Georgia football is no stranger to getting disrespected, but it's ridiculous that Gunner Stockton isn't getting as much attention as current Heisman darling Fernando Mendoza. The Bulldog quarterback not only has a higher QBR than Mendoza (89.4 to 88.1) but he also has a better touchdown to interception percentage as well (13 percent to 19 percent).
Indiana is currently undefeated and will likely win out, but they have only played one ranked team, Oregon. Meanwhile, Georgia, under Kirby Smart's leadership and Stockton's consistent play, face no less than five ranked teams. But all people can talk about is Mendoza's "Heisman moment" against Penn State on a game-winning drive. Impressive no doubt, but if the Heisman is supposed to recognize the best college football player, shouldn't it recognize solid performances against tough competition?
Eye candy plays shouldn't equal a Heisman Trophy
It's doubtful that Mendoza could have pulled that magical drive against Penn State off against the same teams Georgia faces, like Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Texas, or Alabama. This was apparent when they faced a quality opponent like Notre Dame last year in the playoff, they lost.
It's also unlikely that Mendoza would have anywhere near the stats he has against the kind of competition Stockton faces week in and week out. Yet Stockton is barely mentioned in the Heisman competition, which harkens back to 2022 and Stetson Bennett.
When Caleb Williams won the Heisman that year, USC went 11-3 and didn't make the CFP at all. Meanwhile, UGA won the National Championship, but Williams had a couple of "moments" that caught the attention of voters and voila, he gets the Heisman.
It's a shame that eye candy tricks voters to go for highlight reel players instead of consistent, solid play from football players who lead their teams to victories against hard competition instead of creme puff teams who aren't ranked.
But given Stockton's work ethic, it's likely that he'd take a Natty ring over a Heisman trophy. Maybe Heisman voters will start paying attention to that.