Since the year 2000, 17 Heisman Trophy winners were on a top-five team. 10 of those players who hoisted the trophy in front of the Downtown Athletic Club and former winners were on the No. 1 team in the country. These two statistics further perpetuate the narrative that this trophy has started to go to the best player on the best team and not simply the best player, as it was originally intended.
But, there have been a few times over the last 25 years that the Heisman Trophy winner came from a team that was NOT in the top-five or a New Year’s Day bowl game or the College Football Playoff.