Hayes: It's time to include the Playoff race in the Heisman Trophy debate
At some point this must be addressed and can’t continue to be ignored.
Especially with the expanded Playoff 2 seasons away.
It’s time for the Heisman Trophy Trust to amend its rules, push back the voting deadline and declare a winner of the greatest individual award in sports after the college football season.
Not before the postseason begins.
“People have slept on Stetson Bennett for too long,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after another epic Playoff performance by Bennett.
Here’s the thing: If the Heisman vote were this week, Bennett — Georgia’s 2-time national champion quarterback — would win in a landslide.
If the Heisman vote were after the Playoff last season, Bryce Young still would’ve won big — even after Alabama lost to Georgia in the national championship game.
And that’s the rub. For too long, there were those at the Heisman Trust who didn’t want the award to be a 1-game (old school bowl postseason), or now 2-game award.
Look, I don’t want to be the guy who breaks news to the good folks at the Trust, but the award is — right now — heavily swayed in December by 1 game on Championship Weekend.
The Trust’s argument is simple: It doesn’t want the focus of the award based on the 2 teams playing for the national championship, and in the process minimize the regular season and its precious and unique 3-month shelf life.
If that argument sounds familiar, it should. It’s the same postseason argument university presidents made for decades while avoiding a Playoff.
Now the postseason has evolved into a 12-team Playoff in 2024, and maybe even a 16-team Playoff in 2026.
The Heisman shelf life was stumbled into decades ago, and was heightened and strengthened during the early years of the sport because it was the one north star in a sea of multiple national champions named by multiple media outlets — before the bowl season and after.
AP and UPI and the New York Times and the Dunkel Index, and on and on. (If you need a quick history lesson, check out the 18,000 national titles claimed by Alabama — and how they were awarded).
The Heisman was the one thing that had a specific beginning and end, and everyone knew how it was chosen. Period.
The idea of the first week in December fit perfectly with the schedule of the old Downtown Athletic Club, and no one complained because once the award grew exponentially beyond what was envisioned, why change?
Because now it’s time. In 2 years, there will be 11 critical games in the Playoff that won’t be part of the Heisman Trophy race. Games where the elite of college football will shine, and the true value of the individual award will grow beyond the indisputable.
If the Playoff moves to 16 teams in 2026 (or later) — and there are many presidents and athletic directors eager to delve deeper into the idea of 16 — then you’re looking at 15 games that will decide the national champion being left out of the race for the Heisman Trophy.
Think about this: If Ohio State hits a 50-yard field goal in the Peach Bowl semifinal against Georgia, the entire college football world looks differently at the season of Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud.
He had a fantastic sophomore season, led Ohio State to an 11-1 regular-season record and put up big numbers. The only blemish was the loss to Michigan in the regular-season finale.
So he responds in the Playoff with a career game and is a missed field goal from nearly single-handedly beating the defending national champions.
Imagine the numbers he would’ve put up against TCU in the Playoff championship game.
As it was, the postseason saw a heroic comeback against Ohio State from Bennett, the former walk-on turned greatest quarterback in Georgia history. Then another epic performance in a rout of TCU.
The quarterback of the unbeaten back-to-back national champions, who became the first Georgia quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards, who accounted for 37 TDs (10 rush) and 4,377 yards (250 rush) in 2022, is a runaway winner of the Heisman over USC QB Caleb Williams — if it’s awarded after the postseason.
If the Heisman waited in 2005, Vince Young might have edged out Reggie Bush after capping a huge season with the greatest individual performance in the history of the modern day championship game.
If the Heisman waited in 2016, Deshaun Watson would’ve at least made voters think twice about Lamar Jackson’s electric season.
If the Heisman waited in 2008, it could’ve had its 2nd-ever 2-time winner with Tim Tebow over Sam Bradford.
Stetson Bennett played in 4 Playoff games in the past 2 seasons. He won all 4, and was named most valuable offensive player of all 4.
He played his best at the biggest, brightest moments — during the regular season and the Playoff. His unique story and path to greatness will live forever.
Yet he’s not eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame because he never made an All-American team. And he never won the Heisman even though Georgia — one of the greatest teams in the modern era — doesn’t win either of its championships without him.
“I know he’s got G.O.A.T. status in Athens, Ga., forever,” Smart said.
He should have a bronze Heisman statue, too.
Do the right thing, Downtown Athletic Club. Grow with the sport and expand your horizons.
Moving forward, push back the vote and declare the winner of the greatest individual award in sports after the college football postseason.
I’ve always thought it was stupid to award the Heisman before the post season.
Agreed.
“I’ve always thought it was stupid to award the Heisman before the post season.”
Why?
Seems stupid to award a trophy for best football player when there are still games left to be played.
Seems stupid to award a player the Heisman because he made the playoffs. There are LOTS of great players past/present that won the Heisman by not making a championship game/playoffs.
