'NCAA Football 13': What Makes A Heisman Winner?

It's Heisman Trophy snubs week among SB Nation's college sites, thanks to NCAA Football 13. Here's a look at who could've won the award if its criteria had been defined in certain ways over the past decade. Follow @SBNationCFB

The popular topic among SB Nation's many college blogs this week: Heisman Trophy snubs, as inspired by NCAA Football 13's Heisman mode. Top-five Heisman snubs lists have been debated, cases were made for specific players like Pat White in 2007, and our mid-major sites pondered what the Heisman means for smaller schools. My personal favorite might also be the most Texas document we've yet produced: reassigning the past decade of Heismans to nothing but Longhorns.

NCAA 13 Heisman Fun by Shutdown Fullback

Also, Allen Iverson got a vote.

It's hard for me to say what a Heisman snub is, since it's an award that seeks to encompass so much. Is it given to the player with the best stats, the best team, or the best highlights? We know it doesn't actually go to the best player, since no linemen ever win it (Ndamukong Suh forever, y'all), and that's fine. But even with the criteria we have left over, the annual Heisman debate remains a pileup of at least three different arguments, only one of which can be answered in somewhat concrete fashion.

Below, I've attempted to pick one name for each season based on three totally different Heisman factors, though there are certainly many more elements the average Heisman voter looks for when voting.

Winningness is the only easy one -- just look at who's No. 1 going into bowl season and pick their best player (and even that's not always that easy). The others are totally subjective items that help us decide where the statue goes.


Year	Statsiness	Winningness	Highlightness	Winner
2011	Chandler Harnish, NIU QB: 3,216/1,379, 39 TD	Tyrann Mathieu, LSU CB: 13-0	Robert Griffin III, Baylor QB	Griffin
2010	Cam Newton, Auburn QB: 2,854/1,515, 51 TD	Newton: 13-0	Newton	Newton
2009	Case Keenum, Houston QB: 5,790, 48 TD	Mark Ingram, Alabama RB: 13-0	C.J. Spiller, Clemson RB	Ingram
2008	Donald Brown, UConn RB: 2,208, 18 TD	Tim Tebow, Florida QB: 12-1	Percy Harvin, Florida WR	Sam Bradford, Oklahoma QB
2007	Kevin Smith, UCF RB: 2,809, 30 TD	James Laurinaitis, Ohio State LB: 11-1	Pat White, West Virginia QB	Tim Tebow, Florida QB
2006	Colt Brennan, Hawai'i QB: 5,549/366, 58 TD	Troy Smith, Ohio State QB: 12-0	Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech WR	Smith
2005	Reggie Bush, USC RB: 2,218, 19 TD	Bush: 12-0	Vince Young, Texas QB	Bush
2004	DeAngelo Williams, Memphis RB: 2,158, 23 TD	Reggie Bush, USC RB: 12-0	Bush	Matt Leinart, USC QB
2003	B.J. Symons, Texas Tech QB: 5,833, 58 TD	Matt Leinart, USC QB: 12-1	Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt WR	Jason White, Oklahoma QB
2002	Terrell Suggs, Arizona State DE: 24 sacks	Willis McGahee, Miami RB: 12-0	Byron Leftwich, Marshall QB	Carson Palmer, USC QB
2001	Mewelde Moore, Tulane RB: 2,177, 15 TD	Ed Reed, Miami S: 11-0	Antwaan Randle-El, Indiana QB	Eric Crouch, Nebraska QB
2000	LaDainian Tomlinsin, TCU RB: 2,198, 22 TD	Josh Heupel*, Oklahoma QB: 12-0	Michael Vick, Virginia Tech QB	Chris Weinke, FSU QB