By: William Smythe

What a whirlwind weekend of college football. Well, TCU has successfully staved off my pessimism as they willed themselves to yet another win – one step closer to the CFP and arguably the most impressive first year coaching job I’ve seen in a long time. With a crushing injury to Heisman candidate Hendon Hooker, Tennessee saw their dreams fade into the wind at Williams-Brice Stadium as the old Spencer Rattler returned with a vengeance. Tennessee’s vacancy in the top-five will create further chaos, with no. 5 USC, no. 6 LSU and no. 7 Clemson still in the hunt for the playoff. 

The Heisman race, however, is as boring as they come. Why can’t players just dominate and simultaneously be on a top team anymore? Names such as Burrow, Newton and Jackson come to mind as guys who embodied the Heisman description and never had an “off-day” in their respective winning seasons. If Stroud wins, will we all feel that he is deserving, or are we spoiled by legends of the past? Let’s get into it.

Frontrunner: CJ Stroud, junior quarterback, Ohio State

The loss of Tennessee’s Hooker has unfortunately widened the gap for Stroud’s Heisman bid. Don’t get me wrong, he’s posted a gaudy 35 passing touchdowns even with struggles against Rutgers, Northwestern and Maryland – games in which he combined for a measly 471 yards and three passing touchdowns. It’s crazy to consider that Stroud could have three massive letdown games on his resume yet still stand atop the Heisman leaderboard, but here we are. In a college football landscape without the bevy of quarterback depth we’ve seen across top teams in past years, Stroud’s relative consistency as a passer makes his case the strongest – especially since he has played largely without star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Everything – I mean everything – depends on The Game next weekend. If Stroud can put together a 300-yard, 2+ touchdown performance and seal a win against the Wolverines, he’ll almost be a shoo-in – assuming Ohio State has no problem with the mighty Boilermakers of Purdue or some combination of Iowa and Minnesota. I’m not a fan of letting Stroud run away with the award, so he’ll have to work for it on Nov. 26. 

Heisman Moment: Still The Game

2. Caleb Williams, sophomore quarterback, USC

NFL franchises would be salivating over Williams if he was draft eligible in 2023. The sophomore transfer from Oklahoma has unfortunately made the right choice by following offensive guru Lincoln Riley to SoCal, while his nearly telepathic rapport with former Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison continues to work wonders. With no room for error on a one-loss team, Williams just put on a show against no. 16 UCLA in yet another PAC-12 After Dark Showdown. A not-too-shabby, 503 total yard performance against the Bruins has elevated Williams into this second spot. 

Similar to North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Williams makes up for a defense that is certainly not doing him any favors. What a stark contrast to Zach Wilson and the Jets! Without their sophomore gunslinger, the Trojans would be flying blind in a difficult Pac-12 schedule. Now, to secure the Heisman, Williams must hope for a supreme letdown/Ohio State loss that would essentially eliminate Stroud from contention. This is all assuming that Williams takes care of business against no. 18 Notre Dame – a team that could sneakily pry victory away from the Trojans in their last regular season contest – before presumably taking on no. 10 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship. If the stars align – a.k.a. the Buckeyes cave and the Trojans win both – we could be looking at a second consecutive sophomore Heisman winner. 

Heisman Moment: Against no. 18 Notre Dame and no. 10 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship

3. Blake Corum, junior running back, Michigan

What a bummer that Corum missed nearly all of the second half against Illinois due to some injury concerns. No wonder the Wolverines struggled down the stretch against the 7-4 Illini, who nearly put away any hope of a playoff appearance for the current no. 3 seed. Corum is far and away the most relevant tailback in college football at the moment. His 18 rushing touchdowns are good for second in the nation behind Minnesota’s Mo Ibrahim, but the difference is Michigan’s 11-0 record. Sure, this isn’t a Derrick Henry-esque season or anything close to what Christian McCaffrey did in the same year, but it’s a product of circumstances. The lack of elite, consistent candidates at the top of the Heisman ladder has allowed Corum to sneak into the top-3 without making a sound. 

He’ll truly need a performance akin to that of teammate Hassan Haskins (169 yds, 5 TDs) against Ohio State in 2021 to make a compelling case for the Heisman over Stroud and Williams. It’s just the pitfall of living in a quarterback’s world. With a lower body injury leaving his full availability in the balance, Corum’s odds of putting together an otherworldly performance are unlikely. He says he’ll be ready to go, but will the Wolverines feed him more than fifteen-carries if injuries begin to rear their ugly head again? The nation’s most prolific running back should prioritize his health over a mammoth workload as Michigan prepares for war. 

Heisman Moment: Still The Game

• Oregon’s Bo Nix needs to go wild against both no. 22 Oregon State and no. 5 USC in the conference championship game
• I’m talking 400+ yards, 3+ touchdowns in each to give him a chance
• A Rose Bowl appearance and an Ohio State loss to Michigan would actually give Nix a great chance at securing the Heisman
• TCU’s Max Duggan needs to do the same, leading TCU to an undefeated record and a playoff appearance
• However, I fear that his stats are not in the same airspace as the other three quarterbacks I’ve mentioned (2,858 yards passing, 31 total TDs)