Scandals, upsets and letdowns have the Heisman Trophy race wide open. Georgia star running back Todd Gurley is out of contention after being suspended indefinitely, Jameis Winston and Florida State have been marred in minor issues and Mississippi State shocked the football world by storming its way into the No. 1 overall ranking.
So where does that leave our Heisman hopefuls?
1. Dak Prescott
Dak's that spirit, Dak to the Future, Dak in Action. Okay, I'm running out of lame puns. But Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott is not running out of impressive performances. Sure, he didn't have the best game against Auburn. But he's completing 61.5% of his passes and has combined for over 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. The Bulldogs have three straight wins over ranked opponents. What more do you want from the guy?
2. Marcus Mariota
The Oregon Ducks' upset loss to Arizona certainly hurt both the school's playoff chances and Mariota's Heisman potential. But Mariota rebounded in a big way with 285 total yards and four touchdowns against No. 18 UCLA this past weekend. Oregon (5-1 overall, 2-1 in the PAC-12), still sits atop the conference standing and is ranked in the top 10. As long as the team keeps winning, Mariota will remain a strong Heisman contender.
3. Melvin Gordon
Wisconsin's lead running back takes over Gurley's spot as the only ball carrier in the Heisman watch. A 175 yard, four score performance against Illinois last Saturday definitely helped his cause. Wisconsin (4-2 overall, 1-1 in the Big Ten) ranks second in the nation with 343 rushing yards per game. Gordon has run for 1,046 yards and 13 touchdowns on a ridiculous 7.9 yards per carry average.
4. Bryce Petty
Petty had the gutsiest performance of the Heisman hopefuls last week when he led Baylor to a 61-58 win over No. 9 TCU after the Bears fell 21 points behind. Petty tossed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and set up Baylor (6-0 overall, 3-0 in the Big 12) for the game-winning field goal as time expired. Poise, resilience and gaudy stats have propelled Petty into the thick of the Heisman Trophy race.
5. Everett Golson
Notre Dame's quarterback went bonanza last week against North Carolina. 371 total yards and three touchdowns will catch anyone's attention. But the Fighting Irish (6-0) nearly lost that game and have a tough matchup against FSU this week. An upset victory could cement Golson as a legit Heisman contender, while a disappointing performance could knock him out of the race.
