Michael Penix Jr. may not have won the Heisman Trophy, but he won hearts and minds

Michael Penix Jr. was the best quarterback in college football this season. Simply put, he was the only Heisman Trophy finalist to lead his team to the College Football Playoff.

He finished second in the final voting.

It was the closest race since 2018, with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels winning by a mere 300 points. Daniels had "video game numbers" with over 3,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards. He's a superbly talented quarterback and deserving of the award.

But there's something that doesn't feel right about the only Heisman Trophy candidate to be in the College Football Playoff not winning.

While the vibes weren't great for disappointed Dawgs fans, the UW faithful were overflowing with pride upon seeing Michael Penix Jr.'s suit, more specifically the inside lining of it.

The inside lining contained the names of every one of his teammates. A statement from Penix.

He wouldn't be here without them.

There are other ways to do it, too.

Penix Jr. showed why he's so beloved in Washington with one small gesture. He's endeared himself to Seattle with his incredible comeback story.

Whether it's a TV commercial airing on a local channel or sporting gear from a local store like Simply Seattle, Penix has ingrained himself in our community.

He's done it with a smile, time for every fan.

He's done it with selfless play and dramatic game-winning drives.

He has a chance to do something even more immortal than winning the game's greatest individual accolade.

You see the Heisman Trophy, prestigious as it is, has a bloated vote count and many voters submitting their decision before conference title games.

How could you possibly vote on the game's highest honor before seeing how a candidate performs on the highest stage? The voice of UW Athletics Tony Castricone re-posted many ballots from voters who disclosed their picks on social media. These are just a handful of folks out there.

Many were rational with Daniels or Penix Jr. winning it. Others were, well, proof of folks east of the Mississippi River who very evidently don't watch west coast games.

For an amazing award, it's amazing the lack of detail and knowledge from some voters. But there's no voting on who wins January 1 and January 8.

The game's true highest prize, the National Championship, will be decided by the only thing that matters which is the play on the field.

Michael Penix Jr. has overcome four season-ending injuries in his career. The mental and physical anguish were almost unimaginable.

Yet he overcame it to a 24-2 record in his time on Montlake. The guy is as tough as they come and can overcome the odds to beat anything.

The Heisman Trophy snub? Yet another setback.

It won't be easy, but you can bet Penix Jr. still isn't writing the critics back and plans on taking aim at the only prize that truly matters: Winning it all.