Desmond Howard on C.J. Stroud being the front-runner for the Heisman: ‘I just don’t get it.’
Desmond Howard is at it again.
Sometimes you wonder if he says things just to get a reaction, or if he’s serious about some of his beliefs. He’s one of the best wide receivers to ever play the college game (winning the Heisman at Michigan in 1991) and has been an integral part of ESPN’s “College GameDay” since 2005.
But sometimes his unapologetic homerism for all things maize and blue can get in the way of him being unbiased. I mean, we can all remember him calling for numerous Wolverine upsets over OSU despite the Buckeyes being clearly the best team.
And now he’s throwing a little shade at Ohio State again, this time directed at quarterback C.J. Stroud. You see, Howard just doesn’t understand how a guy that was a Heisman finalist last season should start the year anywhere ahead any other player when it comes to Heisman buzz.
“Well, first, I would like to say that I don’t think that anybody should be the front runner except Bryce Young because he’s the returning winner of the Heisman,” Howard said on ESPN.
“I don’t think that you know, C.J. Stroud or anybody else should be even neck to neck with Bryce. I think we look at C.J. Stroud, he’s gonna have some big games.
“He opens up the season against Notre Dame so that’s the marquee matchup, but just at the beginning, with no games played, for him to be the favorite – I just don’t get it. So I believe that Bryce Young to be the front-runner and everybody else should be starting at the finish line at the same point.”
Listen, it’s quite reasonable to have the opinion that Alabama’s Bryce Young is the favorite since he won the thing last year. However, to not understand how a guy that was leading Young in the Heisman race three-quarters through the season, threw for over 4.400 yards and 44 touchdowns to just six interceptions is something. In fact, Stroud led the entire Football Bowl Subdivision in Total QBR last season, and it wasn’t particularly close.
But again, he was in New York last year, so it shouldn’t be hard to “get it,” or not think that Stroud should be at the same starting spot as every other quarterback out there.
Everyone has their take, and that’s fine. Howard is entitled to his, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good one or that it makes sense.
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