I’m sure a lot of you fans are disappointed that the local boy did not win the top prize this year.
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a native of Ewa Beach and an alumnus of Saint Louis School, came second in the running for this year’s Heisman Trophy and was beat out by Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray.
While Tagovailoa dominated during the regular season but stumbled in the SEC Championship game and was taken out because of injury, Murray finished with a strong showing in Oklahoma’s win over rival Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.
I expected a photo finish for the award, but Murray beat out Tagovailoa by a 296-point margin. Murray had 2,167 points total including 517 first-place votes. Tagovailoa had 1,871 points, which was the most for a runner-up in Heisman history.
So, the Hawaii kid came up short this year, but he is already pegged as the odds-on favorite for the award next year.
As for this year, perhaps there’s a silver lining for Tagovailoa not getting winning the accolade just yet — the “Heisman Curse.”
For those of you who aren’t familiar, it’s the notion that whoever wins the Heisman award will lose in their upcoming bowl game or in the national championship game.
The previous couple of seasons support that notion.
Last year, Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield lost in the Rose Bowl to Georgia. The year before that, Louisville QB Lamar Jackson lost in the Citrus Bowl to LSU.
To be fair, we’ll go a little bit further.
In 2015, Alabama running back Derrick Henry won the Heisman. The Crimson Tide rolled against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal), and then beat Clemson in the national championship game.
In 2014, Oregon QB and Honolulu native Marcus Mariota won the award. Oregon beat Florida State in the Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal) and then lost to Ohio State in the championship game.
The Heisman winners won their respective bowl games in the previous five seasons:
– 2013, Jameis Winston, Florida State, defeated Auburn in Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game
– 2012, Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, defeated Oklahoma in Cotton Bowl
– 2011, Robert Griffin III, Baylor, defeated Washington in Alamo Bowl
– 2010, Cam Newton, Auburn, defeated Oregon in BCS National Championship Game
– 2009, Mark Ingram, Alabama, defeated Texas in the BCS National Championship Game
Then in the four years before, the Heisman winners lost in their bowl games:
– 2008, Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, lost to Florida in BCS National Championship Game
– 2007, Tim Tebow, Florida, lost to Michigan in Capital One Bowl
– 2006, Troy Smith, Ohio State, lost to Florida in BCS National Championship Game
– 2005, Reggie Bush, Southern California, lost to Texas in Rose Bowl (national championship game) (Heisman Trophy vacated)
Look, there is no validity to the Heisman Curse, of course. This is all just speculation.
But, as I said, maybe there’s a silver lining for fans of Tagovailoa here.
Alabama and Oklahoma are set to square off in the Orange Bowl, a CFP semifinal game, on Dec. 29 in Miami, Fla.
There’s no need to do much hype work for this game as the top-two Heisman finalists will be featured.
So, if the current trend holds, then Tagovailoa will get the last laugh on the field and will beat Murray and Oklahoma to advance to the national title game.
But for that to happen, Tagovailoa will have to be well enough to play. It was reported he suffered a high ankle sprain in the SEC Championship game Dec. 1 against Georgia and had minor surgery.
He was wearing a walking boot during award ceremonies prior to the Heisman presentation but was out of it the night of the Heisman presentation last Saturday.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban said during a press conference for the College Football Playoff last week that Tagovailoa is “right on schedule.”
I’d imagine whether he will play will be a game-time decision.
But assuming Tagovailoa does take the field, it should make for an exciting semifinal game with all eyes on him and Murray.
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Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.
