Heisman Watch Week 13

This is it, our penultimate Heisman watch of the season. It's been a crazy, thrilling season and the same can be said for the Heisman race. While the top contender has been there pretty much the entire time, it was hectic everywhere else on the charts. Let's get started.

Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to McKenzie Milton of UCF. He suffered a horrific leg injury in Week 13 and the future of his career is in doubt. I wish him a speedy recovery.

9. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: 10)- I don't know if Etienne will receive any Heisman love but it's possible he could scrape together a few votes. He continued to make his case by running for 150 yards and two scores against rival South Carolina.

8. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 9)- In a way, it doesn't really matter what Fromm has done so far this season. If Georgia doesn't beat Alabama for the SEC Championship, Fromm will not get any Heisman votes. Even if Georgia does win, he still might not get any.

7. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 8)- Book and Notre Dame achieved their undefeated season by defeating rival USC and are now waiting on the results of championship week. If Notre Dame does make the playoffs, as they should, Book could pick up a few points.

6. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 5)- Grier's best shot at making it to New York City was by winning the Big 12 title. Unfortunately, West Virginia's loss to Oklahoma in Week 13 ensured that was not going to happen. Still, Grier played very well (539 passing yards with four scores and no picks) and is still a Heisman finalist longshot.

5. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: 4)- Minshew drops out of the top four after Washington State fell to Washington and saw their chances of winning the Pac-12 disappear. Minshew had his worst game of the season as he threw for 152 yards, zero scores, and two picks. Like Grier, Minshew is still a Heisman finalist longshot.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- I really want to add Taylor to the list of Heisman finalists, but I just can't. Yes, he leads the nation in rushing yards but Wisconsin has been an utter disappointment this season and Taylor hasn't been nationally relevant in weeks.

Heisman Finalists:

3. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- The Buckeyes dismantled the formidable Michigan defense as Haskins passed for 396 yards and six touchdowns. He truly looked like one of the most outstanding players in college football. If he plays well against Northwestern, Haskins is a lock to make it to New York.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- There's an argument to be made that Murray has been more outstanding than Tua has this year. Alabama is easily the best team in college football and they almost certainly would be undefeated if Jalen Hurts (who's only lost 1 regular season game as a starter over three seasons) was the QB. Murray on the other hand, has had to be sensational and be the main reason his team won games. It's an interesting argument, but I can't bring myself to put him at #1. Why?

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Here's why: Tua has been absolutely sensational this year. Based on the eye test alone, Tua has been simply spectacular. Not since Johnny Manziel have I been so impressed with a college player. His accuracy and arm strength are top-notch and he has played at a high level all season long.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 12

This is it. The homestretch of the 2018 college football season. This is the last week before rivalry week, where the teams advancing to the conference title games will be determined. The Heisman race is also drawing to a close. To spice things up a little bit, I'm going to draw a line to identify the players who I would invite to New York for the trophy presentation. Let's see where our contenders rank.

We have three honorable mentions: Shea Patterson of Michigan, Marqise Brown of Oklahoma, and Tylan Wallace. All three of these players still have a chance to make our Top 10.

10. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: 10)- Clemson had their way with Duke and Etienne was a big reason why. He only carried the ball nine times, but those nine carries went for 81 yards and two scores.

9. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- Fromm drops four spots after doing very much of nothing against UMass. While he did complete all five of his passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, Fromm was outshone by his backup Justin Fields. The window for him to get any Heisman votes is rapidly closing.

8. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- A lot of people picked Syracuse, who went the distance with Clemson, to knock off unranked Notre Dame. That didn't quite go to plan, as ND won by 33 and Book looked fantastic. He completed 23 of his 37 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns with just one pick.

7. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 8)- Like Fromm, Milton's window of getting any Heisman love is rapidly narrowing. But unlike Fromm, Milton shone in Week 12. He threw for three touchdowns, while running for one more, and 268 passing yards as UCF beat #24 Cincinnati.

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- Taylor might be the Heisman race's forgotten man. He's been consistently great this entire year but due to his team underperforming, has been largely forgotten. Thankfully, he should receive some Heisman love, in large part thanks to his Week 12 performance. In Wisconsin's win over Purdue, Taylor ran for a career-high 321 yards while finding the end zone three times.

5. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Unfortunately for Grier, he drops out of the top 3 after falling to Oklahoma State. Grier played well, three total scores and 364 passing yards, but it wasn't enough to get him the win.

4. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: 7)- Minshew is last year's Khalil Tate, a latecomer to the party who has a chance to make a real impact. While I currently have him just outside the finalist cutoff, he can still make it to New York. In Week 12, he threw for seven touchdowns and threw for 473 yards.

Heisman Finalists:

3. Dwayne Haskins, Oklahoma (Last Week: 3)- If Ohio State had fallen to Maryland, Haskins would have difficulty making the top six. Instead, he stays in the #3 spot after tossing three scores and running for six more. 

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- Murray became the first Oklahoma QB to run for three scores in a game since Trevor Knight in 2014. He also threw for two scores in Oklahoma's win over Kansas. At this point, it feels like Murray is Tua's only realistic challenger.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Speaking of Tua, he dazzled in 'Bama's win against Citadel. He threw only four incompletions and accounted for four touchdowns. He still is the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Heisman Watch Week 11

The regular season is drawing to a close and we're getting a really good sense of the top playoff and Heisman contenders. At this point, the Heisman race is a runaway, but there's still time. The fringe contenders also have plenty of time to establish their cases and try and just make it to New York City. Let's get started.

We have one player drop out from last week: Kentucky's Benny Snell Jr. Now that we know Kentucky has zero chance of making a New Year's Day Six bowl, they've completely dropped from the national spotlight.

10. Travis Etienne, Clemson (Last Week: NR)- Snell's misfortunes work out for Etienne as he makes his way back into our Top 10. He ran for 78 yards on 11 carries in Clemson's win over Boston College. Etienne is currently a longshot to make it to New York City, but he probably has the best chance of any running back.

9. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 7)- Notre Dame put a complete beatdown on Florida State as they won 42-13. Unfortunately for Book, he was injured. His replacement was the man who started the season for the Irish, Brandom Wimbush. Like Etienne, Book is an NYC longshot and will need a big game and win against Syracuse tomorrow or his Heisman campaign is dead.

8. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 9)- UCF handed Navy its eighth loss of the season and is still undefeated. Milton had his best game in a few weeks as he went 17 for 21 with 200 passing yards and two scores. He also racked up 62 rushing yards and one score.

7. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: 10)- Minshew cracks the top 7 after Washington State's win over Colorado. Minshew threw for 335 yards and had three total touchdowns. If all goes well, Washington State will have a Pac-12 title and Minshew will be a Heisman finalist.

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- Similar to Kentucky and Snell, Taylor's Heisman campaign is pretty much dead thanks to Wisconsin's failures as a team. Still, Taylor has played very well. Against Penn State, Taylor ran for 185 yards. The sophomore leads the nation with 1,548 rushing yards.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- No matter what happens around him, Fromm has continued to stay in the Heisman race. Against #24 Auburn, Fromm threw for 193 yards and one score as Georgia remains in the playoff hunt.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- Haskins went 24 of 39 for 227 yards and one touchdown against Michigan State. With OSU effectively out of the playoff picture right now, Haskins's chances of winning the Heisman seem very slim.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns in West Virginia's win over TCU. The Mountaineers are 8-1 on the season and are still contenders for the Big 12 title and playoffs.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- If there's anyone with a chance of stopping Tua, it's this guy right here. Murray has looked like a video game character at times this year. He totaled more than 400 yards of total offense in Week 10 and is on pace to eclipse 45 total touchdowns this year.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Tua didn't have a great game against Mississippi State but it was enough to keep him in the lead here. He completed 2/3 of his passes and thew for a score and a pick.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 10

Unfortunately, I've fallen behind again thanks to the wildfires here in Southern California. My WiFi has been out for a few days and it's been hard to watch games or write anything. Nonetheless, I'm soldiering through and trying to get these posts out to you as soon as possible. Let's get started.

Our one honorable mention this week is the player who dropped out last week: Clemson's Travis Etienne. He ran for 153 yards and one score in Clemson's win over Louisville.

10. Gardner Minshew, UCF (Last Week: 10)- Minshew still feels at least a tier below the elite quartet of Tua, Haskins, Grier, and Murray for the time being. He'll probably need a Pac-12 title and some more big numbers to even threaten them. 

9. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 9)- Milton and UCF beat the Temple Owls to stay undefeated, but it was an ugly game. Milton went 17 for 33 with three TDs and one pick. Those are the kind of games he'll need to avoid in order to make it to New York City. 

8. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 7)- Snell's best shot at making it to New York City was if Kentucky at least made it to the SEC title game. Unfortunately, that possibility ended after they fell to Georgia 34-17. In that game, Snell ran for 73 yards and one TD on 10 carries. 

7. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 8)- Finally, it looks like Book is getting a little bit of Heisman love from some other outlets. He leads the nation in completion percentage while his QBR of 170.0 trails only five other slingers. 

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 6)- Wisconsin has completely fallen off the national radar and that has taken its toll on Taylor, as the sophomore is still putting up big numbers. In Week 10 against Rutgers, he an for 208 yards and three touchdowns while also hauling in one pass for thirty yards. 

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 5)- Thanks to their 34-27 win over Kentucky, Georgia is guaranteed a spot in the SEC title game. Fromm did his part as he went 14 for 20 for 113 yards and one score.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- Haskins and the Buckeyes looked shaky against Nebraska, a team they should have blown past. Still, they did pick up the win and Haskins broke the school record for most completions in a season.  

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier sits pretty in the top three after delivering a potential Heisman moment in West Virginia's win over Texas. He finished with 346 passing yards and West Virginia is still in the playoff conversation.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- For the third year in a row, it looks like an Oklahoma QB will be a Heisman finalist. The future Oakland A has been sensational this year and is an obvious choice to be invited to New York City. Against Texas Tech, Murray threw for 360 yards and three scores.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- The Heisman race has been nearly solidified for weeks now and Tua continues to play at an elite level. In Week 10 against LSU, he threw for 295 yards and scored thrice.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 9

So yes, Week 10 has already started, but I'm dropping this on Friday night, so technically we're good to go. We had one player drop out this week: Clemson's Travis Etienne, who ran for only 45 yards and zero scores against Florida State.

Since we have a little time, let's highlight our three honorable mentions. First off is Oklahoma State's Tylan Wallace. He may not be well known but he is fifth in the nation with 940 receiving yards. Next up is another fellow WR in David Sills V. The former QB phenom has been on our honorable mention list multiple times but has yet to crack the top 10. Finally, let's give some love to D'Eriq King. Teammate Ed Oliver may have gotten all the Heisman hype at the beginning but King is beginning to build a lot of momentum. Houston is ranked at 17 and King leads all QBs in rushing touchdowns.

10. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (Last Week: NR)- Minshew takes Etienne's spot after leading the Cougars to an upset win over the Stanford Cardinals. Minshew completed 80% of his passes and threw three scores and zero picks. With this win, Washington State is now looking like a real threat to win the Pac-12.

9. McKenzie Milton, UCF (Last Week: 8)- Milton and Central Florida had a bye in Week 9.

8. Ian Book, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- Notre Dame pretty much had their way against Navy and this allowed Book to put up some nice stats. He finished with 330 yards and two passing touchdowns to complement his 50 rushing yards. Book continues to be the hidden man among the Heisman candidates but with performances like these, he'll be on the national radar soon.

7. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: 6)- It was not a good week for running backs in the Heisman conversation. Snell only ran for 67 carries on 19 yards with zero scores. He'll need a big game against UGA in Week 10 to have a chance at the top 5.

6. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 3)- Taylor dropped three sons after an uninspiring performance in Week 9 against Northwestern. Not only did Wisconsin lose, Taylor only ran for 46 yards and was outgained by teammate Garrett Groshek.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 7)- Fromm moves back into the top five after Georgia stomped all over #9 Florida. Fromm went 17 of 24 for 240 yards and three scores. Now, the Bulldogs take on Kentucky in a big SEC East matchup. This game could very well determine who eventually wins the division.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- Haskins didn't play in Week 9 but moves up a spot thanks to Taylor's fall.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 4)- Grier had a nice bounceback against Baylor following the loss to Iowa State. He threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns to keep West Virginia in the Big 12 title hunt.

2. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 2)- Speaking of the Big 12 title hunt, Oklahoma might be the favorite there thanks to Oklahoma State upsetting Texas. If Oklahoma does win the conference, Murray is pretty much a lock to make it to New York City. In Week 9, Murray totaled nearly 400 yards of offense to go along with his four scores.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- A week off does nothing to hamper Tua's Heisman campaign.

Thanks for reading everyone.