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Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

According to its official website, the Heisman Trophy "annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity."

For one of the most publicized and scrutinized awards in sports, that criteria is rather vague and leads to some spirited arguments around its distribution.

Does the Heisman go to the best player in college football—the player who has had the best individual season? Or is it awarded to the player who combines excellent stats with playing for one of the nation's best teams? It's not entirely clear.

Sometimes, some of the best individual seasons go unrewarded for a variety of reasons. We can't undo the voting, but we can recognize some excellent efforts that weren't Heisman-worthy.

Here's a look at the best individual seasons not to win the Heisman Trophy since 2000.