NCAA Football: 25 Heisman Trophy finalists who should have won in hindsight
By John Scimeca
Tommie Frazier headed back-to-back national champions as the Nebraska quarterback, the second coming in 1995 — when he finished as runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Frazier rushed for 604 yards and threw for 1,362 yards, accounting for 31 touchdowns en route to another national title.
As a sophomore, Frazier had also led the Cornhuskers to an undefeated regular season in 1993. Despite Nebraska’s loss to Florida State and recently crowned Heisman winner Charlie Ward, Frazier was named the game’s MVP. Thus, Frazier was the de facto national title game MVP for three consecutive seasons.
As the director of a Tom Osborne-led Wishbone offense, Frazier managed to lead the Cornhuskers to two straight national championships without suffering a loss or a tie.
As perhaps the most fitting way to end a storied career, the 1995 season concluded with Nebraska defeating Florida by a score of 62-24. Frazier rushed 16 times for 199 yards and threw for 105 yards, accounting for two touchdowns.
Sure, Ohio State running back Eddie George had a phenomenal season in 1995, rushing for nearly 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns for a Buckeyes squad that finished No. 5 in the final AP Poll. Ohio State, though, lost the last two games of the season, to archrival Michigan and Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
Perhaps Frazier’s Heisman snub feels most jarring because of the leadership intangibles that he brought to the field and that he was the best player on the best team in the country for two consecutive seasons.