The race for the Heisman Trophy is wide open this year, with a single performance enough to make your case real or, well, exactly the opposite.
We saw that this week as Louisville upset undefeated Miami as Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck, one of the top Heisman candidates as of late, threw four picks in the loss. On the other hand, there was Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, who dazzled in the Commodores’ impressive win over LSU. His three-touchdown day moved Vandy to 6-1, marking the school’s best start in 75 years.
Elsewhere, Alabama continued to roll behind quarterback Ty Simpson. The Crimson Tide have now rattled off six wins in a row, including four straight against ranked opponents, since they put up a stinker in their first game of the year against Florida State. Simpson has looked great along the way, nearly eclipsing 2,000 passing yards on the season while completing over 70% of his passes with just one interception.
In the Big Ten, Curt Cignetti’s extension didn’t slow down Indiana and Fernando Mendoza as the Hoosiers took care of business against Michigan State after their big road win at Oregon last week. And of course, there are those guys at Ohio State that keep on winning.
Without further ado, here are the top-five Heisman Trophy candidates ranked in order with Week 8 behind us. Plus, some additional names who deserve to be a part of the conversation, too:
The Crimson Tide’s opening-week loss to Florida State is long in the rearview. Alabama rattled off their fourth win in a row against a ranked SEC opponent with their victory over Tennessee Saturday. Next week, they get 3-4 South Carolina before two more tough tests against LSU and Oklahoma. Simpson has been masterful the whole season with his only pick of the year coming two weeks ago in the Tide’s 30-14 win over Vanderbilt. He’s completed 70.2% of his passes this year, putting up efficient numbers as the Tide continue to rise.
Mendoza continues to impress as the Hoosiers run through their Big Ten schedule. This week, they had early trouble against Michigan State but quickly took control of the game and secured a 7-0 start to the season. The Cal transfer’s 21 passing touchdowns are tied for the most nationally with Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and TCU’s Josh Hoover. Mendoza has done it on significantly fewer attempts while he’s connecting on 73.5% of his throws. Indiana’s toughest test left in the regular season may just be on the road at Penn State, who have now lost four games in a row as the Nittany Lions grapple with James Franklin’s canning.
Top-ranked Ohio State has a pair of Heisman hopefuls in Sayin and star receiver Jeremiah Smith. The sophomore quarterback has broken out in recent weeks, especially after a four-touchdown day as the Buckeyes shut out Wisconsin on Saturday. Sure, the Badgers are near the bottom of the Big Ten, but Sayin’s 400 total yards of offense with the four scores was impressive. He’s tied for the fourth-most touchdown throws nationally and hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 3 against Ohio. The Buckeyes look primed to run the table and push for their second national championship in a row behind Sayin.
Pavia is the big winner in the Heisman race this week, announcing himself as a true contender in emphatic fashion. He even hit the Heisman pose after one of his rushing scores in case there was any doubt. The Commodores’ only blemish thus far came earlier this month to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, but their win over 10th-ranked LSU Saturday makes them a true College Football Playoff threat and officially brought Pavia toward the top of the wide open Heisman chase. He has even more opportunities to make his case with matchups against Missouri and Texas in the next two weeks.
Reed has floated around Heisman conversations throughout the year. After Texas A&M moved to 7-0 with a close win against Arkansas this week, he certainly deserves to be right there with the rest of the top candidates. His best game came in the Aggies’ early-season win over Notre Dame, where he threw for 360 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, highlighted by his evasive maneuvers to find receiver Nate Boerkircher in the end zone for a score with 13 seconds left to win the game 41-40. Reed and the Aggies have a couple tough tests coming up with LSU and Missouri in their next two games.
Others considered: Dante Moore (QB, Oregon), Gunner Stockton (QB, Georgia), Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame), Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State)
Under-the-radar candidate: Haynes King (QB, Georgia Tech)
