Joe Burrow just capped off arguably one of the most dominant seasons, if not, the most dominant season in college football history ever. Burrow is only the second LSU Tiger to win the award since Billy Cannon won the award in 1959, having received the largest amount of first-place votes to top Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts and Ohio State’s Chase Young and Justin Fields.
Burrow also became the third consecutive transfer player to win the Heisman, and the first player ever to have won the award under the graduate transfer rule. Burrow’s 2019-2020 run was sensational, but really, sensational is an understatement when describing the 6’4” signal-caller from Athens, Ohio.
It was a Madden-like season, one that saw him finish with an unworldly 60 passing touchdowns (good for a 10:1 ratio), over 5,700 passing yards and an additional 370 yards on the ground (all stats include CFP). Burrow also finished with a ridiculous 76% completion percentage, which would have been higher had it not been for some uncharacteristic drops from his receivers in the national championship game.
The National Championship Game
To begin the game, the Tigers quickly fell to a double-digit lead against the Clemson Tigers. But it’s safe to say Burrow’s confidence never faltered as he ended up throwing for 468 yards, rushing for 68 yards and amassing a total of six touchdowns (one rushing) in a ridiculous 42-25 rout of Clemson.
When asked about his ring point celebration post-game, Burrow said he had already had his finger fitted for the championship ring.
The Intangibles
Burrow’s Heisman season seemingly came out of nowhere. Virtually no one outside of Baton Rouge (and even they didn’t think this would happen) pegged Burrow as capable of producing a season this good. The only person who knew the beast that was about to unleash was Joe Burrow himself.
Joe has the “it factor” everyone always talks about. The things you cannot measure. Heart, drive, competitiveness, a will that will not give in, and that’s what makes him so special. According to what LSU’s tight end Stephen Sullivan recently told Bengals.com, “anytime he (Burrow) had a bad practice, he’d just go in the locker room and stare.”
Additionally, LSU’s long snapper, Blake Ferguson shared that, “Burrow refused to lose at anything,” routinely beating everyone in conditioning drills. Burrow knows he has “it”. That confidence he oozes that moxie, will be part of the reason why he’s going to be a tremendous player at the next level.
The Next Level
The Cincinnati Bengals are already on the clock and it’s no secret that they will be turning in their draft card with Burrow’s name on it come April. The Bengals’ young head coach Zac Taylor has already been on record saying he wants “a winner” out of a quarterback. The Bengals have been bottom-feeders for several years now and will look to Burrow to change their fortunes.
Although the Bengals have struggled, they will have more than serviceable weapons at Burrow’s disposal. Guys like Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon have shown promise, and it is still possible that proven veteran receiver AJ Green re-signs in March. Burrow is going to be tasked with turning an entire NFL franchise around, one that has become notorious for underwhelming performances.
Like every young quarterback, Burrow is going to struggle with growing pains. But Burrow’s skill set paired with the intangibles will soon take the NFL by storm. Buckle up, NFL. Here comes a superstar.
