C.J. Stroud is a Heisman Trophy finalist for the second year in a row.
The Ohio State quarterback was named Monday as one of four finalists for this year’s award along with Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, TCU quarterback Max Duggan and USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Stroud becomes Ohio State’s first two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy since the Heisman Trust began inviting multiple finalists to the ceremony in 1982. Of course, Ohio State running back Archie Griffin became the first and still only two-time winner of the Heisman when he won it in back-to-back years in 1974 and 1975.
Ohio State has now had five total finalists in the past five years – the most of any school – as Justin Fields and Chase Young were both finalists in 2019 while Dwayne Haskins was a finalist in 2018.
Stroud, who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy vote last year, earns his second straight trip to New York after completing 66.2% of his passing attempts for 3,340 yards and 37 touchdowns with only six interceptions, good for a passer rating of 176.25 that ranks as the best in the FBS this year, during the regular season.
Like last year, Stroud isn’t expected to actually win the Heisman, as USC quarterback Caleb Williams is viewed as the prohibitive favorite to win the award. Stroud was the frontrunner to win the Heisman entering Ohio State’s final regular-season game against Michigan, but his chances of winning the Heisman plummeted following the Buckeyes’ 45-23 loss in The Game. As of Monday, Bovada listed Williams as a 1/25 favorite to win the Heisman while Stroud was listed as a 50/1 longshot to win the award.
Nevertheless, being invited to the Heisman for the second year in a row is yet another accomplishment for Stroud, who won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row last week and is also a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award and Manning Award.
Should a surprise occur and Stroud wins the award, he would become the eighth Heisman winner in Ohio State history, joining Les Horvath (1944), Vic Janowicz (1950), Howard "Hopalong" Cassady (1955), Eddie George (1995) and Troy Smith (2006) in addition to Griffin’s two wins.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy ceremony begins at 8 p.m. Saturday and will be televised on ESPN.
