The Buzz: The latest Heisman news and views
We are now seven weeks into the college football season. Time to take a look to see what’s happening in the Heisman world…
(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
Leave it to a tilt with two top 10 teams to shake up the Heisman rankings a bit.
The Big Lead released its top five rankings and LSU QB Joe Burrow, who led the Tigers to a 42-28 win over Florida, now tops their list.
The Athletic’s weekly Heisman straw poll concurred with the Burrow at the top of the Heisman talk.
Burrow almost threw a perfect game, completing 21-of-24 for 293 yards and three touchdowns. The performance also prompted Yahoo Sports to ask if Burrow is the new Heisman frontrunner and led LSU to this impressive offensive stat noted by ESPN.
Yahoo Sports also asked whether the Jonathan Taylor-led Badgers is the best-ever Wisconsin team. Taylor’s doing his part, gaining 80 yards on 26 carries with two more TDs in a win over Michigan State. Before the game, The Daily Cardinal (Wisconsin’s school newspaper) dubbed Taylor the best college back ever.
Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a 47-28 win at Texas A&M, throwing for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw an interception — his first of the year after 26 TDs. ESPN looked at how rare that feat is. Spoiler alert, he’s now done it twice.
Saturday Down South was thinking big picture, too, asking if Tagovailoa is the best Alabama football player of all time after he broke the Crimson Tide’s career record for passing TDs (he now has 81).
The Athletic and the Big Lead both have Tagovailoa second in its rankings. ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg broke down the Heisman race from his perch. Rittenberg called Tagovailoa’s season nearly spotless.
“He now owns Alabama’s career touchdowns record (81) and continues to carve up defenses with the nation’s best receiving corps. Tagovailoa has three or more touchdown passes in all six games, completing at least two-thirds of his attempts in the first five contests.” – Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Jalen Hurts remained unbeaten as an Oklahoma QB, leading the Sooners to a 34-27 win over Texas in the Red River Shootout in another matchup of highly ranked teams. Hurts’ 16-of-28 passing for 235 yards and three scores was modest by his standards, but he kept the Sooners’ national title hopes on track reports The Oklahoman.
And Hurts also pulled off this amazing trick.
Longhorn QB Sam Ehlinger was on the wrong side of the score in Dallas, but still turned in a solid showing with 210 yards passing despite being sacked nine times.
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence has been under the radar – somehow – amid a Heisman race laden with strong candidates. He had his best game of the season Saturday according to this ESPN report, throwing for four TDs in a win over Florida State. Still he did not get a vote in The Athletic’s poll this week.
Tiger teammate Travis Etienne also ran for more than 100 yards for the second time this year in the win. Forbes’ college football column says you can’t count either out of the Heisman race.
“These guys have slipped to the fringes of the Heisman conversation, but as long as Clemson keeps winning – and it will keep winning – it would be inadvisable to count them out entirely.” == David Ching, Forbes
Washington QB Jacob Eason threw his name back in into the Heisman hat by leading the Huskies to a 51-27 win at Arizona. Eason passed for 243 yards and two scores.
Georgia suffered its first loss of the season, falling to South Carolina in double OT at home. It was a tough outing for Bulldog QB Jake Fromm, who was picked three times. Teammate D’Andre Swift rushed for 113 yards and a score.
Our BYE WEEK TRACKER notes Ohio State QB Justin Fields was off this week. He returns to action Friday at Northwestern with a date looming with Wisconsin a week later.
Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, one of many Heisman dark horse candidates, was also off this week. He returns Saturday against unbeaten and No. 18 Baylor, led by QB Charlie Brewer. Brewer led the Bears to 6-0 Saturday with a double OT win over Texas Tech.
Heisman Trophy Winners In The NFL
Rookie Kyler Murray (2018) made it two wins in a row, leading the Cardinals to a 34-33 win over Atlanta with 340 yards passing and three scores.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson put on a show in leading Baltimore to a 4-2 start after a 23-17 win over Cincinnati. He passed for 236 yards and ran for 152 yards on 19 carries with a score, his third career 100-yard rushing game. Mark Ingram (2009) added 52 yards on the ground and one TD.
London wasn’t kind to Jameis Winston (2013) and the Bucs. He totaled 400 yards passing, but threw five interceptions in a loss to Carolina in England.
Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (2017) battled it out against Seattle but his 249 yards passing – and one score each threw the air and ground — wasn’t enough. He also had three picks.
Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota (2014) and Derrick Henry (2015) didn’t fare well Saturday, suffering a shutout loss at Denver.
