Heisman Trophy: Voters Appropriately Ignored Baylor Stigma in Robert Griffin Win

Over the past several years, it has been commonplace for the Heisman Trophy to be awarded to a player from a team that was either extremely prestigious, playing for the national championship, or both. That wasn't the case this season, however, as Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III took home the hardware.

Baylor didn't have a poor season by any stretch of the imagination, as the Bears finished with just three losses, but Baylor has been a weak program for quite some time. Griffin has certainly changed that, but the national perception is that Baylor doesn't compare to schools like LSU, Alabama, Stanford and Wisconsin.

Those, of course, are the schools of the other Heisman finalists, all of whom finished with better records than Griffin and Baylor this season. Despite the way voting has gone in recent years, the Heisman Trophy isn't meant to be given to the best player on the best team in college football.

It is meant to be given to the most outstanding player, and I believe that was unquestionably Griffin in the 2011 season. No quarterback in the college game was as good as a passer and a runner as Griffin. He piled up an incredible 4,500 all-purpose yards while accounting for 45 touchdowns and throwing just six interceptions in Baylor's pass-heavy offense.

Griffin may not have played for the most high-profile program this season, but he wasn't playing against inferior opponents either. The Big 12 was extremely strong this season, and it terms of depth you could easily argue that it was better than the SEC, which is considered to be the best conference in the nation by a long shot.

The level of competition was no problem for Griffin, as he was absolutely sensational from start to finish. Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson, Montee Ball and Tyrann Mathieu were all Heisman-worthy in their own right, but at some point the numbers speak for themselves.

Obviously numbers don't tell the entire story, as Houston quarterback Case Keenum only finished seventh in the voting, but his level of competition was certainly well below what the finalists faced. Essentially, Griffin has paved the way for great players on less-heralded teams in power conferences.

The fact of the matter is, if a player from a school like Vanderbilt or Kansas or even Duke puts up Heisman-worthy numbers and the team has a solid year, then there is no reason why that particular player shouldn't receive proper consideration.

In the past, a player from Baylor may not have had a shot at the Heisman, but Griffin was so spectacular that he left the voters with no other choice. He has paved the way for other elite players on not-so-elite teams to win the award, and I think that will add a new dimension to voting.

Voters had become complacent recently in settling for the star quarterback or running back on the best team. While it has been a logical formula, choosing Griffin has broken down barriers in a way. Griffin was certainly the right choice for the honor, and the fact that he won it should make Heisman voting much fairer moving forward.