Bo Nix is a Heisman contender, as the fates foretold

Absolutely nothing makes sense this football season, both at the NFL level, and at the NCAA level.

On Monday morning, as the staff at SB Nation began to sketch out the week, it dawned on us, like the warm rays of the sun cascading at dawn.

It was Heisman Ballot week for JP Acosta and I.

And Oregon quarterback Bo Nix might be the name at the top of the list.

That realization was the capper to what was a stunning, and at time perplexing, two weeks of college football. Consider what we saw this past weekend alone. Tennessee, who debuted in the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, lost to Georgia, who checked in at the third spot. Ohio State, ranked second in the initial rankings, limped to a sluggish 21-7 over Northwestern, who entered play on Saturday with a 1-7 record, 1-4 in the Big Ten.

Another Big Ten team, Michigan, debuted in the rankings in the fourth spot. But it took them a while to wake up against Rutgers before eventually pulling away.

Then there was the other big SEC game, as Alabama fell on the road, and for the second time this season, to LSU. The Tigers were a surprising top-ten ranking, but their overtime win over the Crimson Tide offers some validation for the committee.

Oh, and do not forget Clemson, who entered the week ranked fourth, getting throttled on the road by Notre Dame.

Two teams, however, kept on rolling along: TCU and Oregon.

Which brings us to Mr. Nix, who has been gaining some Heisman buzz in recent weeks, aided by his performance against UCLA a few weeks ago. Saturday against Colorado, Nix turned in another big game, throwing for a pair of touchdowns and adding two more on the ground.

It is beyond time to pay attention.

But Nix is not alone, as we have a few new faces in the mix this week.

First Place Vote: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

Ok, hear me out.

Yes, CJ Stroud only threw for 76 yards on a 1-8 Northwestern team, but that game wasn’t normal. That game was played in a monsoon with almost biblically high levels of wind. I’m pretty sure if you called Noah out there he would’ve started building the ark.

CJ Stroud is still one of the best passers in the country and will continue to put up video game numbers in non-maelstrom weather. As long as Ohio State keeps winning football games, he’ll be in New York and the Heisman favorite.

Second Place Vote: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Well, hello Drake Maye!

Always among the outside looking in on this Heisman discussion, the fates of Hendon Hooker and Bryce Young allow Maye to vault into my ballot. He’s fourth in the country in passing yards, sixth in completion percentage and first in passing touchdowns. This is all while leading North Carolina to wins in spite of one of the worst defenses the Tar Heels have ever fielded. For example, Pitt was up 17-7 and 24-14 at points in their game against North Carolina.

The Tar Heels proceeded to rattle off 28 straight after going down 24-14 to win 42-24. That offense is amazing, and even in their loss to Notre Dame, they scored 32 points. Drake Maye is that good, and is deserving of a spot in New York.

Third Place Vote: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

I can’t believe I’m typing this, but here goes.

Bo Nix is a legit Heisman candidate.

After getting shellacked by Georgia, Nix has been on a tear, and he actually leads the NCAA in completion percentage. On Saturday, he almost pulled off a triple double, throwing two touchdowns, running for two more, and even catching a touchdown. His development has been one of the most startling aspects of the season, and that should get him in my Heisman ballot.

Other players considered: Alabama QB Bryce Young, USC QB Caleb Williams, Michigan RB Blake Corum, Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker

I honestly feel kind of bad for Bryce Young. He’s played even better than last year when he actually won the Heisman, but has been let down by his team and offensive coaching staff. His play in their loss to LSU was masterful. Hopefully an NFL team will appreciate that.

Re-entering the fray is USC QB Caleb Williams, who has still been one of the best QBs in the country. He’s tied for third in the nation in touchdowns, but he’s the only QB in the top 15 of passing TDs to have only thrown one interception. If the Trojans can finish strong and win the Pac-12, Williams could leapfrog a few guys.

Hooker falls out after a poor showing against Georgia, but his overall body of work should keep him in consideration. He’s going to need a lot of help to pass guys ahead of him, now that Tennessee won’t be playing on conference championship Saturday.

First Place Vote: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Since a rough outing against Georgia in the first game of the season, Nix has done nothing but win, and perform at a high level. We last talked about Nix two weeks ago, when he threw for five touchdowns in a win over UCLA.

In the two games since, Nix has continued to play well. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, and added another 3 rushing touchdowns, in Oregon’s win over California two weeks ago. This past week, Nix completed 20 of 24 throws for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns, and added a pair of rushing touchdowns.

