Desmond Howard, Cardale Jones get into heated Twitter exchange about Heisman finalists

Michigan legend Desmond Howard and former Ohio State star Cardale Jones had a very interesting back-and-forth over Twitter on Monday night after the 2022 Heisman Trophy finalists were announced.

Desmond Howard and Cardale Jones had some Twitter beef after the finalists for the 2022 Heisman Trophy were revealed on Monday night.

Howard famously struck a pose to capture the 1991 Heisman Trophy while at Michigan. The longtime ESPN college football analyst typically plays a role in announcing who each year’s Heisman finalists are. While his alma mater is back in the College Football Playoff, the Wolverines’ best player in Doak Walker hopeful Blake Corum was not among the four heading to New York.

This year’s four Heisman finalists are:

• Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett IV
• TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan
• Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud
• USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams

While some people are up in arms over Bennett’s inclusion, the unquestioned two biggest snubs for are Michigan star running back Blake Corum and Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker. Both sustained season-ending injuries, which certainly played a part in them not making the trip to New York City they probably deserved. Howard seemed to have some issue with this.

Although Jones did not start many games at Ohio State, he was the starting quarterback who led the Buckeyes to their most recent national championship during the inaugural College Football Playoff at the end of the 2014 college season. Clearly, Jones just wants to celebrate the four finalists heading to New York this weekend. One of whom is a Buckeyes quarterback in Stroud…

Then, Howard made it personal by saying Jones did not play in many big games and that he does not know what a prestigious moment is, suggesting he should have stayed in school longer. This reheated beef apparently stems from comments Howard made during last year’s presentation when Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was a finalist, along with Stroud being there, too.

For much of the season, Stroud had been the favorite to win it, but a bad showing at home vs. Michigan in The Game largely put a blanket on his second, and potentially final, Heisman Trophy campaign. Stroud is projected to be one of two top-five picks at the quarterback position in the 2023 NFL Draft, alongside last year’s winner in Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young.

Although there is a lot to unpack here, it is nice to see some juice being injected into what has been a very stale awards ceremony for the better part of two decades now. Cannot wait until Saturday!

Desmond Howard, Cardale Jones argue over about Heisman Trophy finalists

Of the four going to New York, there are arguments to be made for each finalist. Stroud probably has the weakest case. Although he was the frontrunner throughout most of the season, a bad performance in The Game and then not playing in a conference championship game probably did him in. Regardless, the Ohio State star has earned the right to be heading back to New York City.

Bennett’s case is controversial. He is the starting quarterback on the best team in the country. Although he does not have the numbers of other quarterbacks across the Power Five, he has played his best football against the five ranked teams Georgia faced this year. Oftentimes, he is pulled from the game in the fourth quarter or the Dawgs have shifted into a ball-control offense.

Duggan’s story is just as interesting as the former Georgia walk-on’s. He had heart surgery following COVID and was not expected to be the Horned Frogs starter this season. Duggan answered the call to duty when Chandler Morris went down. Although his numbers are strong, Duggan’s ability to carry the ultimate underdog in TCU into the playoff gives him a fantastic case.

Had USC won the Pac-12 championship over Utah, Williams would have been a shoe-in for the Heisman. Heck, he probably will still win it, based on his outstanding performance vs. Notre Dame in the Trojans’ regular-season finale. However, bad championship game defeats have historically ripped away certain Heisman Trophy bids from would-be contenders. Will this happen once again?

Ultimately, you can understand both sides of the argument when it comes to Howard and Jones. For Howard, he is about to welcome another brother into his prestigious college football fraternity, so it is easy to understand why he may have some gripes about the four finalists this year. As for Jones, he wants to see a Buckeye win it, but is more on-board with these great stories being told.

It was Williams’ Heisman to lose, which afforded us a rather rare debate over who should win it.

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.