JJ McCarthy is your Heisman Frontrunner (via VegasInsider)
https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/heisman-trophy/
rough nights from Penix and Williams definitely fueled this, but how will JJ answer questions about his utter lack of performance in the 4th Quarter?
October 22nd, 2023 at 6:58 AM ^
Watching JJ cook is an absolute pleasure. I'm not certain how you prepare for an offense like this.
We have two amazing running backs and hardly have to use them - that's very telling.
I don't remember an offense at Michigan that could impose their will on damn near every drive like that. Enjoy this season, guys. This may be the best Michigan team we'll ever see for a long time.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
The last time I had absolute pleasure in watching this team play was in 1997. Maybe 2006 until the OSU game followed by a bowl game loss to USC. So, it was been a very long time and if there might be major roster and or coaching changes next season, who knows?
October 23rd, 2023 at 12:20 AM ^
The joy of 1997 was the defense. This team has it all… maybe a Heisman winner too.
October 22nd, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
I don't remember an offense at Michigan that could impose their will on damn near every drive like that.
i mean, it also helps knowing what they’re going to do since we know everyone’s signs….
/s just in case
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
I, personally, am scratching my head trying to figure out why MSU didn’t change their signs before last night’s game? The NCAA warned them, and they were clearly worried about the “health and safety of their players,” but obviously still chose to not change their signs???
November 2nd, 2023 at 8:25 AM ^
"Oh, won't someone PLEASE think of the children!"-MSU
October 22nd, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
This feels like the last real season of college football to me. Conference realignment, expanded playoffs, rules changes to maximize revenue at the expense of everything else. It feels like a bit of a swan song for college football, and I love that Michigan is taking no prisoners as the Titanic sinks.
October 22nd, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
Agreed completely. The mega-conference, professional-league-playoff dynamic will make the game something else. Might still be good, but it won't be college football as we've known it.
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:17 AM ^
Watching the season unfold, you start to realize week over week how historically good this year’s team is. I think it would be awesome to see him win the heisman based on a season of playing only 2.5 quarters of football per game but ultimately I feel the voters will hold that against him. Secretly I pray to every god in the history of human existence that he decides to stay for his senior season but I realize that’s not how today’s game is structured.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:26 AM ^
Oh the structure and the Heisman won't mean shit when he comes back for his senior year. He deserves the NIL and he'll get it.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:16 AM ^
He gives away NIL money. He will command a huge NFL contract, and if they go all the way, his stock couldn’t be any higher next year. Enjoy this season.
October 22nd, 2023 at 3:25 PM ^
He gives away NIL money.
Yeah, you got me there. Like Harbaugh with his bonuses he's a Michigan man, and an absolute dude.
October 22nd, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
The whole CFB world will be watching to see what he and UM does the last 3+ weeks of the season...so the reward is his if he leads the team to a 3rd consecutive win over the nuts and conference championship.
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:30 AM ^
Unless he implodes late I definitely think he gets invited to New York...
How he closes out the season ultimately determines if he walks away with it but no other QB, or player, has been this consistent.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:27 AM ^
He won't implode but he's not getting the Heisman. Not gaudy enough.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:40 AM ^
I agree he's not "gaudy" the way a lot of Heisman winners have been recently, but who else wins if not JJ? Caleb is effectively out. Penix just hurt his chances, as did Maye with the UVA faceplant.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:08 AM ^
It’s still Penix. Had they lost last night, it’d be another story. But the voters can forgive one crappy game in a win.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
Marvin Harrison Jr is the most dominant player in the country. After the Penn State game he's getting a lot of Heisman talk. Unfortunately for him, he's a WR and the Heisman has become a QB award.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:52 AM ^
Watching Maybach Marvin gave me chills. If he were playing for any other team I would say he's the best offensive skill player in the country. Since he's a buckeye, let's just go with JJ = MHjr. and the tiebreaker will be decided in 5 weekends.
October 22nd, 2023 at 10:56 AM ^
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I think Marvin Harrison Jr. is a great WR, but his numbers aren't WR Heisman talk worthy. If wrong, you can correct me, but statistically a ton of receivers are ahead of him at this point of the season in various categories. I need a ton more TDs from a Heisman WR candidate. And honestly, he should be leading numerous categories at this point of the season for that kind of talk. He simply is too far down the list at his position for Heisman consideration.
When they start showing his numbers along side the Heisman talk, in relation to other WRs, I will listen. For example, he only has 6 TDs.
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
Caveats about the 2020 season aside, Devonta Smith did win it three years ago. Harrison's stats through seven aren't quite as gaudy, but he's hampered by poor quarterback play, a bad OL, and not playing with a first-round RB and WR. Hopefully he doesn't make Kyle McCord look like a first-round QB in the back half, like Smith did for Mac Jones.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:34 AM ^
They can forgive 1, I agree, but I think Penix's margin for error is now all but gone. Another crappy game would put him substantially at a disadvantage.
