Ole Miss went to Atlanta as SECW Champion, is that a trade you would be willing to make at this point in the season? All other scenarios remain on the table in this hypothetical deal with the devil. I'll hang up and listen.
If you could guarantee that Dak won the Heisman but only if...
- Thread starter Thor.sixpack
- Start date
Don't get me wrong, I hope for the best for Dak - all the awards he can possibly win and a first round draft choice.
BUT... I'm a State fan first and foremost so my answer is no.
BUT... I'm a State fan first and foremost so my answer is no.
I want Dak to win the Heisman despite how I feel about the award but that's just a bonus. Us in Atlanta & the playoff is priority number one. So absolutely not.
If we play well enough to make it to Atlanta, than Dak has played well enough...
to win the Heisman trophy.
Two birds. One stone.
to win the Heisman trophy.
Two birds. One stone.
Agree.
We very likely aren't getting to Atlanta without Dak's current performance or better. We seal a ticket to Atlanta and Dak gets the hardware.
But to directly answer the OP, HELL NO. Give me a team accomplishment over individual accomplishment all day.
We very likely aren't getting to Atlanta without Dak's current performance or better. We seal a ticket to Atlanta and Dak gets the hardware.
But to directly answer the OP, HELL NO. Give me a team accomplishment over individual accomplishment all day.
Because having a program that produces a Heisman winner legitimizes you in a way that accomplishing anything short of a winning national championship does not. It permanently changes the national perception of your program. Griffin III did that for Baylor. Fair or not, it is the one national award that is universally respected and recognized across college football. The impact on the brand value of Mississippi State football would last for at least 20 years, and I believe that it would be more significant than us being able to say "SEC West Champs 1998, 2014". What impact did winning the west in 98 have on our program? How long did that clout last for? I say about 5 years. How many people still respect Arkansas for the 2 SECCG appearances they made under Nutt? Maybe a fair question would be to poll aTm fans to see if they would trade Johnny's Heisman for the 2012 SECW banner?
This year is different because so much is still in play for both MS schools beyond just the division crown which is why it's a loaded question. My scenario still leaves the back door open for a shot at the playoff in the event that the Egg Bowl was our only loss, Ole Miss loses to UGA in the SECCG and the two SEC playoff representatives are MSU and UGA. Would you take that deal or is one Egg Bowl more important than everything else to our fanbase?
In ten years, the casual football fan won't be able to tell you where RGIII played college ball, assuming he has a great NFL career that people will even be talking about him, so his Heisman trophy won't be paying off for Baylor down the road just like our '98 west division has not done for us. I think you're making the argument from the standpoint of public perception of our school/program. i think of it more along the lines of recruiting. A division championship, in my opinion, has better value in terms of recruiting as opposed to an individual award. Unless of course the only positions you're recruiting are QB, RB and the occasional star WR.
I already didn't like the Heisman before last year but they sealed the deal giving it to Winston. I hated Johnny football almost equally to Winston but if Manziel won it in 2012 (4,616 total yards 47 tds) then he deserved it again in 2013 (4,873 total yards 46 tds). He did this is in the toughest division & conference in the land but A&M's defense sucked so his team's record suffered. Winston had 4,250 total yards & 44 tds but he was last year's new darling on the surprise team contending for a natty.
Yes. You put a Heisman trophy out to show every recruit for 30 years, and it's something that no Ole Miss player, even those Deities named Manning, can claim.
Now, if going to the SEC championship game means we're going to the CFB playoffs, I'd give up the Heisman.
Now, if going to the SEC championship game means we're going to the CFB playoffs, I'd give up the Heisman.
I'll add to that. While having Eli and Archie are certainly benefits to Ole Miss, it isn't necessarily because they were Heisman contenders. They were just great QBs that are all in the same family. They haven't had a QB close to as good as Eli since him, so it certainly hasn't helped them in terms of getting QB talent.
LSU on the other hand, has won the west multiple times in the last 15 years and that has certainly helped them in recruiting.
LSU on the other hand, has won the west multiple times in the last 15 years and that has certainly helped them in recruiting.
Bama was an anomaly. They should have had a Heisman winner/winners back a long time ago. My point certainly does not apply to their program. They are basically a permanent 5-star prestige school. This season has taken us from a 3-star to a 4-star prestige. We can stabilize at that 4-star level by Dak winning the Heisman or by us winning the SEC outright. An SEC West banner does not have the same long term effect in my opinion.
I will say that even a mid-season consensus #1 ranking has similar effects on prestige, but it does not have the same staying power in the eyes of the public. We all have short attention spans now.
An SEC West Banner (assuming you actually win it and don't just hang one for the hell of it like Ole Miss) most likely means an SEC Championship this year and a spot in the playoffs. At the beginning of a season when you don't know where you're going to end up, your question might make sense. But at this point, it's just nonsensical. You don't give up a legitimate shot at an SEC Championship for an individual award.
Lets reverse the question. What if the only way you could garantee a ticket to Atlanta was for Bo to win the Heisman???
2013
Moncrief 59 receptions 938 yards 6 TDs
Lewis 64 receptions 923 yards 5 TDs plus 3 rushing TDs and 2 passing TDs
I guess it depends on what you mean by "as good as". Productionwise, obviously Tubby was as good as if not better than Moncrief. Maybe I am underappreciating Tubby or overestimating Moncreif. I wouldn't "trade" one of our players so I can't bring myself to say I'd rather have Moncreif than Tubby, but Moncrief to me seemed like a much different weapon than Tubby. He didn't do UM as much good because Wallace couldn't get the ball to him, but I think you give him even this year's Wallace instead of last year's and he would be a guy that every defense has to gameplan for. But you could also say Tubby's stats were hurt by going from Russell to Dak to Williams over the course of the year.
Regardless, you've convinced me my point was wrong with respect to Tubby and Moncreif. Considering the stat comparison, you don't have to be crazy homerish and maybe not homerish at all to think Tubby was as good as Moncreif last year. Maybe there's not a good recent comparison. Maybe Dicenzo Miller v. Deuce? One of my favorite playesr and a good SEC player, but while I wouldn't trade Dicenzo for Deuce, I would recognize I was being a homerish to claim he was as good as Deuce. Same thing, good SEC player versus elite college player, although maybe I am homerish enough to think it's a little insulting to Miller to compare Wallace to him.
If we both go into the Egg Bowl undefeated then winner and loser is in good shape for the playoff. If we lose and Dak wins the Heisman then we get into the playoff and win the national title, it's win-win. I'll take the natty with a Heisman trophy winner over SEC West champs