LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels won the most prestigious award in college football on Saturday evening after producing a statistically superb season.
He did not receive my first-place vote.
I submitted following Heisman Trophy ballot earlier this week:
1. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
2. LSU QB Jayden Daniels
3. Oregon QB Bo Nix
Why Penix and not Daniels, or Nix?
First, a brief acknowledgment: The best player in the country is not on my ballot.
The best player, regardless of position, is Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. However, Bowers was injured during the middle of the season, missed several games and simply did not make the requisite impact.
Another acknowledgment; Penix was not sensational each week. In fact, the Huskies struggled against substandard competition, with narrow wins over Arizona State and Stanford atop that list.
In contrast, Daniels, the former Arizona State quarterback, was brilliant on a weekly basis for LSU and produced the best statistical season in the country.
He led the nation in passing efficiency and yards-per-attempt while throwing for 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Also, he ran for more than 1,000 yards.
But my decision was not based solely on statistics. Winning mattered. And in that regard, there’s no comparison between the two.
LSU lost three games and was a mere 2-3 against teams with winning records. As well as he played, Daniels didn’t elevate the Tigers.
Meanwhile, Washington was 13-0, finished second in the College Football Playoff rankings and became the only team in the Pac-12 era (2011-23) to produce a perfect regular season.
And it’s not as if the Huskies overpowered a second-rate conference. The Pac-12 was terrific this season, with elite teams, quality depth, superb quarterback play and a stellar non-conference record (29-7).
Without Penix, the Huskies never would have approached perfection.
— The Hotline evaluated the Heisman Trophy candidates using the top category within John Wooden’s famed Pyramid of Success: “competitive greatness.”
Wooden defined the quality as the ability to “be at your best when your best is needed.”
What is the Heisman if not a test of competitive greatness?
No quality better describes Penix in 2023: He made every critical throw in every big game in leading his team to a perfect season in arguably the toughest league in the land.
The Huskies won seven games by a touchdown or less, beat No. 8 Oregon by a field goal on two occasions and ripped through November and December with five consecutive wins against bowl-eligible teams.
In each case, Penix made every essential play.
— Final point: Flip the narrative.
Imagine a season in which Daniels was mediocre on several occasions but led LSU to a 13-0 record and won a series of huge games down the stretch. Meanwhile, Penix was statistically brilliant each week but went 9-3 and didn’t qualify for the Pac-12 championship game.
The national narrative? Winning matters, and there’s no better example than a quarterback who led his team to a perfect season in the nation’s toughest conference.
In that world, there’s zero doubt about Daniels’ credentials for the Heisman.
And in the real world, there’s no doubt about Penix.
Related Articles
Mailbag: Why the CFP matched Oregon vs. Liberty in the Fiesta
Pac-12 recruiting: Sanders lands No. 1, Brown to ASU, Stanford’s flips
NCAA reform: Charlie Baker’s radical plan change and the future of CFB
Best of the West rankings: Arizona on top, followed by Gonzaga, BYU and Colorado State
Breaking down the top Pac-12 football assistant coaches and coordinators of 2023
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to [email protected] or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.
