Someone Needs To Say It: Will Howard Is Not Getting Enough Heisman Consideration

Look I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Something doesn't add up in this year's Heisman Race and if no one else will say it, I will have to be the bad guy that upsets the establishment once again. Don't get me wrong, Travis Hunter is an excellent football player that deserves to be on the shortest list of contenders. Ashton Jeanty is putting up monster numbers for Boise State, meaning he should be in the discussion as well. And then the only other person who seems to be within actual striking distance of the award is Dillion Gabriel, who is having a great season for the #1 team in the country, the Oregon Ducks.

Dillion Gabriel stats (10 games)

22 Passing Touchdowns, 6 Rushing Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions, 2848 Yards,  86.7 QBR….and most importantly: he is the QB1 of the #1 team in the country

So if those stats are worth being +330 and a legitimate contender to win the Heisman Trophy, my question is this: why is Ohio State's Will Howard not 4th? Why is he +10000? Why is he not neck and neck with the other 3? Take a look at his stats through 9 games (1 less than Gabriel):

Will Howard stats (9 games)

22 Passing Touchdowns, 6 Rushing Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions, 83.6 QBR….and is the QB1 of the #2 team in the country.

Again, wait 6 days and let's revisit after he gets to play his 10th game against Northwestern. He'll be better than Dillion Gabriel in all of these. AND he leads the nation in red zone offense (88%) for the 2nd straight year, seeing as he did at Kansas State last season as well. For reference, Ohio State was 64% last season. So what gives? Why is he not higher up in the conversation? 

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that Dillion Gabriel has the leg up in the one-on-one competition seeing as Oregon beat Ohio State (by 1, at home). But my question is this: if that is the only reason he has the leg up, and Ohio State will be favored to beat Oregon in the Big 10 title game on a neutral field, will that make Will Howard skyrocket into the top 3? My guess is that it will not. My guess is that this anti-Ohio State rhetoric will continue, and we'll find another reason why Will (who would be the statistically better QB AND have the #1 team in the country on his resume) still won't even get an invite to New York. I know this blog won't change any of it, but I just had to get it off my chest and say it.

**Blogger's Note:

This take has nothing to do with this disgusting pig named Michigan Mike secretly recording this private interaction between me and my good friend Will on Saturday.

I would've written this pro Will Howard blog this morning either way, regardless of if the world found out this weekend that we're best friends or not. #WillyHeisman