30 for 30 Doc Premieres Saturday: "The Great Heisman Race of 1997"

I'll check it out. That's a record/rewatch type deal for me.

I love how Tennessee is still salty over the Woodson winning. 

Great tip. I just programmed it into the DVR.

Go Blue!

The one time they absolutely got it right. 

I can only hope there’s a snippet of Fulmer’s end of season ballot in the Coaches Poll.

It would be nice for others to understand just how objective he was.   And, that tune hasn’t changed - as you extend it to the CFP.

Lee Corso and his biased ass picked against us again, like he does every time.  I'd like to see the record of his picks.  I'll bet it's woeful.  He's always been a clown.

In 2001, I drove from ann arbor to Georgia and then Florida for spring break. Had Michigan decal on my bumper. 

While driving through Tennessee, i TWICE had people pull alongside me and gesture to me to roll down the windows. 

Both times, they just yelled "PEYTON!!!" and sped off. 

So yeah, they were salty about it then and probably still are.  

Some years the Heisman race is a dud, and the winner is the best of a bad lot, or a quality player is overlooked because he's on the wrong team or plays the wrong position.

Some years it is great. Reggie Bush vs Vince Young was a Heisman race of dreams.

1997 was a legendary Heisman year. Peyton was a great player, and while the argument on his behalf was as much career as it was production, he was excellent. Ryan Leaf was statistically also very impressive, slightly lower TDs and completion % but better y/a numbers and a similar record. And there was also this receiver from Marshall named Randy Moss playing against worse teams but posting absurd receiving numbers.

Leaf turned into a spectacular bust; the other three are first-ballot NFL hall-of-famers. Hard to have a better class, and so no surprise that it's a prime 30-for-30 candidate.

Woodson won, and he deserved to win. He was so dominating a defender that teams would go whole games without every trying to attack his side of the field. He was so good that only a sliver of an opening was enough to make a game-changing play. He was a complete player, blitzing, making thundering hits, defending the pass. He played in every phase of the game, of course, but while used sparingly, he was always effective (and quite nearly had a TD pass to Brian Griese; Griese getting knocked out at the one still leaves me salty) and game-changing.

He led the best single unit in college football that year, a decade-great defense, a unit that was great *because* of what he brought to the table.

Some Heismans are stat awards, and his was not, but not all Heismans are given for stats. DBs just don't post great counting stats. He had a terrific number in the single stat that matters at that position - 7 regular season interceptions - but his argument filled out every other area that matters in Heisman voting: Consistent greatness, being the great player on a top team, great highlights, and producing a huge performance in a huge game.

The former three have already been established here (note that while Woodson didn't factor in as many plays as a QB, there was a big highlight of him almost every week!). The latter?

Well, with Woodson already a contending Heisman candidate, Michigan hosted top-5 Ohio State in a rivalry game that would decide the Rose Bowl and establish a national championship contender.

Woodson intercepted a pass in his own end zone to steal away a TD, caught a pass on Michigan's biggest offensive play of the game to set up Michigan's only offensive TD, and returned a punt for a touchdown. Woodson alone swung 3 touchdowns in a game Michigan won by 6. He is the reason Michigan beat Ohio State.

You simply don't get a bigger performance in a big game in football.

Cry if you want, Vols. Woodson earned it.

If we win the National Title this year, the 30 for 30 will be epic.

Sign gate bullshit

Born on 3rd

Harbaugh vs. NCAA

Sherrone Moore

Etc, etc, etc

WRs don’t win the Heisman very often (3 times ever, also 2 Tight Ends way back in the day).

Randy Moss played his 1997 season at Marshall.  The Herd only had one game on national TV all season before their Bowl (the MAC title game vs Toledo on ESPN2 - in a snow storm).  He was borderline invisible, only really seen nationally in grainy SportsCenter highlights that some intern in Bristol taped off the satellite, whatever Huntington WV TV station produced local coverage of Marshall games.  We will never know for sure, but if he had stayed at Notre Dame or Florida State (and kept out of trouble)?  I would guess he wins the 1997 Heisman going away..

All in all, that award ceremony had a tremendous amount of generational talent.  There will likely never be another year like it.