Challenge accepted. And, challenge passed. Our top three Heisman contenders passed their road tests with flying colors. Even though Tua Tagovailoa threw his first interception of the season, he played flawlessly outside of that in Alabama’s 29-0 dismantling of LSU. Likewise, Will Grier had a couple of Heisman moments in West Virginia’s thrilling victory over Texas. Finally, Kyler Murray struggled a little early on as Oklahoma spotted Texas Tech a 14-0 head start. But, Murray had 460 total yards of offense as the Sooners kept their playoff hopes alive. Now, how does the rest of the field shake out in our week 10 Heisman rankings?
Two players that continue to put pressure on the top three is Gardner Minshew and Travis Etienne. Minshew kept his Heisman and the Cougars playoff dreams in focus as they defeated California late in PAC 12 after dark. And, Etienne continues to be the focus of the Clemson Tiger offensive onslaught which will have a tough test at Boston College on Saturday. Now, let’s look at the complete breakdown as we dive right into our week 10 Heisman rankings.
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Note: Tiebreakers were settled by alphabetical order of the players last name.
Top Five Candidates
QB | Alabama Next Game: 11/10 vs Mississippi State
If there was any question about Tagovailoa’s Heisman candidacy, he emphatically answered that in Baton Rouge on Saturday. He had two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground in the 29-0 triumph. Tagovailoa’s stranglehold continues as the Tide entertain Mississippi State this weekend.
2018 SEASON |
PASSING |
YDS |
TD |
INT |
CMP% |
QBR |
2,361 |
27 |
1 |
68.0 |
96.8 |
|
|
RUSHING |
YDS |
TD |
YPC |
172 |
3 |
5.9 |
|
QB | West Virginia Next Game: 11/10 vs TCU
A “Heisman moment” often is the most overused word in college football. But, that’s exactly what happened with Grier against Texas. In fact, he had back to back moments in West Virginia’s 42-41 victory in Austin. With 16 seconds remaining, Grier connected with Gary Jennings for a 33-yard touchdown pass to tie the score. Then, on the next play, he ran in to secure the Mountaineer victory.
2018 SEASON |
PASSING |
YDS |
TD |
INT |
CMP% |
QBR |
2,618 |
28 |
7 |
69.7 |
85.2 |
|
|
RUSHING |
YDS |
TD |
YPC |
-65 |
1 |
-2.0 |
|
QB | Oklahoma Next Game: 11/10 vs Oklahoma State
Many times, the mark of a great player is indicated by how they react in the face of adversity. For the first time this season, Murray found himself in that exact position as he threw two interceptions in the Sooners first two offensive possessions. He responded with nearly 500 yards of total offense as Oklahoma scored 50 points for the third consecutive game
2018 SEASON |
PASSING |
YDS |
TD |
INT |
CMP% |
QBR |
2,689 |
31 |
5 |
70.6 |
96.8 |
|
|
RUSHING |
YDS |
TD |
YPC |
574 |
7 |
7.0 |
|
RB | Clemson Next Game: 11/10 at Boston College
After having two games where Etienne couldn’t be as effective as he would like, he had a monster game against Louisville. He ran for 153 yards in limited action as the Tigers dominated throughout. Clemson is producing Deshaun Watson type offensive numbers as they have averaged 60 points over their last four games. And, Etienne is a big part of that offensive explosion.
2018 SEASON |
RUSHING |
YDS |
TD |
YPC |
998 |
15 |
8.6 |
|
|
RECEIVING |
REC |
YDS |
YPR |
TD |
6 |
47 |
7.8 |
1 |
|
QB | Washington State Next Game: 11/10 at Colorado
Minshew continues to move up our rankings. He’s gone from relative obscurity a few weeks ago to knocking on the door of the top four and an invite to New York. Minshew threw a 10-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds remaining to give the Cougars a seven-point win over California.
2018 SEASON |
PASSING |
YDS |
TD |
INT |
CMP% |
QBR |
3,517 |
27 |
7 |
70.8 |
80.3 |
|
|
RUSHING |
YDS |
TD |
YPC |
4 |
2 |
1.5 |
|
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