October 12 did not disappoint as one of the most incredible days in football history. Three of the top six matchups of the day went to overtime including Tennessee-Florida, Ole Miss-LSU and the unbiasedly awful Penn State-USC game. The SEC had two more incredible matchups with the return of Longhorn quarterback Quinn Ewers stomping on the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry, and South Carolina almost giving Alabama its first back-to-back regular season losses since 2007 in a fourth quarter thriller. Of course, the game of the day was in the Big Ten, where the Oregon Ducks pulled out a victory against Ohio State. With all of the chaos, this Heisman list was flipped on its side yet again, where only one player returns from last week’s list.
This week’s top three
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, QB
Before this weekend, I could have guaranteed that THE Ohio State University would have blown out the Ducks, but — in true Oregon fashion — head coach Dan Lanning’s squad somehow pulled it off. The game had the eyes of the nation glued to the television, and both quarterbacks came to play. If Buckeye graduate quarterback Will Howard had facilitated a drive to win the game instead of running out the clock himself, there’s a good chance that with his two air touchdowns, a running touchdown, 326 yards passing and a 93.4 QBR, he would’ve been at the top of this list instead.
But it was Gabriel who, under some miracle, beat the stacked Ohio State roster. He played a fantastic game with similar stats to Howard — two throwing touchdowns, a running touchdown, 341 yards passing on 34 attempts and a jaw-dropping 95.9 QBR. With Lanning in his ear, the Ducks kept the ball moving to different hands, with four receivers achieving over 50 yards in the game. The Ducks also ran the ball for 155 yards, equating to 496 yards of total offense against one of the top defenses in the country.
Gabriel checks all the boxes to be this year’s Heisman: consistent and superb statistics, a championship contending team, and, of course, being a quarterback does not hurt his chances by any stretch. Gabriel and the Ducks will have an exciting matchup in Ann Arbor against Michigan on November 2, which will have huge implications on whether or not he will visit New York for this year’s ceremony.
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, RB
In the spirit of Halloween being right around the corner, the man who stands menacingly in the backfield like a horror movie character remains on our list. Ashton Jeanty had another great game this past week against the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors, but it was not up to the level he needs to be at, given the strength of his opponents. As a running back in a non-Power Four conference, Jeanty already needs to put up crazy statistics to even be considered for an opportunity to win the Heisman.
This week, he put down 217 yards on 31 carries — the most touches he’s received so far this season. His only rushing touchdown of the game was on a 54-yard designed inside zone, where he bounced to the outside and outran the Hawai’i safeties. He also had a receiving touchdown near the goal line, where he barreled through a defender on a flat route.
Sure, Jeanty is dominating in the lower levels on rookie mode, but how is it possible to compare him to someone at not only an entirely different position, but also a different level of football? His 192 yards against Oregon is definitely a place to start — especially given the Ducks’ win on Saturday — but is one game really a big enough sample size to determine the Heisman Trophy? Unfortunately, if the Broncos win out and make it to the playoffs through the non-Power Four bid, it will be too late at that point for voters to determine if he has what it takes against the best teams in the nation.
Drew Allar, Penn State, QB
The Penn State-USC game made me realize how ridiculously overpowered some tight ends are. At the same time, I have never seen a tight end so wide open so many times in a single game. Credit where credit is due: junior quarterback Drew Allar found senior tight end Tyler Warren over and over and over again, ripping out the hearts of the “second-half team” the Trojans had been called. I digress with USC’s colossal choke this past weekend, as the Nittany Lions stuck to their game plan and, unfortunately, did deserve the win.
The combination of Warren and Allar combined for 224 yards, while Allar continued to rack up another 167 with his other receivers to bring him to a grand total of 391 yards passing. He threw for two touchdowns — along with three pretty poor interceptions — on a season-high 43 dropbacks.
He helped run a perfectly executed second-half comeback over an unranked, bleeding Trojan squad. Allar has put up some solid numbers before this game as well, with 237 yards and a touchdown over UCLA and 309 yards with three touchdowns over Kent State. While the statistics don’t jump off the page, he has helped lead a multi-faceted Nittany Lion offense to the No. 3 spot in the AP Poll. His biggest game, however, will be on November 2 when he faces off against the Buckeyes.
Injuries giveth and injuries taketh
Travis Hunter, Colorado, WR/CB
And just like that, there goes Travis Hunter’s chances to win the Heisman. The only thing that could have taken Hunter out of the top spot happened, and we just watched the only cornerback — and defensive player at all, for that matter — disappear off the list.
In a 31-28 loss against the Kansas State Wildcats, the Buffaloes lost their star player and only hope to bring any hardware back to Colorado this season. A couple games ago, it seemed like Hunter had a chance to win the Biletnikoff (best wide receiver), the Thorpe (best defensive back) and the Heisman all in one season, which would’ve been a feat for the history books.
There is not yet a timetable for the injury, but Hunter sitting even one game is detrimental to his standings. Unfortunately for the Buffalo, even if he does come back against Arizona this Saturday, he likely just missed his chance to shine against a ranked opponent.
Quinn Ewers, Texas, QB
Is he really back on this list? Some may say this is premature, but Quinn Ewers is something else. In his first game back on the turf, he dominated the No. 18 Sooners 34-3. Before I am yelled at, I know the Longhorns are easily the best team in college football playing against a debatably overrated Oklahoma squad, but to come off an injury and blow out Texas’ biggest rival certainly has to put his name somewhere on this list.
There is still a long way to go for him, and step No. 1 is Georgia. In one of the easiest decisions for College Gameday, Ewers will go head-to-head with the beast known as the Bulldogs for the first time in his career. A monumental game for him could mean a spot on the list even though he missed multiple games — especially with a fantastic outing against Michigan under his belt. For now, though, he still stands well below the top three on this list and still has much to prove before being thrown up among the big dogs in the Heisman House.