If you’re wondering why [your candidate of choice] is missing from this article, please note that these are the top six players who were active this weekend, according to last week’s Vegas odds. Yes, Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Notre Dame’s Everett Golson will still be mentioned in the race.
Heisman Trophy watch: Marcus Mariota, Ameer Abdullah star in Week 9
Your latest look at the contenders for college football’s most prestigious honor.
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Marcus Mariota, Oregon QB
Even as the pieces around him continue to get injured, the preseason Heisman favorite remains quite stellar himself. Late on Friday evening, he shredded California for 326 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 59-41 win, and though he threw his first interception of the year in that one, he remains the owner of a mind-boggling 24:1 TD:INT ratio and a 68.8 completion percentage. Not bad work, if you can get it.
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State QB
Mississippi State’s recent surge to the top of the polls has resulted in Prescott’s Heisman stock following along for the ride. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Whatever the case, Prescott played well to help the Bulldogs hold off feisty Kentucky, completing 18-of-33 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown. He would add 88 yards and find paydirt twice more on the ground.
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska RB
Thanks to 341 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers, Abdullah continued to shine a big way in leading the Cornhuskers to a 42-24 win. With seven touchdowns the last two weeks, it's fair to say Abdullah has taken the title of token running back in the Heisman race - every year has one - away from Melvin Gordon, who had a great afternoon of his own.
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin RB
A 52-7 laugher over Maryland gave Gordon plenty of opportunities to shine early. He carried 22 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns to push his season total to over 1,100 yards in seven games. It was the 6th time this season Gordon has surpassed 120 yards, and the 3rd time he’s scored three or more touchdowns in a game.
Amari Cooper, Alabama WR
There’s no question who the nation’s best receiver is, if not West Virginia’s Kevin White. He plays in Tuscaloosa, and he’s being fed the ball by an offensive coordinator who insists on getting it to him. Wide receivers will always be at a disadvantage in Heisman voting, but Cooper has been consistently dominant against team after team trying to contain him. On Saturday, it was Tennessee who played unlucky victim, falling prey to Cooper’s nine-catch, 224-yard, two-touchdown performance.
J.T. Barrett, Ohio State QB
Redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett traveled to Happy Valley for the biggest road test of his currently young career, and the results were decidedly mixed - although he provided the late heroics with two overtime touchdown runs, he struggled to only 74 yards on 12-of-19 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions against a very good Penn State defense.
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