On the season, Nix has completed 73.3% of his passes for 2,495 yards and 22 touchdowns, against just 5 interceptions. He has another 13 rushing touchdowns. Nix ranks tenth in the nation in scoring — clocking in as the highest quarterback on the list — and is sixth in the nation in passing efficiency.

Again, it has been a strange college football season. Bo Nix punching his ticket to the Heisman House almost seems fitting.

Second Place Vote: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

That sound you hear?

The deafening drumbeats of the impending draft quarterback wars.

The discourse surrounding the next quarterback class is sure to be insane, and Twitter might be more of a hellscape than usual, provided it still exists. The debates around C.J. Stroud, Hendon Hooker, Will Levis, Bryce Young, and the rest of the class are sure to be pleasant for all, and centered on good-faith arguments.

Putting that aside, as for Stroud’s Heisman odds, he remains the favorite according to many sportsbooks, but his stock likely took a hit with an underwhelming performance this past week. Against a Northwestern team that entered the weekend with just a single win, Stroud turned in what was by some metrics the worst performance of his collegiate career. He connected on just 10 of 26 passes for 74 yards, good for a QBR of 59.3, the lowest single-game mark of his Ohio State career.

Now, those numbers certainly require some context, as it was a rainy and blustery day in Evanston, and just getting the win was perhaps all head coach Ryan Day was looking for from his Buckeyes. Perhaps this is simply a one-off that voters will ignore at the end of the season.

And with Stroud continuing to lead the nation in passing efficiency, and with a huge game against Michigan looming that could work to further boost his stock, perhaps he is the favorite in Vegas for a good reason.

Third Place Vote: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Perhaps we can call it the “SB Nation Heisman Ballot Curse.” Because two weeks ago, both me and JP had Hendon Hooker atop our ballots.

Since then, however, Hooker turned in his worst performance of the season in Tennessee’s loss to Georgia. After debuting atop the College Football Playoff Rankings, the Volunteers lost in Athens by a final score of 27-13, and Hooker threw an interception, while finishing without a touchdown pass for the first time this season.

Still, Hooker should finish the season strong, as South Carolina is the only team left on Tennessee’s schedule with a winning record this season. However, the loss to Georgia means that the Volunteers will need a lot of help to secure a berth in either the SEC Championship game, or the College Football Playoff. If the Volunteers could somehow land in the SEC Championship, it would give Hooker one more showcase game to put in front of voters, to perhaps help them forget this past Saturday.

Other players considered: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU, Caleb Williams, QB, USC, Chase Brown, RB, Illinois, Blake Corum, RB, Michigan, Drake Maye, QB, UNC, Max Duggan, QB, TCU

A lot of familiar names here, but some new ones, and we will focus on those. Jayden Daniels and the LSU Tigers have knocked off teams ranked in the top ten in each of the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, Daniels completed 21 of 28 passes for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 45-20 win over Mississippi, then ranked seventh in the nation. This past week, the Arizona State transfer connected on 22 of 32 for 182 yards and 2 more touchdowns, as the Tigers got past Alabama in overtime. Daniels also threw the game-winning conversion to Mason Taylor at the end of LSU’s first possession in OT.

On the year, Daniels has throw for 14 touchdowns, against a single interception.

While Stroud leads the FBS in passing efficiency, just behind him is Drake Maye from UNC. The redshirt freshman is posting impressive numbers in his first year as a starter, and to this date Maye has completed 71.2% of his passes for 31 touchdowns, against just 3 interceptions. He has thrown for seven touchdowns in the past two weeks alone, victories over Pittsburgh and Virginia. With the Tar Heels sitting atop the ACC Coastal, two games ahead of in-state rivals Duke, UNC is on the verge of punching their ticket to the ACC Championship Game. Maye might be a longshot right now, but his college career is just getting started.

Then there is Max Duggan. The TCU Fightin’ Hypnotoads are fun, and Duggan is a big part of the joy down in Fort Worth. The senior lost the starting job in training camp, but an injury to Chandler Morris in the first game of the season opened the door for Duggan to return to the lineup, and he has not looked back. He has completed 66% of his passes on the year for 24 touchdowns, against just 2 interceptions, and added another 4 touchdowns on the ground. With TCU climbing in the rankings, and on the cusp of clinching a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game — although two big games with Texas and Baylor remain — TCU is one of the year’s best stories.

Now if someone from their social media department would kindly reach out to my friend JP, he has some questions he would love to ask you...