Jim Naveau
Does Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., maybe the best player in college football, have a chance to win the Heisman Trophy, which is supposed to go to the most outstanding player in college football?
Sure, he’s got a chance. Not a good one, but he’s got a chance.
Winning a Heisman is a numbers game and the numbers aren’t working in Harrison’s favor.
The numbers he has this season are very good but they don’t convey how dominant a player he is. His 52 catches for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns through nine games would be great numbers if it were the 1970s and 1980s. But college football is different now.
Another number working against him is that only four receivers have won the Heisman Trophy — Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers in 1972, Notre Dame’s Tim Brown in 1987, Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991 and Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020.
I’ve had a Heisman Trophy vote for more than two decades and there are two things I’ve noticed about Heisman voting.
One is that perception matters a whole lot. The other is that there is kind of a herd mentality among some voters who are quick to eliminate a Heisman contender for one bad game.
Around this time last year USC quarterback Caleb Williams had no serious challengers for the Heisman. This year because USC’s defense couldn’t stop a middle school flag football team’s offense his chances of joining Archie Griffin as a two-time winner aren’t good.
In 10 games this season, Williams has completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,958 yards and 28 touchdowns and four interceptions.
In his first 10 games last season, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards and 31 touchdowns with two interceptions.