See below. Players not in bowl games could still be considered.
“could”
You keep using that word.
You are really getting into semantics. Feel better if I said would?
“You are really getting into semantics. ”
Nope, just stating the obvious.
Best player of the season really can’t be determined before the biggest games of the season are played. If the Heisman committee is going to keep their timetable as is, they should change the award to best player during the regular season. That’s what they’re currently awarding.
“Best player of the season really can’t be determined before the biggest games of the season are played.”
So anyone not going to the playoffs should be excluded?
There have been years in which the Best-Football-Player is not exactly on the best teams. Wrong argument BC.
I think BC is completely correct. Right now, it’s simply a regular season award. Waiting until after the post season will still include all players. Some will just finish their seasons early than others. If it stays as is, I would much rather be the post season MVP than a Heisman winner.
It’s also time to broaden the College Football Hall of Fame criteria. If Bennett, a two-time national champion who was offensive MVP in all 4 of his playoff appearances, truly is ineligible because he was never an all-American, the criteria are broken.
They may want to address this with Stetson or it just makes it a popularity contest and invalidates the entire hall. He put up the numbers, and more importantly, the wins to be named all American. The media just sat back and waited on him to fail and prove them right.
Stetson out played every heisman winner and contender he played the Past two seasons in head to head matchups and got no credit for any of it until it was all over and too late.
“Stetson out played every heisman winner ”
He threw an INT against O State. Had Kirby not called that timeout…
Not taking away UGA’s accomplishments, but O State’s QB played lights out.
Stroud’s performance in that game was nearly flawless.
Bennet leading the comeback was impressive and emotional and exciting. But I’d give the nod to Stroud.
Though their stat lines are eerily similar (23/34) – with the exception of that INT on Bennet’s.
“Stroud’s performance in that game was nearly flawless.”
Yep.
Ohio State scored six points in the last 27 minutes of the game.
Stroud didn’t play well enough.
Stroud was 18 of 23, 348 yards, 10.1 avg, 4 pass td, 0 int
Bennett was 18 of 23, 398 yards, 11.7 avg, 3 pass td, 1 rush td, 1 int.
Bennetts int was early in the game. In the 4th quarter with the Bulldogs trailing by 14 and the game on the line Bennet went 10 for 12, 190 yards and 2 pass tds.
” In the 4th quarter with the Bulldogs trailing by 14 and the game on the line Bennet went 10 for 12, 190 yards and 2 pass tds.”
There are 4 quarters in a game.
Ron…I must agree with you that in the Ohio State vs. Georgia game the team that played better did not win. But I am glad the Dawgs won the Natty. It takes some luck along the way to Win A National Championship & Georgia’s luck happened in that game. The OSU kicker muffed it away.
I thought Ohio played a great game and their QB played a great game. However, here is the reality when you compare the two QB performances:
Stroud 23/34 348 yrds 4 TD 0 Int
Bennett 23/34 398 yrds 3 TD 1 Int…oh and the win
Wouldn’t call it a “lights out performance” compared to Bennett’s. Bennett didn’t look sharp in the first half, but the stats and end result sort of tell the story in the end.
“Bennett 23/34 398 yrds 3 TD 1 Int…oh and the win”
Kirby Smart calling the timeout won that game.
O State missing that last field goal won that game for UGA.
You might want to check the stat line after you look at the score on who was the better qb in that game.
Before anyone says Ohio missed a field goal, don’t forget Georgia missed two field goals.
The fact is this was a great game that went back and forth but Georgia proved to be the better team. The game is four quarters, but Ohio was clearly worn out in the fourth and Georgia took advantage to win the game.
Hall of FAME. It is a popularity contest, nitwit
“It’s time to include the Playoff race in the Heisman Trophy debate”
No it isn’t. There are great players that don’t get to play in the playoffs.
Their body of work could still be considered.
“considered.”
So what you’re saying is if you don’t make the playoffs, you don’t win the Heisman?
Not at all. Why would they be excluded? I didn’t say anything suggesting that.
“Why would they be excluded? ”
You already stated that playoff play determines who wins.
Reread my posts. I never said anything resembling that.
“Reread my posts. I never said anything resembling that.”
Could.
No one is saying that.
But be honest, when they move to a 12 team playoff, do you really think a player not on one of those 12 teams has a chance to win the Heisman?
You are correct that many amazing athletes have won the Heisman without having a shot at the NC. But times are changing. The sport is changing. I think it makes sense to include those games featuring the 12 (still think it’s too many) teams in the country (according to a small group of people).
If they don’t make the change, I won’t really care. But if I got a vote, I would move the tally to after the NC game.
“But be honest, when they move to a 12 team playoff, do you really think a player not on one of those 12 teams has a chance to win the Heisman?”
