The Buzz: Heisman news and views

The 2015 Heisman race now enters its 11th week. Continuing our traditional weekly feature on Heisman.com, we’ve rounded up the latest news and updates from around the media world to help keep you posted on what’s happening with current contenders and past winners.

(Disclaimer — The Heisman Trophy Trust and Heisman.com does not endorse any college football player for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. The information contained here serves as a platform of information for fans and media, and is not intended to contain a definitive and comprehensive list of possible contenders.)

The Buzz…

Heisman Watch Watch

Heisman season is almost upon us. Online voting beings next Monday (Nov. 23) and runs until Monday, Dec. 7. The 81st Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Saturday, Dec. 12.

In the meantime, this year’s race promises as much drama and intrigue as any in recent memory. A scan of the media reveals no strong favorites for the award, leaving open the possibility of a late surge, or a really close vote on the order of what happened in 2009.

ESPN sees Alabama running back Derrick Henry as the favorite right now … Sports Illustrated prefers Clemson’s DeShaun Watson … It’s getting tougher for LSU running back Leonard Fournette, says the Baton Rouge Advocate … Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the Heisman conversation thanks to his performance in leading the Sooners over Baylor, writes OUDaily.com … Dalvin Cook of FSU is making his Heisman case on and off the field, according to TomahawkNation … Navy’s Keenan Reynolds deserves the Heisman, says TaskandPurpose.com … Bleacher Report says that Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliot is Henry’s biggest challenger for the Heisman … Are late night games hurting the Pac-12’s Heisman chances? asks the LA Times.

Injury Watch

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, who finished fourth in last year’s Heisman vote, has been hampered the last week or two by what could be a high ankle sprain. No word yet on whether he will play against Oklahoma on this coming Saturday.

Campaign Watch

A couple Heisman campaigns have been launched so far:

Stanford has built this nifty website for Christian McCaffrey

Florida State created this cool website on behalf of Dalvin Cook.

Heisman Dinner reminder…

Interested in attending the 81st Heisman dinner? Want to witness college football history in person? You can buy tickets here.

NFL Heisman Update

It was another Heisman vs. Heisman matchup as Carolina beat Tennessee, 27-10, to remain undefeated. Cam Newton was 21 of 26 for 217 yards and one touchdown pass, with another 23 yards and a score coming on the ground. Marcus Mariota was 16 of 24 for 185 yards and an interception. He also rushed for 24 yards.

* Carson Palmer continued his hot play with 363 yards and 3 TDs (with one pick) on 29 of 48 passing as the Cardinals beat the Seahawks, 39-32.
* Jameis Winston was 22 of 39 for 264 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, but he rushed for a score as the Bucs beat Dallas, 10-6.
* Mark Ingram had 5 carries for 77 yards, including a 70-yard run, and caught three passes for 21 yards as the Saints lost to the Redskins, 47-14.
* Sam Bradford went 19 of 25 for 236 yards and one touchdown in a 20-19 loss to the Dolphins before leaving the game due to a concussion and left shoulder injury.
* Johnny Manziel had his finest game as a pro, completing 33 of 45 passes for 372 yards with one TD and one pick as the Browns lost to the Steelers, 30-9.
* Charles Woodson had five solo tackles as the Raiders lost to the Vikings, 30-14.

Odds and Ends

Mike Rozier spoke to Omaha High students last Friday about the importance of positive choices … Billy Cannon‘s visit to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame has been postponed … Pete Dawkins still holds the Army record for yards per reception in a season (30.8) … The toughness of Charles Woodson is impressing a lot of people this year:

“To accomplish all that he’s accomplished, a Heisman Trophy and everything, you’ve got to be tough,” Harrison said. “But he’s not 39 years old and playing quarterback like Peyton Manning. He’s out there running around with 23-year-olds as a defensive back, tackling 230-pound running backs. What he’s doing is absolutely remarkable.”

Heisman tweet of the week

This old-school campaign by Oklahoma on behalf of its quarterback Baker Mayfield is our tweet of the week: