As the college football season hits the final weekend of the regular-season, the 2018 Heisman Trophy race might be getting tighter than we think.
The Game Haus again provides its weekly rankings of the top five candidates for college football’s most prestigious award. Here’s a look at this week’s version of the Heisman watch with the current contenders as we see it.
Previous week’s Heisman watch rankings in parenthesis. All times eastern.
1. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, No. 1 Alabama (1)
This week: vs.Auburn, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
The Breakdown: Some believe the heat is on Tagovailoa in the Heisman race, but even though Alabama was tied with the Citadel at halftime last weekend, he still enjoyed another solid performance. His two-game interception rut ended while going 18 of 22 for 340 yards and three touchdowns. This race is still his to lose.
2. Kyler Murray, QB, No. 6 Oklahoma (2)
This week: at No. 12 West Virginia, 8 p.m., Friday
The Breakdown: Murray is closing in on Tua in the Heisman race simply because Oklahoma does not have enough consistent offensive weapons to support him. Sure, the Sooners have NFL-type receivers in Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb, but good secondaries will find ways to shut those guys down. Murray had a hand in five Oklahoma touchdowns last week against Kansas, and still remains the most exciting player in college football.
3. Will Grier, QB, No. 7 West Virginia (3)
This week: vs. No. 6 Oklahoma, 8 p.m., Friday
The Breakdown: Grier finally gets the chance to face the Sooners and that leaky defense. He missed last season’s matchup with a broken finger, and the Mountaineers were clobbered 59-31 in Norman. Don’t be surprised if it’s West Virginia dropping 50-plus in this matchup. Grier has thrown 11 touchdowns and one interception in the last four games to remain a steady presence on the Heisman watch.
4. Gardner Minshew II, QB, No. 7 Washington State (4)
This week: vs. No. 16 Washington, 8:30 p.m., Friday
The Breakdown: It’s Minshew, not Jake Browning, who has received the Heisman attention this season from the state of Washington. The Cougars have a chance at a Pac-12 North Division title Friday and Minshew will somehow try to follow up his stellar seven-touchdown pass performance against Arizona from last weekend.
5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin (NR)
This week: vs. Minnesota, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
The Breakdown: Taylor is back on Heisman watch after rushing for a career-high 321 yards on 33 carries in a triple-overtime victory at Purdue last weekend. Taylor is the nation’s runaway leader in both rushing yards (1,869) and yards per game (169.9). Now, he gets Minnesota, which has yielded at least 315 ground yards three times in 2018.
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