To this point in the season, the Heisman contenders have been injury-free. Unfortunately, for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tua Tagovailoa that all changed on Saturday night. Tagovailoa suffered another high ankle sprain that could have him sidelined for a few weeks. Let’s see how that injury impacted our week eight 2019 Heisman rankings.

Now, for Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, they were in a position to take advantage of the injury. They did just that as Hurts and Burrow combined for more touchdowns (9), than incompletions (8) on Saturday. Burrow and Justin Fields both face tough tests this weekend as LSU hosts Auburn and Ohio State hosts Wisconsin. Do we have a new number one this week? Let’s take a look at our fresh new top five in our week eight 2019 Heisman rankings.

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Note: Ties were broken alphabetically by player’s last name

Ranking	Player	Position	Team	Points
1	Jalen Hurts	QB		105
2	Joe Burrow	QB		102
3	Tua Tagovailoa	QB		66
4	Justin Fields	QB		52
5	Jonathan Taylor	RB		34

Top Five Candidates

1. Jalen Hurts

QB | Oklahoma                                                      Next Game: 10/26 at Kansas State

Hurts turned in his best performance in 2019 against West Virginia. He accounts for five total touchdowns while only throwing one incompletion, which was a drop, on the day. His outstanding game put him back at number one in our countdown. He’ll look to continue his hot play as the Sooners are on the road to face Kansas State.

2019 SEASON PASSING YDS TD INT CMP% RATING 2,074 20 3 74.0 226.1

RUSHING YDS TD YPC 705 10 8.4

2. Joe Burrow

QB | LSU                                                      Next Game: 10/26 vs Auburn

Burrow holds strong at number two after another impressive performance. 300-yard, four-touchdown performances have become a regularity this year. Burrow has set the single-season record for most touchdown passes through only seven games. He will face his toughest test this weekend as Auburn comes to town.

2019 SEASON PASSING YDS TD INT CMP% RATING 2,484 29 3 79.4 216.2

RUSHING YDS TD YPC 94 2 2.4

3. Tua Tagovailoa

QB | Alabama                                                           Next Game: 10/26 vs Arkansas

An all too familiar feeling for Crimson Tide fans reared its ugly head on Saturday as Tagovailoa has another high ankle sprain. Fortunately, this time, it’s on the opposite ankle as a year ago. Be that as it may, Tagovailoa was having a good game with only one incompletion prior to the injury. Nick Saban is hopeful that he will be ready for the LSU game in a few weeks.

2019 SEASON PASSING YDS TD INT CMP% RATING 2,166 27 2 74.7 212.4

RUSHING YDS TD YPC 30 2 1.7

4. Justin Fields

QB | Ohio State                                                      Next Game: 10/26 vs Wisconsin

Fields and the Buckeyes continue to show the country why they may very well be the most complete team. Ohio State dismantled Northwestern on Friday night, 52-3. Fields was very efficient in throwing four more touchdown passes. Even with the loss to Illinois, Wisconsin has one of the best defenses in the country and will provide a tough test for Fields.

5. Jonathan Taylor

RB | Wisconsin                                                      Next Game: 10/26 at Ohio State

Wisconsin was victimized by the look-ahead as Illinois shocked the college football world. That certainly impacted Taylor’s Heisman candidacy. But, Taylor absolutely carried his weight in the loss in running for over 130 yards and rushing for 15th touchdown of the year. Can Taylor and the Badgers bounce back this week against what many feel is the most complete team in the country?