Things got awkward during tonight’s Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York, as a couple of the of Wolverines teamed up to embarrass the rival Buckeyes on national television, with the current Ohio State quarterback standing just a few feet away.
While fielding questions from former Heisman winner and Wolverine alum Desmond Howard, current Michigan defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson talked about how he was pleased to come back this season and help his team accomplish their mission of beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten. That sparked some oohs and ahhs from the crowd, as CJ Stroud was standing just a few feet away from the two. But rather than stop there, the panel just kept running with it.
First, Tim Tebow tried to ease the tension by commenting on how it was good that Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was standing between the two rivals on stage. But that’s when Howard came in with the kill shot, claiming the Pickett would probably do a better job of protecting Stroud from Hutchinson than his offensive line could during the Big Ten Championship Game a week ago.
It’s hard to see, but it doesn’t look like Stroud was doing much smiling during that entire sequence. And who can blame him? After getting knocked out of the College Football Playoff and blowing his chances at a Heisman all at once last week, I doubt he was thrilled to be reminded about it at the ceremony one week later.
In the end, it was Alamaba’s Bryce Young who won this year’s Heisman Trophy, beating out Hutchinson, Pickett and Stroud.
