After another exhilarating college football regular season filled with amazing performances by many players around the country. But after 14 weeks, 4 stand above the rest for the title of “most outstanding player in the country”. This topic always sparks debate by football fans. I tried this last year and predicted the wrong one to win. What else is new? Let’s try again with this year’s finalists.
Michael Penix Jr: Washington QB
Penix is a really interesting story. It’s his fifth year of college football, he spent three of those at Indiana where he dealt with numerous injuries and never lived up to his full potential. But since he transferred to Washington he has been a completely different player and that has culminated in leading the Huskies to an undefeated season and winning the last Pac-12 conference championship. Is it enough to say he’s the country’s most outstanding player? Although it was an absolutely fantastic year that has set him up to possibly be a first round draft pick, I would put him 2nd out of these four; just not first.
Bo Nix: Oregon QB
Nix is a very similar story to Penix. Started at Auburn with expectations of being a Heisman finalist there but it never worked out. This was his second year at Oregon and he finally lived up to the expectations leading the country in passing touchdowns and second in yards. But, Nix and his Ducks had one kryptonite that held them back from the playoffs and an undefeated season and that was losing two games to Penix’s Huskies. And that ultimately is keeping him from winning this award. Going into the Pac-12 championship games against Washington Nix was the favorite but that loss changed everything. Oregon finished 11-2 and took Nix out of legitimate Heisman consideration.
Marvin Harrison Jr: Ohio State WR
Harrison may truly be the most talented player at any position in all of college football this year. He has clearly solidified himself as a top 3 pick and maybe not 2 or 3 is this year’s draft. After already winning the award for the best receiver in the country and being projected as a top pick he must be a lock for this award. Right? Well that’s not really the case. The worst kept secret about the Heisman award is it is exclusively a quarterback award. Just three wide receivers have ever won the Heisman so “Maserati Marv” is definitely playing behind the 8-ball here. He won’t be taking home the hardware for the sheer fact that this award isn’t for the most talented player.
Jayden Daniels: LSU QB
Ding! Ding! Ding! Here’s your winner. Jayden Daniels was a man possessed this season. Leading the country in total yards, touchdowns, QB rating and the list goes on and on. A truly historic season up there with the ones of no-brainer heismans like Joe Burrow in 2019, Lamar Jackson in 2016, and Johnny Manziel in 2013. The one critique on him would be the fact that he was the QB for a 3 loss LSU Tigers team. To counter that, the Tigers had statistically the highest rated offense in the country and the lowest rated defense. That fact that they only lost three games was because Daniels was so special. Daniels’ had a seasons for the record books and he’ll stamp his name in the college football history books when he leaves New York with the Heisman trophy.
