Ohio State may have a Heisman-worthy defender, but voters are too dumb to vote defense: Doug Lesmerises

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Could you imagine Malik Hooker in New York this weekend? He’d be the Heisman Trophy candidate from Ohio State’s defense, right? “It’s Malik, obviously,” cornerback Gareon Conley said. “No questions asked.” But you can’t really imagine it. Not the way people currently view college football. The best players from the two showcase programs in college football played defense this season, and when that happens, voters don’t know what to do. Neither J.T. Barrett nor Curtis Samuel was really Ohio State’s best Heisman hope – it would have taken voters opening their eyes to the best part of the Buckeyes. The same thing holds true at Alabama. We’ve advanced from 25 years ago, when monster passing numbers in new high-flying offenses led to some Heisman confusion. This season, Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes threw for 5,052 yards, more than 700 more than anyone else, and he’s not in New York.…

Continue Reading: Ohio State may have a Heisman-worthy defender, but voters are too dumb to vote defense: Doug Lesmerises