VTTW Board Index

That happens every time I watch a replay of the 1997 SEC Championship Game. Keith Jackson and Bob Griese are talking about whether or not Peyton should win the Heisman and who they are voting for.

Griese says that he is voting for Peyton. I always liked Keith Jackson but he won't say who he voted for even though Griese seems to make it clear that Jackson didn't vote for Peyton. What Jackson does say is that "Peyton got what he came back for, an SEC Championship. What he didn't get was to beat Florida."

I didn't know that beating one team was the criteria for winning the Heisman.

It makes me mad every time I hear him say that.

And I have never watched a Heisman presentation show since that year.

Well it was unfortunate, but I have to admit the goal line pick 6 at UF was watched by every voter in the country imo. That, and apparently the University went a lil nuts on the promotion of Peyton. Idk. Unfortunate. Do we have the most runners up all time? Probably not, but I bet we are top 10!  :powert:

right after the drop YD pass
BYW I was in the North end zone in the student section, the pick 6 right at me
That was the loudest single moment I’ve witnessed in any stadium, any time

Paul Hornung winning over Johnny Majors was the first royal screw job. "He was awarded the Heisman over future Tennessee and Pitt head coach Johnny Majors and Tom McDonald of Oklahoma, who actually garnered more first place votes" and "is the only Heisman winner to win the trophy while playing for a losing team." https://www.heisman.com/heisman-winners/paul-hornung/ (https://www.heisman.com/heisman-winners/paul-hornung/)

I don't think ABC/ESPN wanted Woodson to win over Peyton. In fact, it probably would have been a better story for them if Peyton had won. I think they wanted there to be uncertainty as to who would win it since they aired the Heisman presentation. It was better for ratings. And they aired the Big 10 games. So they pumped up Woodson. He was a great player. But he wasn't as responsible for his team's success as Peyton was.

And I will never believe otherwise.

I agree Droner.  :powert:

I remember scrolling through a Michigan fan forum on the morning of the presentation. Someone commented that Michigan fans should boycott the Heisman forever if Woodson didn't win.

That, in a nutshell, was the effect of the media campaign for Charles Woodson. Prior to the start of the 1997 season, you would've had trouble finding a Michigan fan anywhere on the planet who believed Woodson was a legitimate Heisman contender. By the end of the season, they were so convinced he deserved it that they were willing to mount a boycott if he didn't. Peyton Manning crossed every T and dotted every i that a Heisman candidate is supposed to. But he was a white, Southern QB. He wasn't the most deserving candidate. He wasn't even the most deserving candidate not named Manning. The media knew that, too. But to make the case for someone not named Manning, they had to go all-out. Not just a player from outside the SEC, but a DEFENSIVE player from outside the SEC. There had never been a defensive player win the award, but suddenly, of all years, it was time to change that. And so that's the hill they prepared themselves to die on...and it worked.

Like you, I've never watched a Heisman presentation since then. I honestly could not tell you who won the award even last year. I don't think I can name 3 Heisman winners in the 25 years since '97. It lost all significance to me that year.

I'm going to push back quite a bit on "ABC/ESPN didn't actually want Woodson to win". 

1. ABC had the Rose Bowl contract. Woodson was going to be in the Rose Bowl. 
2. Heisman trophy winner was considered to add quite a bit to the Rose Bowl allure (i.e., ratings).
3. CBS had the SEC contract.
4. ABC had the Big 10 contract.
5. I read an article after the season, that said ABC Sports had been in the red all season, but the Rose Bowl ratings were off the chart and put them back into the black.  Boom!  No need to say anything else.


Per 5, I would love to find that article in an archive somewhere, but have been unable to do so.  It spoke volumes. 

"Follow the money".   :naughty:

The heisman was not worthy of Manning.

Heisman=nobel=compromised