The quarterbacks are coming. The quarterbacks are coming. That would undoubtedly have been Paul Revere’s message if he were to look at our Last Word on College Football’s Week 11 Heisman voting. Two quarterbacks from our list this week hail from the Southeastern Conference, and each led their team to big wins that put them in the center of the College Football Playoff conversation. Enough with the suspense; let’s get to the list!
Strike The Pose: Week 11 Heisman Poll
We will continue to track whose stock is rising and whose stock is falling in our Week 11 Heisman poll. Some old faces will return to our list this week. Before jumping into the poll, we will get to a quarterback who missed a Top 5 spot. Please don’t feel too bad, though. We think he avoided the Tiger, not that Tiger or that Tiger, and scored again.
Honorable Mention: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Jalen Milroe loves to play the LSU. Last year in Tuscaloosa, he 20 times for 155 yards and four touchdowns. On Saturday night, he took his talents to Baton Rouge and kicked it up a notch. Milroe led the Tide to a statement victory and blew up the stat sheet. He had 185 rushing yards on just 12 carries while tying his career-high with four rushing scores. The win put a thud in LSU’s momentum and playoff hopes and has set the Tide to still be in the hunt to return to Atlanta and at least an at-large spot in the College Football Playoff.
#5 Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss had their “one shining moment” Saturday night in Oxford. Dart shook off a rough start, two sacks, an interception, and what looked like a painful lower-body injury to lead the Rebels over the No. 3 Bulldogs. Dart finished 13-for-22 with 249 total yards (199 passing, 50 rushing) and one touchdown. The win was a year in the making as Lane Kiffin noted in his postgame comments. “A lot of really good things have happened here, but there’s not been a signature game like this,” Kiffin said. “That’s the team that the playoff goes through, and to win it the way that we did a three-score game … doesn’t happen with Georgia very often.” The win also puts Ole Miss in the conversation for an at-large spot.
#4 Cam Ward, QB, Miami (Fl.)
The clock finally struck midnight for Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes in the early window on Saturday. Miami has played with fire all season and has had to rely on Ward to bail them out repeatedly. Ward proved he needed the rest of his teammates to step up. The Hurricane signal-caller finished 25 of 39 for 348 yards and three touchdowns. Ward has thrown for 300+ yards and multiple touchdowns in nine of his ten games this year. All is not lost yet for Miami; they must win its remaining ACC contests to play for the ACC Championship and get a spot in the college football playoff.
#3 Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks keep strutting their way through the Big Ten. The Ducks knocked off Maryland on Saturday to move to 10-0 and still sit atop the College Football Playoff rankings. Gabriel has been well-traveled in his career, stopping at UCF, Oklahoma, and now Eugene. Gabriel didn’t exactly light up the stat shit on Saturday, passing for just 183 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdowns enabled him to break the NCAA record for total career touchdowns. The Ducks travel to Wisconsin and close the season in Eugene against Washington before heading to Indianapolis to win its first Big Ten Championship.
#2 Travis Hunter, ATH, Colorado
The Week 11 Heisman poll does not have a tie like last week. Instead, Travis Hunter has secured his spot at #2 this week. The Athlete. Hunter posted again over 100 snaps in Colorado’s win over Texas Tech in Lubbock. Hunter continues to distinguish himself as a unicorn in college football, playing at a high level on both sides of the ball. He had nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown Saturday. Unlike last year, Colorado continues to win tough games and sits at 7-2 on the season. Their success will provide more eyes on Hunter and give him a real shot to win the Heisman in December.
#1 Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Ashton Jeanty is a workhorse. If this feels repetitive, it is for emphasis. Every team Boise State faces knows that Jeanty will get the ball (a lot). No matter what happens, Jeanty continues to produce. Jeanty had another big day Saturday against Nevada. The Broncos running back rushed a season-high 34 times for 209 yards and scored three touchdowns. Jeanty is a big reason Boise State is the highest-rated G5 team and will be the likely representative in the College Football Playoff.
