Best Heisman Winner during the BCS Era Tournament - #6 Johnny Manziel vs #11 Troy Smith

[iowajerms]

Seeds are from Ranking the Heisman Trophy Winners of the BCS Era on NFL and CFB Success

*Bush is not included on the list, so I put him at #16. Completes the bracket. Ranking is also by their CFB and NFL careers, but it is the best list I found.

Vote solely based on their Heisman winning season.

This Week (Wed-Sun)

This Thread - #6 Seed Johnny Manziel (2013) vs #11 Seed Troy Smith (2004)
Other Thread - #3 Seed Sam Bradford (2008) vs #14 Seed Eric Crouch (2001)

No repeat matchups in this bracket (winner of 1st matchup wins). Loser of semis goes for 3rd.
Higher seed wins tie breaker.

Spoiler: Past Matchups

Best Heisman Winner during the BCS Era Tournament - #1 Cam Newton vs #16 Reggie Bush
Best Heisman Winner during the BCS Era Tournament - #8 Robert Griffin III vs #9 Tim Tebow
Best Heisman Winner during the BCS Era Tournament - #5 Carson Palmer vs #12 Chris Wienke
Best Heisman Winner during the BCS Era Tournament - #4 Jameis Winston vs #13 Mark Ingram

 

[iowajerms]

I got the year wrong for Manziel, he won in 2012.

 

[iowajerms]

Bracket year is correct for Smith.

 

[Sgt Brutus]

Troy

much better player

 

[outofyourmind]

I'm not sure this will even be a race.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

This is kind of like the RG3/Tebow one to me. Manziel was something completely different. You knew what you were seeing was not something you would see all the time. Manziel made A&M relevant, night and day difference from the season prior. Troy Smith... not so much. Manziel was the more dynamic player and I confident say that without Manziel, A&M loses a lot more games that year (the the 2 they did lose were pretty close).

 

[steelerssb]

Manziel may have been more of a one-hit wonder but he was something else that year. Smith was definitely good but might be the most forgettable in the era outside of Columbus.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Smith I still can't believe won.

That's how I felt about Eddie George beating out Tommy Frazier.

 

[steelerssb]

That's how I felt about Eddie George beating out Tommy Frazier.

Got me before an edit. After looking back I think it's more forgettable that he won more so than he wasn't deserving.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Manziel may have been more of a one-hit wonder but he was something else that year. Smith was definitely good but might be the most forgettable in the era outside of Columbus.

Wait... how did you edit lol? I am fairly new here and I didn't know there was an edit button anywhere.

Got me before an edit. After looking back I think it's more forgettable that he won more so than he wasn't deserving.

No biggie lol. I literally came back in here, saw that you editted your post and started freaking out about how you did it lol.

I didn't think there was an edit button, but I see it now lol.

 

[steelerssb]

Wait... how did you edit lol? I am fairly new here and I didn't know there was an edit button anywhere.


No biggie lol. I literally came back in here, saw that you editted your post and started freaking out about how you did it lol.

I didn't think there was an edit button, but I see it now lol.

The pencil button below your favorite teams. You have a 10 minute window for it.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

The pencil button below your favorite teams. You have a 10 minute window for it.

Good to know. That is probably why I never knew you could edit since the pencil isn't always there.

Thanks.

 

[Sgt Brutus]

Manziel may have been more of a one-hit wonder but he was something else that year. Smith was definitely good but might be the most forgettable in the era outside of Columbus.

One led a championship caliber team. The other was a gunslinger party boy on a decent team. Manziel benefited from great receivers. Mike Evans was a monster.

 

[steelerssb]

One led a championship caliber team. The other was a gunslinger party boy on a decent team. Manziel benefited from great receivers. Mike Evans was a monster.

That is a good point about Evans, I will concede.

 

[4down20]

Manziels stats are extremely inflated for that year. They were leaving him to score 4 and 5 TD's against lesser teams to get those stats.

When he played actual good defenses(LSU and Florida), he had bad numbers. However, he did have good numbers against Alabama and that was the game that won him the Heisman IMO - BUT that was in large part to Mike Evans and LUCK - and the A&M defense, which gets 0 credit even though AJ threw his only 2 interceptions of the regular season in that game.

Fumbling the ball, having it bounce right back in your hands but out long enough to draw the defense out of position and throwing it for a TD is a crazy play, but that's luck. Throwing the ball up with what is really a bad pass and having your guy come down with it is mostly luck(and the tall receiver as mentioned).

No surprise here he was a NFL bust.

Can't vote for that.

 

[iowajerms]

I think I would rather have Smith as my QB in a clutch moment. If my team needed to pull something out of their ass, I would go with Johnny Football. I think Manziel was more exciting to watch, but Smith was a better leader.