The Case Against Love
He Plays the Wrong Position: Not a Quarterback
Since 2000, 20 of 25 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks. And as noted, the five players with the best odds besides Love (+350) are all signal-callers. Fair or not, the award has become a quarterback showcase.
Recently, legends such as Desmond Howard (1991 Heisman winner) and Joey Galloway have voiced their support for Love — either stating outright that he should win or that he should at least be a finalist. Perhaps the pendulum is swinging. But history remains a stubborn obstacle.
Notre Dame Has a History of Heisman Snubs
Whether it’s bias, coincidence, or simply the voters’ preferences, Notre Dame players have often come up short in recent Heisman races.
Since 2000, the Irish have produced three finalists — and all three ended the night disappointed.
• 2005: Brady Quinn finished fourth behind Reggie Bush, Vince Young, and Matt Leinart. Quinn’s numbers far surpassed Leinart’s, but Bush and Young were untouchable.
• 2006: Quinn finished third and arguably was snubbed. Ohio State QB Troy Smith won despite throwing for 884 fewer yards and seven fewer touchdowns than Quinn.
• 2012: Linebacker Manti Te’o came painstakingly close but finished second to Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel — the first freshman ever to win the award. Had Te’o played quarterback on a 12-0 Notre Dame team, maybe he would’ve won.
The pattern is clear: Notre Dame stars rarely get the benefit of the doubt.