A lot of the Heisman Trophy frontrunners entering Week 6 of the college football season took a bit of a backseat on Saturday, just due to the schedule. Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State had the week off. Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State beat up on a bad Maryland team while most of the country was probably watching other games, and ditto for Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss as they got back on track with a blowout win over Vanderbilt.
In the absence of some of those big names in the national spotlight over the weekend, there was room for some other players to enter the Heisman discussion with some big games.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, who is often criticized as a passenger in Kirby Smart's well-oiled machine, came up big time and time again with big throws on third down to help the Bulldogs get a big win in Tuscaloosa. It's not enough to get him into the top five of the Heisman rankings just yet, but he is lurking on the outside and has plenty more chances to move up.
Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr didn't play the same level of competition as Stockton did on Saturday, but this Irish offense is starting to get humming at the right time as some of its toughest tests approach. Carr threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns in a 58-7 win over Stanford and is also lurking just outside the top five in these rankings ahead of a massive tilt with BYU.
Was there any shakeup at the top of the Heisman Trophy power rankings after Week 6? Let's get into the list.
Honorable mention: Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker, Georgia QB Gunner Stockton, Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr, Missouri QB Austin Simmons, Oregon State WR Jesse Legree
5. Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor
Last week: 5
Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State had the week off in Week 6, and for the first time in about a month the Bulldogs are out of the national discussion. The buzz around Taylor has died a bit coming off of a blowout loss to Alabama before the bye, but this is still a Mississippi State team with an elite quarterback that is right in the middle of the SEC Championship and the CFP race. Taylor has another chance to make a big statement on a national stage on Saturday when the Bulldogs host LSU.
4. Miami (FL) QB Darian Mensah
Last week: 4
Mensah just isn't in the national discussion very much at the moment because of Miami's schedule, and he was especially absent during the Hurricanes' Week 6 bye. Miami isn't likely to run into any trouble in Week 7 either, as it hosts a struggling Florida State squad that is just waiting out the rest of Mike Norvell's tenure. Things start to heat up a bit after that when the Canes take on Pitt and North Carolina before a game against Notre Dame.
3. Alabama QB Keelon Russell
Last week: 2
Russell didn't play poorly against Georgia, but a loss doesn't help his chances to win this award nonetheless. It was a sloppy start for the Alabama offense as a whole in the rain, but Russell improved as the game went on and finished 16-of-30 with 181 yards and a touchdown along with 41 rushing yards.
Late in the game, the former five-star recruit showed off some of the playmaking ability that makes him such a captivating watch and an enticing star for the Crimson Tide. If he can keep improving throughout the regular season, starting with a road date against Tennessee on Saturday, he will be a factor in the Heisman race down the stretch.
2. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
Last week: 3
Chambliss reminded everyone why he is the best quarterback in the country on Saturday in a dominant 52-17 win over Vanderbilt. Despite the game being played in some bad weather, Chambliss still finished 20-for-30 with 213 yards and four total touchdowns. The Rebels didn't have to lean on Chambliss' entire arsenal in this game, only running him four times for five yards.
Chambliss will have to be fully unlocked in Week 7 against a Missouri team that is now in the top 15 in what is essentially an SEC title eliminator.
1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Last week: 1
Jeremiah Smith had a ho-hum day by his standards in a 45-16 win over Maryland on Saturday. But ho-hum for many is not ho-hum for Smith; the best player in college football caught four balls for 93 yards and two touchdowns, including a spinning one-handed catch. There just isn't anybody doing it like the future top-five pick at the moment. He is the man Ryan Day and Julian Sayin turn to whenever they need a big play, and he delivers just about every time.
Smith already has a sizable lead in this race at the moment, but he has a chance to make another statement on Saturday when the Buckeyes go on the road for a top-five matchup with Indiana.