em all,” he mentioned.
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