Postseason play should not be affiliated with the Heisman in any way. Do what the pros do, award an MVP trophy.
“Postseason play should not be affiliated with the Heisman in any way. Do what the pros do, award an MVP trophy.”
Oh, interesting! I like the idea of a post-season O/D MVP Best of the Best awards.
“Oh, interesting! I like the idea of a post-season O/D MVP Best of the Best awards.”
It’s been a staple of all pro sports for decades.
“So what you’re saying is if you don’t make the playoffs, you don’t win the Heisman?”
What’s the big deal. It is supposedly for the best player but as it stands if you don’t play quarterback you don’t win the Heisman
You can wait until the end of the season and still give it to someone who didn’t make the playoff. Also, your point will be moot once the 12-team playoff comes into effect. Any player in serious consideration will be on a team that will make the 12-team field.
Personally, I think the Heisman is a ridiculous award anyway, as no one player excels without the rest of the team. The best quarterback in history will have mediocre stats if his O-line can’t protect him of if his receivers drop well-thrown passes. Additionally, teams that spread the ball around don’t have individual players who rack up the eye-popping stats that win a Heisman.
“Personally, I think the Heisman is a ridiculous award anyway,”
It is completely pointless.
BC…I checked the record that Notre Dame had in 1956 when Paul Hornung won the Heisman. Notre Dame’s record was 2 Wins & 8 Losses. The player who finished behind him was Tennessee’s Johnny Majors. Tennessee’s record was 10 Wins & 1 Loss. Just for the record.
Johnny Majors should have received the Heisman. But ND games were nationally televised. So… a popularity contest.
Orion…Yes the Heisman Trophy is and has always been a popularity contest & always will be. The difference in today’s internet-speed world is that current Heisman Candidates must play on a winning team, generally a Blue-Blood university to even be considered.
Afan, Lamar Jackson. Louisville is hardly a blue blood. And didn’t have a great record that year.
And generally speaking those players do not win the Heisman or even make it to the announcement show. Voters pretty much pay attention to the star players on the stronger teams because they are lazy mostly but also because those players are putting up their stats against better competition.
Somebody would have replaced Duggan as a finalist. No way he gets in after his NC performance. Should consider the complete body of work.
“Yet he’s not eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame because he never made an All-American team. ”
There are lots of players that won’t get in the CFHOF. There are lots of players in the NFL, past and present, that went on to have stellar careers.
I don’t agree with including postseason now. Many of the best players transfer and sit out games to declare for the NFL. Players who play against those teams aren’t playing against the best. Also, Stetson Bennett is great. And if he won the Heisman, I would have understood. However, he never played a game versus that Georgia defense either. The TCU QB did. Caleb Williams had a great bowl game and he won, so I don’t think that should have changed the winner.
“Many of the best players transfer and sit out games to declare for the NFL. ”
EXACTLY.
I don’t judge any player who sits out a bowl game to prepare for his future. Their life, their career, their decision. Full stop.
But if moving the Heisman tally date to after the post-season might induce more kids to play those games, making for better games. But it’s a two-edged sword. It would make me sick if one of those kids lost their future to an injury.
Overall, I agree with the notion someone posted above: the Heisman ain’t all that.
Award an MVP trophy to the best player of the postseason.
Well, Matt, you could start handing out your own MVP award every year.
Right. It could serve as one more example of no one giving a *&$k about his opinion.
Heisman should be based off of regular season only. That gives everybody 12 games to show what they got. If you want to make some new award for those that make the playoffs, whatever. Make it the Playoffs MVP. Lamar Jackson deserved the Heisman in 2016 but his team didn’t even win the ACC that year. They lost like 4 or 5 games.
Said the same thing above. MVP trophy in postseason, Heisman in the regular season. Problem solved.
Didn’t see your comment above. Do I think Bennett deserved the Heisman? Nope. Did he deserve the “Playoff MVP”? Yup.
“Here’s the thing: If the Heisman vote were this week, Bennett — Georgia’s 2-time national champion quarterback — would win in a landslide.“
Lol. This might be the worst take ever. CJ Stroud would win the Heisman in a landslide. Bennett might get second. I’m a big SEC guy and do not like OSU at all but Bennett was thoroughly outplayed by Stroud.
That’s a good point. And that just talks to my point below, CJ Stroud winning the Heisman because of his Playoff performance would clearly be disregarding his not-so-Hesiman body of work throughout the season.
Actually, he didn’t.
Taking nothing away from UGA winning it all this year, well deserved. But Stroud did have a better game than Bennett in that game. And UGA won anyway.
We’ll just have to disagree. With the game on the line Bennett went 5-5 for 77 yards and a TD in short order. Stroud got stuck at the 31 yard. Missed his last two passes, leaving his kicker a long FG.
Both played well. Stats about equal. Bennett rose to the occasion.
