You’ll hear that Pat Sullivan’s performance in the 1971 game against Georgia pretty much won him the Heisman Trophy. After reading this, that’ll probably seem more right on than ever.
Because in early November, Joe Football Fan from Anywhere Other Than Auburn, USA probably would have put his money on Ed Marinaro, at least if the survey of national and regional sports writers the Plainsman conducted the week of the game is any indication.
Even the Birmingham Post-Herald’s Bill Lumpkin thought Sullivan’s chances were “slim.”
Despite preseason Heisman hype (fueled by his great Gator Bowl win over Archie Manning’s Ole Miss), Sullivan’s chances seemed to dwindle late in the season, for a variety of reasons.