As rivalry week has come and gone, top players across college football are hoping to put a bow on their case for the Heisman Trophy.
Some candidates will have an opportunity to make a statement during next week’s conference championship games, while others had to use their regular-season finale to make their closing statements to Heisman voters. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia took that to heart, hitting the Heisman pose after a touchdown run in the Commodores’ big win over No. 19 Tennessee to finish 10-2.
Texas Tech has went all out to prove star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez’s worthiness for college football’s highest honor, putting the top defender in on offense at the goal line over the past couple games to prove a point. Defense wins championships (and Heismans?), too.
After a three-touchdown outburst last week, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love had another opportunity to make his own case, extending his streak of 11 straight games with a rushing touchdown as the Fighting Irish defeated Stanford handily.
Now, all eyes turn to the Big Ten where top quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin go head-to-head next week as No. 2 Indiana takes on No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. Sayin made a statement himself this week as he led the Buckeyes to their first win over Michigan in six years, snapping a four-game losing streak against their bitter rival.
Without further ado, here’s where we stand after rivalry week in the chase for the Heisman, with the top-five candidates ranked in order:
5. Jacob Rodriguez — LB, Texas Tech
Texas Tech and coach Joey McGuire have kept no secrets as the Red Raiders hoped to prove Rodriguez’s Heisman case.
The senior linebacker has been one of the nation’s top defenders all season and McGuire has recently put Rodriguez in on offense to prove a point. “Everybody is talking about quarterbacks for Heisman,” McGuire said two weeks ago after a win over UCF. “So we put him in at quarterback today.”
In Texas Tech’s regular-season finale against West Virginia Saturday, Rodriguez was in on offense yet again. He punched in the Red Raiders’ first touchdown of the day on a one-yard score, but the plan later backfired when he threw an interception at the goal line just ahead of halftime. Nevertheless, Rodriguez has two offensive touchdowns and another defensive score on the year as Texas Tech finished 11-1 on the way to next week’s Big 12 championship game. Defensive players face an uphill battle in Heisman talks, but Texas Tech’s star deserves to hear his name in the conversation.
4. Jeremiyah Love — RB, Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s star rusher had a three-touchdown day with 171 yards last week on only eight carries as the Fighting Irish demolished Syracuse. This week, he continued his streak of now 11 straight games with a rushing touchdown with 66 yards and a score in a victory over Stanford. Love’s Heisman case was soured through most of the season only due to Notre Dame’s back-to-back losses against Miami and Texas A&M to start the year.
The Irish rattled off 10 straight wins and are primed to make an appearance in the College Football Playoff as Love has been one of the nation’s top players along the way. He has the fourth most rushing yards in college football behind only Cam Cook (Jacksonville State), Ahmad Hardy (Missouri) and Emmett Johnson (Nebraska). Love’s 18 touchdowns are the third most in the nation behind Caleb Hawkins (North Texas) and Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss). Against USC on Oct. 18, Love rushed for a whopping 228 yards, the most ever by an Irish player at Notre Dame Stadium. In a season full of highlight-worthy runs, Love certainly belongs as a Heisman finalist.
3. Diego Pavia — QB, Vanderbilt
Pavia, another candidate who hasn’t been afraid to make his Heisman case known, has put up tons of offense throughout the regular season. He’s put up more than 400 yards of total offense in four straight games and has led Vanderbilt to three straight wins to finish the regular season after a disappointing loss to Texas.
His Heisman case was nearly spoiled with two first-half interceptions against Tennessee Saturday, but he led the Commodores to their first 10-win season in program history in a 45-24 win on the road against the No. 19 Volunteers. Pavia rushed for 165 yards and a score and triumphantly exclaimed to “take me to New York” after the win. His 36 total touchdowns on the season rival Indiana’s Mendoza, the Heisman favorite over recent weeks. The question remains whether Pavia has done enough to top the star Big Ten quarterbacks, especially because Vanderbilt won’t play in the SEC championship game next week. However, Pavia’s exciting season that proved historic for Vandy should be enough for a spot in New York.
2. Julian Sayin — QB, Ohio State
Debatably the biggest winner in the Heisman chase this week, Sayin threw for three touchdowns in Ohio State’s dominant win over Michigan at the Big House, which marked the Buckeyes’ first victory over the Wolverines in six years and 2,191 days.
The star sophomore QB remains college football’s most efficient passer, completing 78.9% of his throws on the year. He has the third most passing touchdowns in the nation, behind Mendoza and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson. While Sayin’s season hasn’t been overly flashy throughout most of the year, he’s undoubtedly been one of the best QBs in the land as he leads the Buckeyes title defense while taking over for Will Howard. Sayin needed a win over Michigan to make a Heisman statement. He has an even bigger opportunity to do so against Mendoza and Indiana in the Big Ten championship game.
1. Fernando Mendoza — QB, Indiana
The Heisman race may just come down to next week’s Big Ten championship game where top QBs Mendoza and Sayin will face each other in a battle between college football’s two top-ranked teams. Even with a loss, Mendoza’s Heisman hopes shoud still be alive as he has emerged as a favorite over recent weeks as he led Indiana to its first perfect season since 1945 and first ever year with 12 wins.
He ended the regular season with the most passing touchdowns in college football (32) and added six scores on the ground over the year. Mendoza didn’t have to overly exert himself this week as the Hoosiers trounced Purdue on the road, as his two third-quarter touchdown throws let him hand the ball to his brother, Alberto, to finish the game. Next week’s Big Ten title has a lot on the line, including a true Heisman moment.
Others considered: Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State), Gunner Stockton (QB, Georgia)
