Making the Case For Trinidad Chambliss Winning the Heisman Last Season

Last year was an incredible year for college football. There was plenty of drama and some great underdog stories.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza led his team to the program's first national championship and won the Heisman along the way. There was no doubt he deserved it.

However, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss finished eighth in the Heisman voting and started two fewer games than Mendoza. If Chambliss had started the whole year for Ole Miss, he would have won the Heisman.

Stats

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza in the pocket during the Indiana versus Wiscsonsin football game | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is important to mention that the Heisman is given out before the playoffs. No playoff stats are counted. Last year Mendoza finished the regular season with 2,980 passing yards and 39 total touchdowns. Chambliss finished with 3,016 passing yards and 24 total touchdowns.

Reminder: Trinidad did not start against Georgia State or Kentucky. Former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons started both those games and threw for 341 yards against Georgia State and 235 yards against Kentucky. He also had 4 total touchdowns against both those teams.

If Chambliss was the starter for those two games and did the exact same thing, he would have 3,592 total yards passing and 28 touchdowns.

Mendoza still would have had the touchdown total against him, but Chambliss could have had almost over 600 more passing yards.

The stats between the two would lean Mendoza’s way slightly, but the Heisman trophy isn’t just given out based on stats.

Which quarterback was the more important player to their team

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passes the ball during a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Heisman voters also consider how well the player's team has performed and how that player has contributed to that success.

The Hoosiers went undefeated in the regular season and were the Big 10 champions. Mendoza was a huge part of his team's successes, but he also did have the second-best defense in the country on his side.

Ole Miss went 11-1, with Chambliss going 9-1 as a starter. The Rebels' defense ranked 29th in the country in points per game. Chambliss had a bigger impact on the Rebels winning games than Mendoza did.

Best moments for both quarterbacks

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss tries to pass as Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke chases after him during a college football game | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Something that is often brought up in the Heisman debate is “what was that player's Heisman moment.”

Mendoza was beating Penn State in Happy Valley on a last-second touchdown. Chambliss’ was either throwing for 314 yards and beating fourth-ranked LSU in Mississippi or beating 13th-ranked Oklahoma on the road and throwing for 315 yards to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Mendoza also did beat number three ranked Oregon on the road, where he threw for 215 yards.

While Mendoza had the flashier moment against Penn State, Chambliss' was more involved in his team's big wins. He beat the fourth-ranked team in the nation at the time to put his team on the map. Then he came into a hostile environment against one of the best defenses and threw for 300 + yards.

Mendoza threw for 100 fewer yards when he beat a ranked team on the road.

If Chambliss got the chance to be the starter the whole year last season for the Rebels, it would be hard to say he was not the best player in the country because he played better than Mendoza in bigger moments. Mendoza had a great season and led a historic team, but Chambliss was a bigger part of his team's success.

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