Heisman vs. Heisman
Something will happen on Jan. 1, 2015, that doesn’t happen very often.
Two Heisman winners — Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State — will face off in a college football game.
It’s only the third time that two Heisman winners have done so.
This oddity is fairly easy to explain. For much of the trophy’s history, seniors were the prime recipients of the award, which means that few winners came back to play the next year. And of the 21 non-seniors to win, eight went pro immediately following their Heisman-winning seasons. Furthermore, many Heisman winners in the early era of the trophy didn’t play in bowl games, making such matchups problematic.
Two Heisman winners didn’t play each other at the college level until the 2005 BCS national title game, when newly-minted recipient Matt Leinart of USC took on 2003 winner Jason White of Oklahoma.
Leinart was just the 14th junior to win the Heisman, while White was a unique case: He had won the Heisman as a senior in 2003, but was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA due to injuries that had cut short his 2001 and 2002 seasons.
That 2005 BCS game was a star-studded affair that featured four Heisman finalists. White finished third to Leinart in the Heisman vote that season, while his teammate, freshman running back Adrian Peterson, placed second. Leinart’s teammate, running back Reggie Bush, was also a Heisman finalist, finishing fifth.
USC had little trouble against the Sooners, as Leinart completed 18 of 35 passes for 332 yards and five touchdowns in one of the great bowl performances in Heisman history. White went 24 of 36 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions. The Trojans ran away with it, 55-19, to win their second-straight national title.
Here are highlights from that game:
The second matchup of Heisman winners came in the 2009 BCS national title game as 2008 winner Sam Bradford and Oklahoma took on 2007 winner Tim Tebow and Florida.
Bradford was the fifth Sooner to win the Heisman after throwing for 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns. Tebow finished third in the Heisman vote to Bradford, but snared the most first-place votes, marking just the third time in Heisman history that the winner failed to lead in first-place votes (Paul Hornung in ’56 and Billy Sims in ’78 were the previous two times).
Tebow was too much for Oklahoma, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns (with two picks) while also adding 109 yards on the ground, as the Gators triumphed, 24-14. Bradford was held to 256 yards and two touchdowns (with two interceptions) on 26 of 41 passing.
Here are highlights from that game:
Thursday’s matchup between Oregon and Florida State in the Rose Bowl promises to be just as intriguing as the previous two matchups of Heisman winners.
The Seminoles have won 29-straight, 26 of them coming under Winston, who finished sixth in this year’s Heisman vote. The sophomore threw for 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns, with 17 interceptions, to lead the ‘Noles to their second-straight undefeated regular season. Whereas the 2013 FSU squad was one of the most dominant collegeiate teams of all time, beating opponents by an average score of 52-12, this year’s edition has been a bit more dramatic. Seven of the ‘Noles 14 victories — and each of the last four — have come by six points or less. Winston’s steady hand and clutch play has guided his team the entire way. As a result, the Seminoles are two victories away from their second-straight national title. Only Bruce Smith, Glenn Davis, Doc Blanchard, John Lujack, Johnny Rodgers and Matt Leinart have won the Heisman and back-to-back national championships.
Here are highlights of Winston’s 2014 season:
Oregon’s Marcus Mariota is fresh off one of the best season’s in Heisman history. The junior quarterback compiled a Heisman-record-tying 53 total touchdowns while leading the nation in passing efficiency. He threw for 3,783 yards and 38 scores with just two interceptions, while adding another 669 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught a TD pass. Mariota is 35-4 as a starter and has the 13-1 Ducks in contention for their first-ever national title. If Mariota guides his team to that goal, he’ll become the 15th player (and the eighth quarterback) to win the Heisman and a national title in the same season.
Here are highlights of Mariota in 2014:
The stage is set. The New Year is upon us.
It’s Heisman vs. Heisman.
