Robert Griffin III thought he had made his point. Desmond Howard thought Griffin was looking for attention.
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By November 15, the disagreement over Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman chances had turned into a public exchange between two former winners of the award, with Griffin returning to X to make sure Howard had heard him.
“Brother Desmond, I didn’t challenge your opinion. I destroyed it,” Griffin wrote on X. “The problem is you are never being honest. Not honest when it comes to Jeremiah Smith, and don’t you think we forgot about CJ Stroud?”
The argument began with Howard’s appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Friday. The former Michigan receiver questioned Smith’s Heisman credentials, asking when he had been the difference in a major game over the previous two seasons.
Griffin did not agree. While calling Ohio State’s game against Northwestern for FOX Sports on November 14, he took issue with Howard’s assessment. He later expanded on that criticism on X, listing Smith’s performances in the playoff and his production against ranked opponents.
“You see Desmond Howard and anyone with eyes knows that Jeremiah Smith is ALWAYS THE DIFFERENCE on any field he steps on,” Griffin posted on X during the OSU vs. Northwestern game. “Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the Country.”
Griffin also accused Howard of letting his Ohio State-Michigan rivalry influence his opinion. He wrote that Howard needed to recognize Smith’s ability regardless of the school he represented.
“Oh Robert, are you STILL on this app manufacturing Twitter beef for attention?” Howard replied on November 14. “Great players deserve honest analysis, not automatic praise.”
In response, Griffin brought up Howard’s own 1991 Heisman-winning season. Howard finished that year with 61 catches for 950 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns, winning the Heisman despite not leading the country in receiving yards. Griffin used Aaron Turner’s season at Pacific as an example.
Turner led the nation with 1,604 receiving yards in 1991, well ahead of Howard’s 950. Griffin’s point was that Howard did not need to lead the country in receiving yards to win the Heisman.
“Is that an honest football conversation?” Griffin wrote in his X post, replying to Howard’s manufactured beef claim. “No. Its ridiculous. Put the hatred you have for Ohio State aside when it comes to swaying the public away from appreciating the greatness.”
Griffin didn’t back down. He closed his argument with “Hold this L” and shared an edited image of Smith, wearing a Baylor jersey, dunking a basketball over Howard in a Michigan uniform. The jab was a nod to Griffin’s own college career at Baylor, and it was a pointed way of ripping the Michigan legend one last time.
In truth, Smith’s numbers give Griffin plenty to work with.
Ohio State won 28-19 on November 14, with the receiver catching 11 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. He also made history during the game, passing Purdue’s John Standeford to become the Big Ten’s all-time career receiving yards leader.
Smith now has 3,875 career receiving yards. The performance also came after a difficult stretch for the Buckeyes. Ohio State had lost consecutive games against USC and Oregon, and quarterback Julian Sayin’s injury had forced freshman Luke Fahey into the starting role.
Smith still produced 83 yards against USC and 133 against Oregon, adding a touchdown in each game. Simply put, his numbers against stronger opponents have been difficult to ignore.
He caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown against No. 4 Texas, then followed that with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns against No. 14 Iowa.
The 2024 freshman season also gives Griffin a strong case. Smith caught six passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee in the playoff, then had seven catches for 187 yards and two scores against Oregon.
In the national championship game against Notre Dame, he finished with 88 yards and a touchdown. His late third-down reception helped Ohio State close out the 34-23 victory.
So, Howard and Griffin might debate among themselves if Smith deserves the Heisman Trophy they once won. The bookmakers, though, already have picked their favorites.
Smith is currently the favorite to win the award at -140, according to the latest odds. Miami’s Darian Mensah follows at +350, and Utah QB Devon Dampier is third at +550.