While the top spot in the Heisman rankings remains the same once again, there is some shakeup in the next four spots. A new face for the season makes an appearance, one that has been on Heisman lists before.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
As our own Ben Shumate wrote, Penn State’s last drive was unable to get them into field goal range to beat Ohio State. The Buckeyes were able to put constant pressure on Trace McSorley and disrupted the timing of plays. More so, the Buckeye defense contained Saquon Barkley, the best player in college football, for the majority of the game. Barkley was held to just 44 yards on the ground, 23 receiving yards, and 1 rushing touchdown. Still, the body of work is impressive, as Barkley now has 1,272 total yards (801 rushing, 471 receiving) and 12 total touchdowns (9 rushing, 3 receiving). Barkley will look to improve his performance against Michigan State, Penn State’s upcoming opponent. If Barkley can return to old form, his lead in the Heisman rankings will grow.
Stock: Holding
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Baker Mayfield now is 3-0 against his former Texas Tech team. This time around, Mayfield went off with 281 passing yards and 4 touchdowns for the Sooners. He also added 20 rushing yards and a touchdown. Mayfield now has thrown for 23 touchdowns and rushed for four. more Mayfield holds one of the best TD:INT ratios in the nation at 23:3. Mayfield has continued to impress this season, throwing for more than 250 yards in every game so far. Baker and the Sooners are currently 7-1 heading into Bedlam against in-state rival Oklahoma State. Mayfield could solidify his place in the top three with another strong showing.
Stock: Rising
Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
Josh Adams recently emerged in the rankings, checking in at number five last week. This week, after 202 yards and a touchdown, Adams finds himself in the top three. Adams currently ranks fifth in the nation in rushing yards at 1,169 yards, and has also added nine touchdowns. Led by both Adams and quarterback Brandon Wimbush, Notre Dame has established a lethal ground attack, good enough for the committee to rank the Fighting Irish third in the initial CFB Playoff Rankings. The final game of the season for Notre Dame will feature a matchup between two Heisman hopeful running backs in Josh Adams and Stanford’s Bryce Love.
Stock: Rising
J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
J.T. Barrett finally makes an appearance in the Heisman Rankings during his tenth, and (probably) final, college season. Barrett has flown under the radar for most of the season, but has racked up 2,166 passing yards, 454 rushing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and 5 rushing touchdowns, all while throwing just one interception. Barrett was impressive against Penn State, notably in the fourth quarter, completing all 13 of his passes, with three touchdowns. Barrett’s next two games will be tests, as the Buckeyes travel to Iowa before welcoming Michigan State to the Horseshoe. Barrett provides invaluable leadership to the Ohio State offense and has improved his decision making from last season. The theory that Barrett only beats up on lesser competition, a la Lamar Jackson, seems to have been disproved this past weekend.
Stock: Rising
Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
An ankle injury kept Love out against hapless Oregon State and made that game much closer than it should have. Once again, Love is considered to be a game-time decision when Stanford matches up against Washington this weekend.
Stock: Falling
Outside looking in: Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona
