Texas A&M Football: What if the Aggies never left the Big 12 in 2012?

Does Johnny Manziel still win the Heisman in 2012?

The Johnny Manziel that won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 had an amazing year. He had several moments where the entire college football world couldn’t help but shake their head and laugh. Highlight after highlight, we reinvigorated a program that was going through some major changes. That year, he finished like this:

• 295-434 (68 percent)
• 3,706 yards (8.4 yards per attempt)
• 26 passing touchdowns
• 1,410 rushing yards
• 21 rushing touchdowns.

Our simulated Johnny doesn’t have to play the stingy defenses of LSU, Florida, and Alabama. Instead, he plays against the weaker defenses in the Big 12, and has to score more, since Big 12 offenses are higher powered than the ones in the SEC. In our simulation, he produces this stat line:

• 286-393 (73 percent)
• 3,959 passing yards (10.1 yards per attempt)
• 39 passing touchdowns
• 1,112 rushing yards
• 18 rushing touchdowns

The rushing numbers are down, mostly because a simulator cannot simulate exactly what Johnny did. But the numbers speak for themselves. An absured 10.1 yards per attempt, 73 percent completion percentage, and almost 60 touchdowns accounted for? That’s a legendary season, no matter how anyone slices it. In my eyes, Johnny Manziel wins the Heisman in our 2012, just like the real one.