Just give Joe Burrow the Heisman Trophy now after beating Alabama

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow played fantastic in a win over Alabama and clinched the Heisman Trophy with the win.

The LSU Tigers finally got over the hump against the Alabama Crimson Tide, beating them 46-41 in their house to take the lead in the SEC West. The win wasn’t the only thing that LSU clinched today. Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow effectively clinched the Heisman Trophy today in that win, outdueling Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Heck, former Heisman winner, Reggie Bush, said Burrow just won it with his performance vs. Alabama.

Burrow dominated when looking at the box score. He completed 31-of-39 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns in the contest, an extremely efficient performance. He also had 14 carries for 64 yards and picked up big third downs with his legs. When you look deeper than the box score, it’s, even more, telling how special this was for Burrow.

His first drive was excellent, in which he diced the Alabama defense up on three straight throws, culminating on a 33-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase on a great back-shoulder throw. In fact, on LSU’s first four drives, Burrow completed his first 12 passes and 14 of his first 15. Burrow made things look easy in the first half. A clean pocket, smart reads, and running when he needed to made things look effortless.

With his back against the wall on a few occasions in the second half, Burrow got even better. An early fumble in the third quarter followed by a couple of punts got Alabama back down six early in the fourth quarter. He led the Tigers down the field on a 12 play, 75-yard drive, converting three third downs in the process, one by using his legs. After another Bama touchdown, Burrow got back to work, leading the Tigers to another 75-yard scoring drive, once again picking up key third downs with his arm and his legs. He would not let LSU be denied in this one, securing the 46-41 victory.

Burrow looked calm, cool, and collected down the stretch. He avoided a lot of potential Alabama sacks and made clutch throws under pressure in key moments.

When it comes to the Heisman conversation, it feels like Joe Burrow has things clinched for him, especially on the 9-0 LSU Tigers, who really should have the top spot in the College Football Playoff.

Burrow had a few Heisman threats coming into the week. One of those, Ohio State’s Chase Young, saw his hopes dashed because of a suspension. It felt like his biggest competition after that was the quarterback he’d be facing off against in Tuscaloosa.

Right now, after this win, he’s ahead and has all but clinched it. He’s been extremely efficient all season long. He has a 78 percent completion percentage, which is higher than Tua’s 74 percent and has 30 touchdowns to Tua’s 27. Burrow also has so many more Heisman moments and signature wins this season.

His gutty performance against Auburn and his dominant performance against Florida show his greatness against top competition. Add those to the fact that Burrow went out and outdueled Tua and the Alabama Crimson Tide today, and the Heisman is his.

Joey Heisman is all but a wrap.

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