UM Top 10 Finishers in Heisman Voting
Winners:
1940 Tom Harmon (462 pts ahead of A&M QB John Kimbrough)
1991 Desmond Howard (1574 pts ahead of FSU QB Casey Weldon)
1997 Charles Woodson (272 pts ahead of Tenn QB Peyton Manning)
2nd
1939 Tom Harmon (239 pts behind Iowa RB Nile Kinnick)
1947 Bob Chappuis (187 pts behind ND QB Johnny Lujack)
3rd
1976 Rob Lytle (behind Tony Dorsett & Ricky Bell)
1978 Rick Leach (292 pts out of 1st; behind Billy Sims & Chuck Fusina)
1986 Jim Harbaugh (behind Vinny Testaverde & Paul Palmer)
4th
1964 Bob Timberlake (behind Huarte, Rhome, Butkus)
1982 Anthony Carter (Herschel Walker, Elway, Dickerson) (wow what a year; Dan Marino was 9th)
2003 Chris Perry (Jason White, L. Fitzgerald, E. Manning)
5th
2006 Mike Hart (Troy Smith, McFadden, B. Quinn, S. Slaton)
2016 Jabrill Peppers (L. Jackson, D. Watson, B. Mayfield, D. Westbrook)
6th
1956 Ron Kramer (Winner: ND QB Paul Hornung. Jim Brown was 5th)
1968 Ron Johnson (USC RB O.J. Simpson)
1974 Dennis Franklin (Ohio St RB Archie Griffin)
2010 Denard Robinson (Auburn QB Cam Newton; former M QB Ryan Mallett was 7th)
7th
1943 Bill Daley (ND QB Angelo Bertelli)
1981 Anthony Carter (USC RB Marcus Allen)
8th
1941 Bob Westfall (Minnesota RB Bruce Smith)
1955 Ron Kramer (Ohio St RB Howard "Hopalong" Cassady)
1975 Gordon Bell (Ohio St RB Archie Griffin)
1977 Rick Leach (Texas RB Earl Campbell)
1993 Tyrone Wheatley (FSU QB Charlie Ward)
1995 Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka (Ohio St RB Eddie George)
10th
1980 Anthony Carter (South Carolina RB George Rogers)
2004 Braylon Edwards (USC QB Matt Leinart)
Wheatley also finished 12th in 1994.
Bryce Young is the rumored likely winner, but Hutchinson has a decent chance to be one of five Michigan players to finish in the top two (Harmon, Howard, Woodson, Chappuis).
Side note on MSU: Kenneth Walker III has a decent chance to be MSU's best finisher since Lorenzo White finished 4th in 1987. Since then: 1988 Tony Mandarich (6th), 1989 Percy Snow (8th), 2008 Javon Ringer (10th), 2015 Connor Cook (9th). MSU hasn't had a player finish better than 4th since 1963 (Sherman Lewis was 3rd) and of course has never had a winner...
(...although the general saltiness on that is seemingly even showing up in Google results)
Sources:
https://mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/football-heisman-trophy-history.aspx
December 11th, 2021 at 1:33 PM ^
Let's hope we have a 4th winner tonight!
December 11th, 2021 at 1:38 PM ^
MSU fans have a strange amount of love for a mercenary who will have played for MSU for a total of 4 months
December 11th, 2021 at 1:57 PM ^
I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm fond of guys who came in just for a year like Jake Rudock, Chaundee Brown, Mike Smith etc. And honestly Walker had a pretty amazing impact for a transfer who was just a guy at Wake Forest.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
I guess part of the reason I love Hutchinson is not just because of how dominant he is, but he's a guy that really bleeds Michigan. We've watched him develop into this beast over 4 years and he came back this year to lead this team to a Big Ten championship. It's a Heisman-worthy story.
Can't say the same about Walker. He's a guy who would've gone anywhere else because he was tired of being second string at Wake Forest. Does he give 2 craps about MSU? I guess their fans are just happy they finally have a good offensive player.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:43 PM ^
I mean yeah, probably. They gave him a chance to prove himself when nobody else would. It's an objectively great story. So is Hutchinson's. Imo they're both better stories than Stroud or Young, who are just surrounded by such insane talent and great machines that it's hard not to put up Heisman-worthy numbers
December 11th, 2021 at 2:04 PM ^
I don't mind the love part. But I do find it a bit pathetic to see how upset they're getting over a guy that will have spent about 5 months of his life in East Lansing.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:13 PM ^
They had a fantastically, unexpected turnaround year, so Walker's Heisman ranking should mean a lot to them. Also their fans have probably not been paying attention for the past 3-4 years (apart from one game a year) so it's understood that they might not be fully aware of yesteryear
December 11th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
Don't get me wrong, I think Walker should be a finalist. It's just funny how any slight against MSU gets so blown out of proportion by that fanbase.
Also naturally they think Hutchinson is the one who should be replaced when in reality it's probably Stroud. A lot of QBs could put up those kind of numbers in that system and with that ridiculous surrounding talent.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:36 PM ^
If you were them you would be pissed off too. He deserves to be there. They have a coach who looks like he can recruit or at a minimum can’t attract productive talent. In their mind, this helps build their brand to be able to say they had a Heisman finalist. This would help their recruiting and who knows what else. My only issue is the narrative that Hutchinson is somehow the reason that he isn’t going.
December 11th, 2021 at 1:57 PM ^
If you look at the Heisman criteria:
The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The winners of the trophy epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.
I can't see how Aidan isn't THAT, compared to anyone else this year. He came back after a crappy year with his coach on the hot seat. He LED this team from an unranked no-chance to the CFP, destroying OSU while being held alot.
Playing for teams like Bama and OSU means it's almost a birthright to be a Heisman finalist and they're surrounded by a ton of talent. Talented freshmen on dynasty teams shouldn't be handed this thing. What Aidan did this year means much much more than what the other finalists have accomplished.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:50 PM ^
Every year I look for all those extra attributes. I don't think they take those other things I to as high conservation. Granted I don't know how Bryce young is off the field
December 11th, 2021 at 2:04 PM ^
I thought it was already known that Walker finished 6th?
December 11th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
I did not see this - thanks. So Walker will be their best finisher since '88 (tying Mandarich), not '87.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:44 PM ^
Does anyone know how common it is for 3 of the top 10 to be defensive players? I think it should be more common, but absolutely am digging it this year.
December 11th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^
i am a believer that the heisman shouldn't be voted on until all bowl games are done. different story 70 years ago when there were just a handful of bowls mainly for exhibition purposes. too many important ones now.
who doesn't give the heisman to vince young over reggie bush on Jan 2 that year?
December 11th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
and who give it to Johnny Manziel his freshman year knowing what he would turn out to be? The award voters need to consider the player's college career and progression.
December 11th, 2021 at 10:20 PM ^
AC with 3 top ten finishes
December 12th, 2021 at 2:10 AM ^
Lol Paul Palmer
And I'm retroactively enraged they didn't give it to Larry Fitzgerald over Jason White