congrats to mendoza ... but

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Some of yall are losing the plot.

Mendoza was great this year, not taking anything away from him. But he won the award because he was the best player on the best team, which is often how these things go. It didn’t last year (Gabriel) because Hunter had a unicorn type season.

He didn’t win because he was better than Cam last year. If Miami went 13-0 last year, Cam Ward would have 100.0% won the Heisman. Just this year, nobody had a Hunter type season. IMO Pavia should’ve won it. But he didn’t go for undefeated. He was a better football player this season than Mendoza was, though.
personality had something to do with it, too.

Mendoza is a a great story. Genuinely a team guy who his teammates clearly like and respect.

Pavia is less than humble.... Doesn't play as well
 
It is quite possible to see Mendoza as a flawed pro prospect / game manager while also appreciating that he’s a solid dude (the kind you want your sister to date - I think) and that he had a great season on an undefeated team. It’s a cool story. Pointing out that he has flaws doesn’t necessarily make the pointer a hater.
Wasn't he a massive **** to that JKS kid? Which is why he initially committed to Oregon.
 
Honestly who cares about his draft prospects and whether he will pan out in the NFL or not? The Heisman is a college award. Better stats than pretty much any QB on the #1 team in the nation. Phenomenal kid to boot.

Sometimes yall be complaining about nonsense.
Cam Ward was 10-2 leading the best offense in the country didn't stand a chance, but this guy, whose stats are closer to Carson Beck, than Cam Ward wins because "He's a good story". Guess being a zero star recruit that climbs his way from FCS to MIAMI isn't a good story. Like the CFP, the Heisman voting is based on vibes, not facts nor logic.
 
The fact that Cam didn't win it last year because Travis Hunter had a cool gimmick, but Mendoza won it despite not being the best QB statistically proves that the Heisman is about STORY, not actual talent. Mendoza is a solid QB, and a good dude, but some GM is about to get fired after they draft him.

When you take a deep dive into this young man's film, it's obvious that he is a very good college QB, but he isn't the overwhelming talent GMs dream of when they take a QB in the first round. 14 of his 33 TDs came in three games, including a 5 TD performance against Indiana State, and another one against an Illinois team that was drastically overrated to start the season. Think about that, almost half of his season production came in three games, with 9 of those TDs coming against an FCS school and Wisconsin program that was one of the worst P4 squads in the country.

Compare that to Cam Ward, who had multiple TD passes in twelve games last year.
cam came in fourth and had 6 first place votes. he didn't just lose to hunter.
 
Cam was the best player in America last year and would’ve been the best this year. That’s an easy one.

But where is this narrative about Mendoza’s stats coming from? He leads the country in passing TDs, is second in passer rating, is #1 in P4 in yards per attempt, and was the best player on the field in big moments against real competition.

I think some people are still frustrated about how wrong they were on the initial evaluation.
Or, unlike you they see the young man for what he is and won't fall for the okie doke. Fernando Mendoza is Ken Dorsey(at best), in a world where that isn't really all that spectacular. It's amazing how people view Carson Beck as a mini bust at Miami, when outside of the Louisville game, had a season very similar to Mendoza, the only difference is that Miami actually played more than 2 teams with a pulse.

Indiana had one of the weakest OOC schedules in the country, and combined it with a middling B1G slate. They can't control who they play in conference play, but let's stop pretending that Mendoza dominated the best teams on the schedule. He was middling against Oregon and solid against Ohio State. Julian Sayin, a young QB looked better in the B1G Championship, and had it not been for a shanked FG, likely would have walked away with that game.

Mendoza is a good young man, but this is by far the weakest Heisman field we've seen in decades. Ironically, this reminds me of the year that Gino T. won it, where people ran to "Someone we know", instead of doing some actual research. Fortunately for Fernando, there wasn't anyone that truly stood out this year, and the one guy that was a difference maker played linebacker at TTU, and we know that wasn't going to get any attention.
 
cam came in fourth and had 6 first place votes. he didn't just lose to hunter.
That further proves my point. Cam Ward didn't even stand a chance, despite leading a top end offense, putting up video game numbers and having legit team success. Travis Hunter was a reality show and voters ran to the gimmick. It's not his fault, but it's amazing how the one time Miami has a guy up there, the standard magically changes and he's left out.
 
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Cam was the best player in America last year and would’ve been the best this year. That’s an easy one.

But where is this narrative about Mendoza’s stats coming from? He leads the country in passing TDs, is second in passer rating, is #1 in P4 in yards per attempt, and was the best player on the field in big moments against real competition.

I think some people are still frustrated about how wrong they were on the initial evaluation.
What is the eval on his younger brother?
 
Cam Ward was 10-2 leading the best offense in the country didn't stand a chance, but this guy, whose stats are closer to Carson Beck, than Cam Ward wins because "He's a good story". Guess being a zero star recruit that climbs his way from FCS to MIAMI isn't a good story. Like the CFP, the Heisman voting is based on vibes, not facts nor logic.
Ward didn't get his heisman moment. He needed his receivers to step up in the Syracuse game and they didn't. Mendozas receivers stepped up on the Penn State game and the rest was history.
 
Pavia has issues with Mendoza too!
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The voters seemed to have an issue with Pavia...

right or wrong...Mendoza received more second place votes than Pavia did first place votes...

Screenshot_20251214_124918_DuckDuckGo.jpg
 
Ward didn't get his heisman moment. He needed his receivers to step up in the Syracuse game and they didn't. Mendozas receivers stepped up on the Penn State game and the rest was history.
That win would have helped, but as you said, the Horton drop and X fumble was not on him.
Ward lost the Heisman on the final drive against GT, IMO.
 
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What they should do is have a ceremony where every single position is highlighted and decided upon as "the best", then choose the "Heisman" from that pool...

Probably a logistics nightmare and bloated like the Oscars, but I think the Heisman is way overrated.
That's all that needs to be said. The Heisman is overrated and the MVP in the NFL is the same. I never understood the media spotlight on individual awards in team sports. I haven't watched the Heisman be awarded in about 35 years and no plan to do it in the future.

Just beat aTm and move on. That is the only award I am looking forward to this week.
 
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