Gus Johnson should stick to calling games instead of disrespecting Heisman race

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When your favorite team scores the winning touchdown or drains the buzzer-beating jumper, you want Fox’s Gus Johnson on the call.

He’ll make you feel like you’ve conquered life vicariously through Fernando Mendoza’s arm or that the glass slipper resides on your literal foot. It’s intoxicating. He’s locked in and screaming for EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT.

Johnson makes viewers feel as if nothing that’s ever happened or will happen has mattered more than what’s happening right now, inside those lines.

Indiana football: Hoosiers’ turnaround of the century isn’t ending any time soon

Johnson could call a game during an earthquake, and as the city crumbled from the magnitude, he’d euphorically scream amid a Gusgasm, “THIS PLACE IS ROCKKKKKKKKINNNGGG!!!!!!! YESSSSS!!!”

Johnson’s style paired well with the clash of No. 1 Ohio State versus No. 2 Indiana. He reminded viewers at every turn the game would decide a conference championship and determine the playoff’s No. 1 seed. EVERY. PLAY. MATTERRRRRRREDDD!!

Johnson’s tunnel vision, though, comes with a side dish of willful obliviousness for anything happening outside his field of view. He incessantly insisted that not only was a No. 1 seed and conference hardware on the line, but so, too, was the Heisman Trophy.

If you didn’t know better, you might have thought Heisman voters would be compelled to cast their ballot for the quarterback of the Big Ten’s champion and that the trophy would be awarded during a postgame ceremony at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Of course, that’s not how it works. Johnson’s framing of the Heisman race came off shamelessly shortsighted and borderline disrespectful to other worthy contenders, such as Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love and Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez.

I am a Heisman Trophy voter. Rules dictate I cannot reveal my ballot before the award is announced. Rules don’t prevent me from making a prediction.

I anticipate Mendoza will win the award, beating out Pavia. Johnson’s persistent pumping up of Indiana’s quarterback didn’t hurt his chances. In that way, I suppose he’s a useful shill for the Big Ten, but his persistent framing of this award as a two-person race exclusive to Big Ten combatants was annoyingly disingenuous and insular.

Mendoza didn’t require Johnson’s persistent propaganda. He can stand on his own feet thanks to his season-long steady performance for the 13-0 Hoosiers, amid their historic season.

Mendoza’s chain-moving completion to clinch a victory against the defending national champions provided a final statement to voters. Pavia lacked an opportunity for a December strut in front of voters. His team did not reach a conference championship.

Johnson might prove accurate that Mendoza strengthened his grip on the Heisman in Indianapolis, but his framing attempted to obfuscate Mendoza’s top competition for the award.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gus Johnson, Fox make mockery of Heisman Trophy race

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