October 22nd, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
After watching about 80% of the ASU vs UW game, it's clear, Penix really struggles with pressure. He looked totally confused for large stretches of the game. The dogs never did score an offensive TD. If ASU has anything resembling a college QB they would have crushed UW. I'm sure it was a major letdown going from Oregon to Arizona st, but I'm guessing every UW opponent will bring the house.
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:27 AM ^
The voters can forgive 2 picks and a fumble to one of the worst teams in the country?
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:43 AM ^
Didn’t JJ have three interceptions against Bowling Green?
October 22nd, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
But it was in September ... and we won 31-6.
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:43 AM ^
McNamara still doesn’t understand why there was a competition.
October 22nd, 2023 at 1:27 PM ^
The guy doesn't just "implode late" - he completely disappears in the 4th quarter! *Clearly* not "Heisman material" - doesn't have that record of clutch, last minute game-winning drives this season.
October 22nd, 2023 at 2:08 PM ^
I know this is a joke and...it's good. But watching JJ (and the Don) on the sidelines in the 4th quarter was a joy; unbridled enthusiasm now known to all of mankind.
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:30 AM ^
He's one of the best college quarterbacks I've ever seen, and I've watched a lot of college football.
He's probably going to be successful at the next level too
This team is special
October 22nd, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^
I wonder where all the astute observers went who said McCarthy needed to wait his turn behind McNamara?
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:35 AM ^
He should be.
if he is successful against PSU and OSU he’ll have a very strong case to make.
Recency bias always exists but I’ve been watching UM football for ~ 50 years and would put him at the top of my list of best UM QBs. A special guy we’re fortunate to have at the helm this season.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:14 AM ^
After watching PSU and OSU yesterday, I think there’s a great chance of him absolutely steamrolling both of those teams. Allar apparently needed checkdowns with guys wide open in order to even be confident throwing the ball against OSU and while Day schemed open receivers downfield better than Frances did, Mccord needed a lot of time to figure out who was going to be open against PSU. JJ Looks miles ahead of both of them.
October 22nd, 2023 at 12:04 PM ^
"Frances" Franklin
Not sure if you intended it, but I like that nickname.
October 22nd, 2023 at 4:52 PM ^
lol that’s why I didn’t edit it :)
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:38 AM ^
To answer your question, I would say that being so efficient and excellent that a QB is not needed in the 4th is a bigger sign of dominance and being “outstanding” than anything.
Too bad the Heisman is very much “stats based” though
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:51 AM ^
On that note, if anyone comes across any good post-MSU recaps detailing his latest advanced stats against peers (similar to Bill C’s article a couple weeks ago), I’d be much obliged and fascinated to see how he’s tracking now. Yesterday I had a ND fan friend (using that word loosely, of course!) try to tell me that JJ dinks and dunks with huge YAC so he’s getting his stats with ease, and I am now sending him clips of every single NFL window he throws but would love some updated raw data to further establish the absolute idiocy of such a claim.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:10 AM ^
Your "friend" must not have watch a single Michigan game this year
This is probably the most vertical, downfield-oriented Michigan passing attack I have ever seen
https://www.cleveland.com/big-ten-football/2023/10/why-doesnt-james-franklin-think-penn-state-will-need-drew-allars-best-trait-against-ohio-state-football-jimmy-watkins.html
I couldn't find the "air yards" stat like they have in the NFL but this PSU article has some data (excluding this week)
Almost 46% of JJ's passes travel 10+ yards in the air, just trailing McCord in the Big 10
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:35 AM ^
To be fair JJ zips these passes at a speed dullards can't process. Didn't see it, didn't happen.
It's a flat earth after all....
October 22nd, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
That's not a very nice thing to call Cal Haladay, but it is Old School.
October 22nd, 2023 at 12:01 PM ^
We need one of those old NFL Fox trax comet tails on his throws so I can follow them better on tv because they are absolute missiles.
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:52 AM ^
JJ dinks and dunks with huge YAC so he’s getting his stats with ease
This is basically admitting he doesn't watch Michigan football and only stat watches. But that's the absurd thing about JJ. His stats are so good that just by boxscore watching, one would logically assume he's dinking and dunking with YAC, but he's not
October 22nd, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
Perhaps he has been watching 2021 film of Cade and confusing that with JJ?
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:39 AM ^
I dunno.... It's like he isn't even ready to play at the end of the game.
In all seriousness, I thought that voters or odds makers would hold that against him but obviously not. Team success is always at the center of the program's focus and not individual stats. I could see that being a problem in the Heisman race, but glad I'm wrong.
October 22nd, 2023 at 7:45 AM ^
I don’t think JJ is a tier below Caleb and Drake. I think draft analysts are starting to realize that. His only weakness appears to be missing wide open deep throws.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:11 AM ^
Maye was 24-48 in a loss to UVA, at home. Somehow, I don't see how this translates to a first round draft selection...
October 22nd, 2023 at 11:54 AM ^
He'll be a first-rounder because he matches the NFL QB prototype, like Justin Herbert. But he's also a much better prospect than recent first-rounders Anthony Richardson, Kenny Pickett, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, or Mac Jones.
October 22nd, 2023 at 8:29 AM ^
Only when Tyler Morris is running them