Worst Heisman winners

Charlie Marlow

All-Conference
May 6, 2022
656
1,131
93
What say you?

 

huskerj12

Heisman
Oct 3, 2007
16,206
11,894
113

BleedRed89

Heisman
Nov 27, 2008
34,371
53,381
113
Crouch is definitely on the list. Dont get me wrong, I think he ran the option to perfection. But Grossman had a better season by nearly all accounts. Underclassmen just weren't even considered at the time.
 

mgbreeze

All-Conference
Dec 16, 2004
10,089
3,505
113
Please don't make me click on that trash... just tell me - is it written by a 26yo journalism major who is a "freelancer?" I'll just say that Eddie George is the worst, simply for the fact that Tommie's trophy has been sitting on Eddie's shelf all of these years.
 

cornhead1.

Sophomore
Jul 13, 2025
140
170
43
I know this, Frazier got the shaft in 1995. Regarding the question at hand, Troy Smith theOSU
 

Big bo fan

All-American
Jan 8, 2019
19,102
6,373
113
Paul Hornung's 1956 Heisman winning stats:
passing 59/111 917 yds, 3 TD, 13 INT
rushing 94 carr 420 yds, 6 TD.
He did lead ND to 2 whole wins that year.
Not that I don’t agree but you are leaving some stuff out. He also lead the team in KO returns. Punt returns and punting. He was 2nd in interceptions and tackles and led in pass breakups. He is widely considered the best all around player in ND history.
 

broken record

Senior
Jul 9, 2025
284
456
63
What say you?

It's a stupid list that is based off of NFL success. That said, the best players in college football in 2001 were playing for Miami. I would say that McGahee and Ed Reed should have been the top two finalists. The bias toward QBs and against defensive players and linemen continues to make the Heisman a bit of a prestigious, but overhyped award.
Ndamukong Suh was the real Heisman winner in 2009 by a mile. That one still bothers me. The guys ahead of him had mediocre seasons by all comparative measures but were offensive players.
I also feel Crouch may have gotten a sentimental nudge to make up for Frazier not winning it in 1995 when he was the best player on an elite 2-time championship team. The 2001 Huskers were just very average as was shown by the Colorado and Miami beatdowns.
 

Harry Husker

Sophomore
Jul 7, 2025
157
191
43
Not that I don’t agree but you are leaving some stuff out. He also lead the team in KO returns. Punt returns and punting. He was 2nd in interceptions and tackles and led in pass breakups. He is widely considered the best all around player in ND history.
Good stuff. I knew he was a great athlete but his offense numbers were a bit... offensive.
 
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broken record

Senior
Jul 9, 2025
284
456
63
Please don't make me click on that trash... just tell me - is it written by a 26yo journalism major who is a "freelancer?" I'll just say that Eddie George is the worst, simply for the fact that Tommie's trophy has been sitting on Eddie's shelf all of these years.
Eddie was a good player and he had a great season. The problem was partially that the vote took place before Frazier and the 95 Huskers could massacre Florida and leave no doubt about their place in college football history,
When Suh finished last among the finalists it was a completely bonkers case of bias against defensive players. None of those guys had the season or were the player Suh was. Colt McCoy finished third and was thrown around like a ragdoll all game against Suh. The guys ahead of Suh were all relatively average by all comparative standards.
 

Baxter48

All-Conference
Nov 2, 2015
1,181
1,414
103
Crouch is definitely on the list. Dont get me wrong, I think he ran the option to perfection. But Grossman had a better season by nearly all accounts. Underclassmen just weren't even considered at the time.
I said that several years ago and I got blasted, yes crouch was Nebraska’s offense but not worthy
 
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Charlie Marlow

All-Conference
May 6, 2022
656
1,131
93
Honestly, I would include Crouch on a top 15 list. It was a weak year and he would have probably finished 3-5 most years.
 

MrScary13

Senior
Jan 14, 2022
506
610
93
Charles Woodson winning the Heisman was also a joke. He should have finished 3rd behind Manning and the best player in college football by a mile that year (Moss).
 
