College Football Heisman Rankings Ahead of Week 12
The college football regular season may be coming to a close, but the race for the Heisman Trophy is heating up. The contenders for the prestigious accolade were shaken up following some key Week 11 games from Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
Harrison posted an outstanding 168-yard, three-touchdown performance in a dominating 38-3 win over Michigan State. Meanwhile, Nix continued his efficient play with an absurd 23 of 31, 412-yard, four-touchdown outing over a tough USC team led by Caleb Williams.
We also can't mention the Heisman Trophy contenders without bringing up LSU QB Jayden Daniels after an unbelievable game against Florida that saw him account for 606 total yards. Daniels was 17 of 26 for 372 yards and three touchdowns. Daniels broke the Gators' defense down on the ground, adding 234 yards on 12 carries with two additional touchdowns.
Let's look at the current Heisman Trophy race following those big performances.
Updated College Football Heisman Trophy Race Ahead of Week 12 Matchups
#1, Bo Nix - Oregon
Bo Nix has gotten it done for the Ducks all season long, completing an eye-popping 78% of his passes for 3,135 yards and 34 total touchdowns, with just two interceptions.
Nix's efficiency has put Oregon in a position to win week in and week out, leading the Ducks to an excellent 9-1 record.
Oregon currently sits in the College Football Playoff hunt, primarily due to its play at quarterback. Bo Nix jumps Michael Penix Jr. after an impressive four-touchdown performance against a dangerous USC Trojan team.
#2, Jayden Daniels - LSU
Jayden Daniels has solidified his spot in the Heisman Trophy conversation with a video game-like performance against Florida in Week 11. Daniels totaled 606 yards and five touchdowns in an exciting 52-35 win over the Gators.
On the season, Daniels has 3,164 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns, with just four interceptions. Daniels is also getting it done on the ground with 918 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
The only question about Jayden Daniels' Heisman case is LSU's 7-3 record with losses to Alabama, Ole Miss and Florida State. We have seen Heisman Trophy winners of the past suffer multiple defeats, but the voting committee will certainly consider losses.
#3, Michael Penix Jr. - Washington
Washington keeps finding ways to win with Michael Penix at the helm. The quarterback led his Huskies to a close 35-28 win over a Utah team known for showing up in big games. Against the Utes, Penix was 24 of 42 for 332 yards and three total touchdowns.
Penix and the Washington Huskies boast a perfect 10-0 record with big wins over Utah, USC and Oregon. In those ten games, Penix has thrown for 3,533 yards, the best in the country, with 28 touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
Michael Penix has Washington on the brink of a playoff berth. The Huskies are doing everything right, and if they can maintain their perfect record with a Pac-12 championship, they will be impossible to keep out of the playoffs.
#4, Marvin Harrison Jr. - Ohio State
Ohio State is starting to look very explosive on offense, in large part due to the dominance of Marvin Harrison. "Maserati Marv" has put on a show all season and is fresh from a 168-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 38-3 win over Michigan State.
Harrison has hauled 59 catches for 1,063 yards and 13 total touchdowns on the season. He currently has seven games of 100 or more yards and six outings of 120 or more.
The Buckeyes are currently second in the College Football Playoff rankings and will look to fine-tune things in a matchup against Minnesota ahead of "The Game" on Nov. 25.