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How Hutch voted for the 2018 Heisman Trophy

When asked to join the Heisman Trophy electorate this year, I was extremely excited and honored to be a part of such a prestigious college football award.

Little did I know that it would be one of the most contested Heisman races in years. At the time, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was lapping the competition and I told my closest friends that I might need help…figuring out who to vote for second and third place.

As we all know, that’s not quite how it turned out down the stretch. So without further ado, here is my first ever Heisman Trophy ballot…

1. Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray

This was really, really tough. I saw the graphic the Sooners released last weekend that showed Murray with a statistical advantage over Tagovailoa in pretty much ever category, but that’s not what clinched my vote.

Instead, how Murray delivered when repeatedly asked to carry his team is what pushed him over the edge. Oklahoma’s defense was terrible this year, meaning the offense couldn’t afford a single slip up and Murray hardly ever did.

In a tie game without his No. 1 wide receiver and with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line, he completed 8 of 10 passes for 130 yards in the fourth quarter of the Big 12 Championship Game.

Throw that on top of his spectacular passing statistics - 241 of 340 (70.9 percent), 4,053 yards, 40 touchdowns and only seven interceptions - and running abilities - 892 yards and 11 touchdowns - and that is a Heisman-worthy player.

2. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa

How good was Alabama’s offense with Tagovailoa this season? He didn’t even take a snap in the fourth quarter until the ninth game of the season and has attempted only eight total passes in the fourth quarter this year.

A big reason for that is because Alabama’s offense was a buzzsaw with him under center. Seeing him in person against Arkansas was impressive, granted it was against a very bad defense. However, his cast of four- and five-star receivers made it easy for him and he was never really under the pressure of a tight game. I know that is splitting hairs, but you have to factor it in when trying to decide between two sensational players.

When finally challenged in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, Tagovailoa struggled to the tune of 10-for-25 passing for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He didn’t get a chance to provide a “Heisman moment” by leading a comeback because he was knocked out with an injury and instead, Jalen Hurts got his redemption moment. Fair or not, that hurt is standing.

Although it’s unfair to compare some of the statistics because of the playing time discrepancies, there are a few key categories in which Murray has the edge: passer rating (205.7 to 202.3), yards per attempt (11.9 to 11.7) and completion percentage (70.9 to 67.7). Injuries also limited what Tagovailoa was able to do on the ground, giving Murray a huge advantage there (7.3 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns to 4.0 yards per carry and five touchdowns).

3. Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins

The younger version of myself, who was angry at Darren McFadden’s snub in favor of Troy Smith for the 2006 Heisman Trophy and Terrelle Pryor for being allowed to play in the 2011 Sugar Bowl, would have been mortified at giving at Ohio State quarterback even a third-place vote.

However, as a sports writer and Heisman voter, I had to set those biases aside. I looked at West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew and even a couple of running backs in Memphis’ Darrell Henderson and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, but it became increasingly clear that Haskins was the best choice.

In a conference not known for producing high-flying passers, Haskins shattered Drew Brees’ single-season Big Ten record for touchdown passes and Curtis Painter’s single-season Big Ten record for passing yards.

With a chance to win a conference title and keep the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff conversation, he tore up the top pass defense in the country, throwing for 396 yards and six touchdowns against rival Michigan. If it hadn’t been for Murray and Tagovailoa, he would have been a great candidate to win the Heisman.

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