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BobVH5150

Junior
Jul 9, 2025
208
315
63
I know this, Frazier got the shaft in 1995. Regarding the question at hand, Troy Smith theOSU
That's why Eddie George is the worst Heisman winner. Frazier was the best player in college football in 1995. George had Heisman level stats, but based on who he supposedly beat out, he is the worst Heisman winner.
 

BobVH5150

Junior
Jul 9, 2025
208
315
63
Charles Woodson winning the Heisman was also a joke. He should have finished 3rd behind Manning and the best player in college football by a mile that year (Moss).
I agree with this also, though among the many biases at that time were, "He's a low character kid who is lucky not to be in jail." And, "Marshall doesn't play anybody.". In retrospect, neither of those biases were valid. The ESPN 30/30 "Rand" leads me to think that Randy was a good dude with a temper that got baited into some bad choices that by today's standards seem a bit mild. Also, Marshall had other NFL guys on their squad besides Moss, which legitimizes him further.
 

Nuts McClanahan

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2022
1,053
1,076
113
Gino Torretta gets my vote. He wasn’t anywhere near the best player even on his team.

Don’t care about the NFL part…he just wasn’t even that great in college. His receivers and RBs were tremendous though.
I was going to say Gino Torretta. He was the product of ESPN hype and the stupid reasoning their people were pushing. The starting QB on the perceived best team in college football should not win the Heisman by default.
 

GXUVIR2025

Sophomore
Jul 24, 2025
113
196
43
Dumb article. The Heisman is given to the "best" college player. NFL career has no bearing.

Eric Crouch was one of the most dynamic college football players during that era and one of the best QBs ever at Nebraska. He won the Heisman in '01 because he was the best football player that year. He deserved it. The long run against Missouri that nearly went for a safety, but ended up as a TD, will always be one of the best highlights for Nebraska. His receiving TD against OU was also not bad.
 
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Reactions: Redscarlet
Aug 18, 2016
16,626
10,902
113
Dumb article. The Heisman is given to the "best" college player. NFL career has no bearing.

Eric Crouch was one of the most dynamic college football players during that era and one of the best QBs ever at Nebraska. He won the Heisman in '01 because he was the best football player that year. He deserved it. The long run against Missouri that nearly went for a safety, but ended up as a TD, will always be one of the best highlights for Nebraska. His receiving TD against OU was also not bad.
I get the Husker pride but his stats just don't add up to Heisman Trophy winner. He had more picks than TDs, completed only 55% of his throws, yes he was a fantastic runner but he was less than 100 ypg on average. There were other players that had good statistical seasons. If Nebraska wasn't 11-1 in the regular season he doesn't win the award. Does it make him the worst Heisman winner of all time? Probably not, but I could make the argument that the 2021 season had the weakest competition of the award. Rex Grossman, Ken Dorsey and Joey Harrington were the other finalists. Antwan Randle El, also a QB, was equal to Crouch in total yardage from scrimmage he just didn't have the rushing TDs that Crouch had.
 

lifer56

Heisman
May 3, 2005
37,132
34,362
113
Bump. Before he changed the trajectory of his life/career that night, he averaged 180 YPG, 10+/YPC and 7 TDs through the first 2 games of that season.
We all know that there’s still controversy about how TO handled the situation.

Whether TO was right or wrong (I’m not trying to start another debate on that), I think there’d have been a lot less controversy had LP not gained something like 700 yards when he came back for the bowl game. His performance was mind bottling for sure.
 

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,837
10,778
113
We all know that there’s still controversy about how TO handled the situation.

Whether TO was right or wrong (I’m not trying to start another debate on that), I think there’d have been a lot less controversy had LP not gained something like 700 yards when he came back for the bowl game. His performance was mind bottling for sure.
We will never know, but LP could have came close to beating Barry Sanders rushing record for a season, he had that potential.
 

NorthWillRiseAgain

All-Conference
Dec 14, 2004
8,760
4,757
113
Crouch is definitely on the list. Dont get me wrong, I think he ran the option to perfection. But Grossman had a better season by nearly all accounts. Underclassmen just weren't even considered at the time.
Crouch should probably be on the list. He never had crazy stats or anything, but he also carried the team. 2002 is a perfect example of how it drops off without him behind center.