Mario Cristobal calls for Heisman Trophy to be awarded after CFB postseason
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Since the dawn of time (1977, more appropriately), the Heisman Trophy has been awarded in December, following the conclusion of the college football regular season and conference championship games. The sport has changed drastically over the last 50 years, though. These days, the season extends through mid-January. Mario Cristobal thinks it’d be wise to adjust with the times.
On Wednesday’s episode of Pardon My Take, Cristobal blasted the Heisman Ceremony for occurring before postseason play.
The only thing I would wish for the Heisman Trophy [is] that it was rewarded when all the games were done,” Cristobal said. “That whole award before these postseason games is absolutely bizarre to me… I can’t comprehend it. Never will.
Prior to the College Football Playoff’s institution, each bowl-eligible team played just 1 game after the conclusion of the regular season. In the expanded CFP era, schools could play as many as 4 contests on their way to a national championship. In Cristobal’s mind, the Heisman should be reserved for someone who steps up in the biggest moments for his team. With that logic, it’d make sense to wait until the season is over to vote on its winner.
However, the Heisman Trophy has historically been a regular-season award. It’s like the NFL MVP award in that respect. At the professional level, 1 poor playoff game doesn’t take away from a dominant regular season (in terms of winning MVP). Letting 1 potentially poor CFP showing take away from someone’s impressive campaign would be a tough pill to swallow.
Despite the calls of Cristobal and many others, there doesn’t seem to be any real momentum toward changing the timing of the Heisman ceremony. It’s possible that will change in the future, but nobody should count on that occurring anytime soon.
