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Deshaun Watson should've won the Heisman in 2015. Derrick Henry's win wasn't an injustice, but the Clemson Tigers never would've made a Playoff run without Watson. Hard to say the same about Bama and Henry.
Lamar Jackson was the right choice last season, though if it was handed out after the season, Watson would've taken it.
The greatest Clemson player ever leaves with a national title, all sorts of individual awards, a potential top-10 NFL draft contract, and two top-three Heisman finishes. Though Jackson put up tons of highlights and touchdowns, mostly against overwhelmed competition like Charlotte and Florida State, it's still jarring to try and think of 2016 as belonging to anybody but Watson.
On ESPN's QB sit-down show, Jon Gruden went through some of Watson's awards, including one that involves off-field achievement (Watson has followed Warrick Dunn into work with Habitat for Humanity), and asked the QB what more he could've done to win the big one.
"When you beat Ohio State like you beat 'em, as the starting quarterback, and you beat Notre Dame in the rain — and Notre Dame was a heck of a team two years ago — you beat Oklahoma, great team, you beat Florida State in Tallahassee in the two-minute drill; I'm just curious. Does it tick you off? How can you not win the Heisman with that body of work? Even Alabama, you got them too."
Gruden's including a bunch of wins that didn't impact either Heisman race, seeing as they were either Playoff games or spread across two seasons. But we know what he meant.
"What do you gotta do to win that Heisman?" Gruden asked.
"Last year, I guess lose a couple games, and then win it?" Watson laughed. Jackson's team lost to Watson's team close, got blown out at Houston, and fell to rival Kentucky. However, Jackson finished with bigger numbers, and it's quite arguable that he outdueled Watson in Clemson.
"I just kinda keep it in the back of my mind. Like Coach Swinney said, I didn't miss out on the Heisman," he said. "They missed out on me."
They really oughta hand that trophy out after bowl season. But Jackson deserved it when it was handed out, Watson got the trophy that matters more, and all is well.
More college football
- Forgive the hot take, but I do not think allowing guns in football stadiums would've been the greatest idea of all time. Especially not Arkansas football stadiums. (Cooler heads seem to have a chance of prevailing.)
- One of Miami's starters produced Rick Ross' new album opener. Now let's think about how we describe that impressive achievement. Also, the new Ross is a top-five album-of-the-year contender.
- Kansas University's football program still has two four-star commits from Louisiana. What are the chances they stick?
- Bill C team of the day: Ohio, the only MAC team that never gets all MACTION-y, for better or worse.
- USC has two players I think you should root for in the pros.
- Nick Saban was rantin' mad about The Media's Fake News, buuut Bama's literally done the same thing he described.
- A former Bama player accused Lane Kiffin of promising him a job, then pulling it after landing an associated recruit.
- The two biggest commits this week: four-star LB Jack Sanborn to Wisconsin and four-star QB [clears throat] COLSON YANKOFF to Washington.
- Well, here's Mike Leach talking about being booted from square dancing class as a kid.
- Michigan's five biggest questions on offense, entering spring ball.
- Rick Perry, who happens to be the Secretary of Energy, has waded into Texas A&M's student government elections with a conspiracy theory.
- Colson Yankoff.