Heisman Watch Week 12

We've reached that point of the season where we only have five realistic candidates. Granted, Baker Mayfield has it completely locked up, but a few other guys have the potential to make it at least a little interesting. Let's get started.

5. Lamar Jackson, Louisville (Last Week: 6)- Jackson's redemption story this year has been incredible. After completely dropping out of the Heisman race thanks to a string of losses, but thanks to his incredible season is now back in the Heisman conversation. He won't repeat but has an incredible chance of making it back to New York. If he plays well enough, he could even finish in the top three.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 4)- Taylor (and the entire Wisconsin offense) played very well against that tough Michigan defense, which is exactly what Taylor needed to boost his Heisman campaign. In 19 rushes he accumulated 152 yards for a 6.9 average. If he has a big

3. Saquon Barkley, Penn State (Last Week: 3)- Barkley had his first great game in weeks as he ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. The Nittany Lions beat the pesky Nebraska Cornhuskers by 12 and are currently ranked tenth.

2. Brice Love, Stanford (Last Week: 2)- Although he had a bum ankle Love still ran for 101 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. He's still quite a way from Mayfield but his stock will improve with a great performance against Notre Dame this week. 

1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 1)- The story this week was not about Mayfield's performance against Kansas but rather his disrespectful crotch-grabbing gesture. Although he later apologized for it, there is no doubt that a few Heisman voters will downgrade Mayfield. After all, a Heisman winner is supposed to display outstanding character on and off the field (except for Jameis Winston apparently).

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Heisman Watch Week 11

In terms of the Heisman race, College Football Playoffs, and general insanity, Week 11 had it all. It was hard to keep track of it all. Miami picked up its biggest win of the season by defeating #3 Notre Dame, Ohio State absolutely destroyed Sparty, unranked Stanford upset #9 Washington, #1 Georgia picked up its first loss of the year, Michigan actually got some good quarterback play, Josh Jackson continued to be the most exciting player on the defensive side of the ball, #2 Alabama escaped #16 Mississippi State, Baker Mayfield made minced meat out of the Horned Frogs, the Cowboys outlasted the Cyclones in a thriller, and so much more.

But of course, we're here to see how this all affects the Heisman race. For the second week in a row, we have six players listed. Let's get started.

6. Lamar Jackson, Louisville (Last Week: NR)- Looking back now, I may have written off Lamar Jackson a little early. Sure, he picked up a few too many losses for my taste, but his performance this season has been nothing short of sensational. He is now the only player in FBS history to have 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in two different seasons. He's definitely not going to repeat as Heisman winner but should get some votes. He may even be invited to New York.

5. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State (Last Week: NR)- Just like with Jackson, I may have written Rudolph a little prematurely as well. In the best game of the week, Rudolph and #15 Oklahoma State knocked off #21 Iowa State. Rudolph threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns while going 25 for 31. The gunslinger leads the nation in passing yards per game and is third in passing efficiency.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 5)- He may be the fourth leading rusher in the nation, but it still feels like he is flying a little under the radar. Against #20 Iowa, Taylor ran for 157 yards on 29 carries. He didn't score but still had a nice game here. Now that Wisconsin is a true CFP contender, expect Taylor's stock to rise. He also plays in the game of the week in Week 12 against #19 Michigan in Madison.

3. Saquon Barkley, Penn State (Last Week: 2)- How the mighty have fallen. Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like Barkley was the easy pick for the Heisman. Now, he'll be likely to be the runner-up. In four of his last five games, he has failed to record at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

2. Brice Love, Stanford (Last Week: 3)- There's a good chance that Love is the best RB in the country. For a while, it seemed like Barkley was the easy choice, but Love has at least made the conversation interesting. He's a dynamic, thrilling runner with huge big-play ability. In Stanford's big win over #9 Washington, Love ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 1)- A few weeks ago, we proclaimed Barkley as the clear Heisman front-runner. Now, Baker Mayfield is in that position. He cut through #6 TCU's defense as he threw for 333 yards, three touchdowns, and zero picks. He also added 50 yards on the ground.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Heisman Watch Week 10

As we get closer to the Heisman Trophy presentation, our field of contenders slowly dwindles. This week we see three players fall off: J.T. Barrett, Mason Rudolph, and Trace McSorley (all quarterbacks who lost in Week 10, coincidentally). Where do the remaining six players stand? Let's get started.

