5 reasons Kyler Murray should win the Heisman Trophy
By Ethan Lee
Oklahoma would not be in the playoff without Murray
There’s almost no way the Sooners are back in the national title picture without Murray’s astonishing abilities. Oklahoma’s defense has been horrific and has done almost nothing to help out Murray and the Sooners’ offense. Oklahoma won a dozen games this season in spite of its defense, not because of it. The other finalists for the Heisman can’t quite say that about their defenses.
Tua Tagovailoa has a strong defense backing him while Murray is leading an offense that is attempting to overcome one of the worst defenses in the country. The juxtaposition between Alabama’s defense and Oklahoma’s is remarkable. The Crimson Tide rank No. 8 in Bill Connelly’s S&P+ defensive rankings. The Sooners come in at No. 89.
And while some will make this same claim to argue that Haskins should win the Heisman, it’s important to note Ohio State’s defense is still better than Oklahoma’s. Yes, the Buckeyes are incredibly vulnerable to big plays. Ohio State is clearly one of the worst teams in the country at giving up explosive plays and Oklahoma is actually notably better at defending explosive plays.
But, the Sooners are horrific at trying to stop teams from passing the ball. Oklahoma is the 91st team in the country at defending the pass according to S&P+. And as a whole, Ohio State’s defense rounds out to be better than OU’s. The Buckeyes come in at 37th in those advanced stats rankings.
If you don’t like advanced stats, that’s fine. Here are some straightforward yardage numbers for you. Alabama holds teams to 296.2 yards per game. Ohio State gives up 400.9 yards per game. Oklahoma allows teams to gain 448.1 yards per game. Alabama holds teams to 14.8 points per game. Ohio State gives up 25.7 points per game. Oklahoma allows teams to score 32.3 points per game.
Yes, Ohio State’s defense is bad and that’s worth weighing when considering Haskins in this Heisman race. But Oklahoma’s is still even worse. There’s no conceivable way Oklahoma wins 12 games without the excellent play of Murray.