Just three weeks remain in the regular season in college football, and this is shaping up to be one of the weirdest Heisman Trophy races in recent memory. The Heisman race has undergone a number of different phases this season, and now the race seems to be in complete limbo as the schedule winds down.
Early in the season, Trinidad Chambliss emerged as the Heisman favorite after a few big games earlier in the season. Then, as Chambliss' play started to tail off a little bit, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith became the runaway favorite as he dominated opponent after opponent for the Buckeyes. Now, Chambliss is completely out of the race after a 42-7 loss to Georgia on Saturday.
The injury to Julian Sayin put a dent in Smith's Heisman campaign, as his production began to drop and the Buckeyes have fallen out of the College Football Playoff race. Malachi Toney started to rise into the Heisman discussion, but he suffered an ankle injury in practice that will end his regular season.
Heading into Saturday, it was all set up for Darian Mensah to cement his status as the runaway Heisman favorite with a strong showing against Notre Dame. Mensah didn't play poorly, and his big second half almost helped Miami pull off a huge comeback, but a loss in that game still puts a damper on his case.
Now? It's anyone's guess who the Heisman favorite is heading into Week 11. Let's get into the current top five with three weeks until championship weekend.
Honorable mention: South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers, Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker, Alabama QB Keelon Russell, Georgia QB Gunner Stockton, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
5. Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez
Last week: 5
Lopez didn't play in Week 10 against Merrimack due to a lower-body injury, but it's hard to imagine that game having had either a positive or a negative effect on his Heisman campaign. Assuming he is good to go for the final three weeks of the season, things are shaping up for him to make a real push for this award late in the season.
Wake Forest still has only one loss on the year and is still right in the middle of the College Football Playoff race. On Saturday, Lopez and company will go on the road to take on a 7-2 SMU team that could decide the second spot in the ACC Championship Game. The Demon Deacons also play a very impressive Duke team in the final week of the regular season.
If Lopez gets through both of those and plays well with big numbers, he will get a crack at Miami in the conference title game. That could be the final statement he needs on championship weekend to win the award if he can lead his team to a conference title.
4. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Last week: 1
Smith has dropped on this list thanks to reasons that certainly are not his fault. The images of the star wide receiver near the end of the third quarter of a blowout home loss to Oregon on Saturday sum up every Buckeyes fan watching the last two weeks of Luke Fahey, and the Buckeyes are out of the CFP race as a result.
Smith is still putting up big numbers. He posted seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown in the loss, and his season-long numbers still pop off the page. He is fourth in the nation in catches, second in receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns. But the Heisman is a narrative award, and Smith playing in a barely-functional offense that is going to miss the CFP isn't helping his case. For now, it looks like he will have to settle for the Biletnikoff.
3. Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr
Last week: NR
Carr is actually the betting favorite to win the award at this point in the season following Notre Dame's win over Miami that nearly secures a playoff bid, but he hasn't quite done enough to be No. 1 on this list. Carr hasn't had any Heisman moments at this point in the season, and while part of that comes from Notre Dame only having two marquee games so far, it is a part of the narrative that goes into the winner of the Heisman.
The case for Carr is simple. He has incredible counting stats — he has 2,168 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and one interception on the season — and is leading a top-five team that should waltz into the CFP. The Irish also have one more tough test against SMU in Week 12 where Carr will have a chance to make a statement.
2. Utah QB Devon Dampier
Last week: NR
Dampier went all the way from not ranked in these power rankings to No. 2 after Utah stated unbeaten with a 28-20 win in the Holy War against BYU. The Utes are now No. 2 in the AP poll, and it is likely to match that in the CFP rankings this week. Dampier had a big day Saturday, finishing 14-for-26 with 177 yards through the air, 89 yards on the ground and four total touchdowns. When Wayshawn Parker was struggling with a heel injury, Dampier became the focal point of the running game to go along with his responsibilities of a passer.
On the season, Dampier has 2,053 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has 480 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground while leading one of the best stories in college football with a new head coach. He is absolutely live to win the award if the Utes can run the table for the rest of the season.
1. Miami (FL) QB Darian Mensah
Last week: 2
Is it a little weird to move Mensah up on this list after a loss on the road in his biggest game of the season? It does, but that kind of embodies how weird this race has become. Mensah came alive in the second half in South Bend on Saturday night to finish 24-of-43 with 276 yards and three touchdowns. He is of course playing without Malachi Toney, which completely nerfs the explosiveness of the passing game.
Mensah is still on a team that will make the CFP and will get a conference championship game for him to show out on a national stage. He is also still seventh in the nation in passing yards, second in passing touchdowns and first in completion percentage. If the award were given out right now, it's Mensah's award to lose.