6. Jalen Hurts, Alabama (Last Week: 8)- At this point, the real question is whether or not Hurts will get any Heisman votes and all. Despite being in a similar situation last year, Hurts got zero votes. He has played a little better this season, though he has yet to have a standout game. His only chance at winning the award is if the rest of the contenders fall, and Hurts is the last man standing.

5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 7)- It's clear Taylor is healthy again. In a 45-17 romp over the Hoosiers, Taylor had 29 carries for 183 yards and one touchdown. Taylor is very much the odd man out among the running back group of Barkley, Love, and Adams, so he's going to need some incredible performances to even make it to New York City. If not, he'll get a few third-place votes, but will not be anywhere near the top vote-getters.

4. Josh Adams, Notre Dame (Last Week: 4)- Adams left Notre Dame's win over Wake Forest early but stays in the Heisman conversation thanks to ND's win. He leads FBS in rushes of at least sixty yards with seven.

3. Brice Love, Stanford (Last Week: 3)- The biggest thing going for Love's Heisman campaign was that he led the country in rushing. Unfortunately, that distinction now belongs to SDSU's Rashaad Penny. But there is another stat that helps Love: he has a rush of at least 50 yards in every game this season.

2. Saquon Barkley, Penn State (Last Week: 2)- Well, it happened. The unthinkable happened. For weeks sportswriters proclaimed that the Heisman race was all but over; that Saquon Barkley was guaranteed to take home the hardware. Now, Barkley is coming off his second straight game of limited productivity. More importantly, the Nittany Lions lost both of those games and are now virtually eliminated from CFP contention. Barkley will still make it to New York, but he's no longer the favorite to win.

1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 1)- What more can I say about Baker Mayfield that hasn't been said already. The man played like he was possessed on Saturday as this Sooners defeated their in-state rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Not only did Mayfield play like the best quarterback in the nation, he played like the best player in the nation. How else do you explain his 598 passing yards and five touchdowns on just 24 attempts (besides Hollywood Brown)?

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 9

Today features one of the biggest games of the entire season: #5 Oklahoma vs. #11 Oklahoma State. Besides playoff consequences, there are also major Heisman implications. The losing team's QB could be (and probably will be) eliminated from the race. Let's get started.

9. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 4)- McSorley falls five spots after losing to Ohio State. Unlike Barkley, McSorley takes a lot of the blame for the Nittany Lions falling, though he did lead PSU in rushing. McSorley was already struggling with getting recognition, now he finds himself with his Heisman campaign nearly done. 

8. Jalen Hurts, Alabama (Last Week: 9)- Hurts had a bye in Week 8 but moves up thanks to McSorley's fall. He faces his biggest test of the season so far when he and the Crimson Tide take on #19 LSU. 

7. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- The freshman left the game early with a left leg injury and that hurt his stats, as he had only 12 rushes for 73 yards. Wisconsin still managed to beat Illinois 24-10. 

6. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State (Last Week: 8)- Barrett had his potential Heisman moment as his Buckeyes defeated #2 Penn State and gave them their first loss of the season. Barrett was absolutely sensational, as he threw for 328 yards and four scores. He also ran 17 times for 95 carries (giving him a 5.6 average). All of a sudden, Barrett is looking like a Heisman finalist. 

5. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State (Last Week: 5)- Like I said in the intro, Rudolph needs to beat Oklahoma to stay in the Heisman conversation. Even if he doesn't have a great game, the win should be enough. 

4. Josh Adams, Notre Dame (Last Week: 7)- Adams made short work of the great NC State defense (spearheaded by elite draft prospect Bradley Chubb), giving him and the Irish back-to-back wins over Top 15 teams. With his 202 rushing yards in this game, Adams has three 200-yard games this season. He also ran for a touchdown here. 

3. Brice Love, Stanford (Last Week: 2)- Love did not play in Stanford's gritty 15-14 win over Oregon State, as he had an ankle injury. Despite not playing this game, he still leads the nation in rushing. 

2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 3)- Mayfield beat Texas Tech (his favorite team) as he threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns while also adding a score on the ground. It's pretty evident that Mayfield is currently the best QB in the country. 

1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State (Last Week: 1)- Barkley had easily his worst game of the season against Ohio State. Not only did the Lions lose, but Barkley ran for only 44 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. He did have four catches for 23 yards, but it wasn't enough to save the day. If you remove his 36-yard TD run, his remaining 20 carries only netted eight yards. He still holds on to the lead here, but it sure is close. Don't be surprised if Mayfield takes the top spot next week.

Thanks for reading everyone.