Week 12 has come and gone. The College Football regular season is coming to an end in a couple of weeks, and with it, the Heisman race is coming into focus more and more. There are only a couple more chances for the top candidates to leave their mark, and with “SoCon Saturday” sweeping the SEC, the top quarterbacks in the league won’t have opportunities in Week 13 for a “Heisman Moment.” It’s do-or-die time for the sport’s most prestigious and well-known individual award. As we look forward to the final two weeks of the season, notice the shifts in the polling this week as recency bias and an unexpected Heisman moment left their mark.
Week 12 Heisman Poll
The Field of Candidates
The Last Word on College Football writers’ Heisman Poll results are, in order from five to one, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Texas Tech Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. For the first time in quite some time, a defensive player cracks the list. One quarterback created his own Heisman moment, while another gave away the football and his spot on the list.
Recency Bias
In Week 12, the recency bias shows that Rodriguez is not only the best linebacker or defensive player in the country, but he also belongs in the Heisman Trophy discussion. He edged running back Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame and a couple of quarterbacks from the Peach State to land at number four. Like most defensive players with Heisman consideration, Rodriguez also factored into the game plan on offense, scoring his first offensive touchdown on a carry from two yards out. On the defensive side of the ball, he added a team-high nine tackles and grabbed his fourth interception of the season, which leads the Big 12.
On the flip side of recency bias, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who leads the SEC with 22 touchdown passes, fell from third to completely out of the poll this week, garnering only one vote. Simpson’s Crimson Tide team was upset by the 12th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, who have inserted themselves back into the College Football Playoff discussion. In the loss, Simpson threw just his second interception of the season and was sacked four times, once resulting in a fumble. The turnovers proved to be costly for the Tide and for Simpson in the recency bias category. The matchup with Oklahoma was an opportunity to burn a moment of greatness into the minds of voters, and Simpson was unable to deliver.
The Heisman Moment
The clear “Heisman Moment” of the week came in the most unlikely scenario. The top-ranked team in the Southeastern Conference, Texas A&M, hosted a (then) 3-6 South Carolina team at 11:00 AM. This game was largely off the radar as the Aggies entered the game as three-score favorites. However, in the first half, Reed threw two interceptions and was stripped by Dylan Stewart, leading to a scoop-and-score for the Gamecocks’ defense. At halftime, the playoff standout Aggies were down 30-3 in large part to their own miscues and mistakes. The 27-point deficit had the ability to derail Texas A&M’s plans for an SEC Championship Game appearance and destroy Reed’s Heisman chances.
Then, the second half happened. Not only did the Aggies rally to a 31-30 victory, shutting out South Carolina in the final two quarters, Reed was absolutely brilliant. He rushed to convert an early third-quarter fourth-and-12 that sparked the comeback and shifted momentum. Reed was 16 of 20 for 298 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, leading the Aggies to score 28 unanswered points in under 20 minutes of game time. His visible leadership on the sidelines and performance on the field were needed because of the hole that he and his team dug in the first half. But no one remembers what happened before greatness strikes. It is the image of the comeback that will shine for Reed as he sets his sights on a seat in New York City.
The Forgotten Ones
As the season nears its end, the scattering of votes among Last Word writers also heats up. Many players received votes, albeit not enough to crack the top five, in this week’s poll. Gunner Stockton is one of the most intriguing names, getting only one vote in this week’s poll. He leads a balanced Georgia team that is growing in dominance. Perhaps being the quarterback on a great team isn’t enough to get on the list after all? Stockton is a clear emotional leader, and his performance backs it up. Make no mistake, the down-to-earth Bulldog QB is not concerned with individual awards. He is focused on taking the Dawgs to another national championship under Kirby Smart.
The Beauty of It All
Everything is on the line all at once. Conference championship races are coming down to the wire around the country. The College Football Playoff Committee releases a new poll each Tuesday as fans and teams hang on the edge of their seats to see potential matchups and where the cut line falls. Rivalry weekend looms on the horizon as the heartbeat of college football grows stronger in the teams that have lost a little buzz amidst disappointing seasons. The coaching carousel gains momentum as the talk of how the dominoes will fall drowns out the sounds of real games on the field.
Then, swimming in an ocean of competition, is the Heisman Trophy, woven into almost every storyline. Like every river connects to the ocean, every college football journey touches another narrative. Don’t miss the dramatic climax in the coming weeks. After all, this is the time of year fans live for.
Main Image: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