The Heisman Trophy Trust is not changing it’s rules. The Heisman trophy has existed prior to the Playoffs, the BCS or any other method of choosing the National Champion. As I recall it’s an Award given for the
Best-College-Football-Player, not the Best Playoff-Bound player. Once the football season of regularly-scheduled games is completed, the Award should be given.
The Heisman is heading in the same direction as the Rose Bowl. Neither is nearly as significant as it once was.
^^^ So much this.
That’s because every year we start hearing about it on a regular basis in August (if not sooner). By the time it actually comes around it feels like the end of the NBA season… well it’s about dam time but I’m tired of it already so I don’t even care.
The Rose Bowl will be a regular venue during the upcoming playoffs. How is it any less significate than any other participating bowl game?
It used to be the granddaddy. Now, it’s just one of a decent sized group.
Grandaddy was a self proclaimed accolade. Part of the reason for its decline
…is lately its been the 2nd or 3rd best team in the B1G because 1 or more of the best B1G teams are in the playoff, and the PAC champion. Who honestly, isn’t that good. When the B1G and the PAC were better it was a better draw.
It was called the granddaddy because it is the oldest. 1902. How can that piss anyone off?
It is always the most watched non playoff Bowl game. More than the Sugar or Orange.
It tried to power play the committee. The committee said get onboard or you’re out. They got onboard. Pretty arrogant bunch.
True. Unlike the other Major Bowls, the Rose thought tradition might mean something. The Orange, Sugar, Fiesta fell right in line with the money hungry CFP folks. Rose fought back.
Ham, sweet potato, blackeye peas, collards, corn bread, and pecan pie went great with the Sugar/Fiesta Bowl @ 1:00, the Rose @ 5:00 and the Orange @ 8:00. With the best 8 teams in the country playing every game meant something and it was without a doubt the best day of the year for College Football fans.
But now, folks don’t eat black eye peas or collards and corn bread has been replaced with crescent rolls. And instead of the SEC Champ playing a big-name team, we’ll get a quarterfinal game with a Top four team from some conference possibly playing the 12 ranked team. Yee haw!
The Rose Bowl thought they could buck all that until they got the “woke” up call.
JTF everyone hasn’t stopped eating black eyed peas and greens on NY.
Excellent!
My 79 year old mother makes them for our whole family every year. Its been a tradition for my whole life. Plus she’s guaranteed another visit by her children and grand children, and great grand baby one more time after the holiday we cannot post on this site.
Great tradition!
Playoff MVP should suffice for the Playoff run. Otherwise the Playoff MVP is just going to be the Heisman winner, which will never take the whole season into account. Regardless, Duggan should have been the Heisman winner so either way they would have got it wrong this year.
Odd take. The guy who lost the biggest two games of his season should win the award? Ok. Call the Heisman a regular season award and mandate that the votes must be submitted after the regular season but before conference championship games. There you go.
“Ok. Call the Heisman a regular season award…”
Well, that’s exactly what it is, and always has been so there’s not reason NOT to call it that. The biggest two games of the season were Playoff games, that’s what the Playoff MVP is for and no, Duggan would not have won the Playoff MVP.
I believe it now takes into consideration the CCG’s.
Yeah…. No. Stetson had multiple games where he didn’t throw a single td and he also had two games where he threw a pick and no TDs. That doesn’t say heisman.
Plus you have a multitude of players that don’t have the benefit of playing with 5stars across the board who won’t make the playoffs that are more deserving than he is.
I agree that Stetson, based on the regular season, did not earn the Heisman.
But your second argument about 5-stars across the board…so, no player from Alabama should ever win the Heisman, right? According to your logic, we should take away Young’s Heisman cause of those elite receivers he had.
Look at the amount of sacks Bryce took and still put up incredible stats plus destroying the best defense in uga history compared to Stetson. Without Bryce the past two seasons, Alabama would have a lot more losses that what they had. Without Stetson, uga keeps on churning.
Now you’re moving the goal posts. You’re separating results from the number of 4 and 5 star players on the team.
Heisman should be the best play in the regular season.
Make a new award where stats are only pulled from playoffs and national championship
*player in the regular season
No, the heisman should be decided before ccgs . Anyone who can’t figure it out by then should forfeit their vote.
Bennett should have received the Heisman. Georgia OL should have won the Joe Moore award. No question.
And because Bennett was never an All American, he can never be in the CFB Hall of Fame. Lunacy. 4 Time MVP in CFP games.
When there’s a player that has won the MVP of every playoff game he’s played in for 2 consecutive seasons (Never before accomplished) that someone – Stetson Bennett IV – would/should win in a landslide..
3 – Peat!!
He’ll be in the Georgia Hall of Fame and it’s a shame he won’t be eligible for the College FB HOF! What a CROCK!