Heisman Watch: Chase Young crashes the QB party
Ohio State DL Chase Young and associate head coach Larry Johnson break down film and explain to Kirk Herbstreit what makes Chase so dominant. (2:23)
Chase Young’s career day vaulted him into the top 3 this week, behind Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, who hold down the top two spots for the second straight week.
Throughout the season, ESPN.com writers will vote on their top Heisman candidates.
To get the final rankings, we use the following methodology: 10 voters, five votes each. Points system: five points for first-place votes, four points for second-place votes, three points for third-place votes, two points for fourth-place votes and one point for fifth-place votes.
Voters: Andrea Adelson, Edward Aschoff, Kyle Bonagura, Bill Connelly, Heather Dinich, David M. Hale, Chris Low, Ivan Maisel, Adam Rittenberg, Mark Schlabach
Total points: 47 (first-place votes: 8)
Notable: Burrow remains in the top spot for a second straight week, thanks to his 321 yards passing and two-TD performance against No. 9 Auburn Saturday. It was Burrow’s eighth career 300-yard passing game for LSU, which snuck past Auburn, 23-20.
Quotable: “If your quarterback shows toughness like that, it can kind of get your team going,” Burrow said of getting up after a major hit. “If you lay down on the field and don’t hop right back up, it shows your team that you are not really into it.”
Heisman odds (Caesars Sportsbook): 5-4
Total points: 29 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Oklahoma lost for the first time all season, but Hurts still tossed for nearly 400 yards (395), ran for 96 and accounted for four total TDs (one passing, three rushing). The Sooners’ star QB went 19-of-26 and didn’t throw an interception in his team’s 48-41 loss to Kansas State.
Quotable: “We’ve got to be more appreciative, cherish every moment and attack every moment with the right intent,” Hurts said. “We’ve got to learn from this and appreciate this lesson.”
Heisman odds: 3-2
Total points: 28 (first-place votes: 1)
Notable: Young has been dominant all season, but people finally took notice in Week 9. Against Wisconsin, Young’s stat line read like this: four sacks, five tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles (to name a few). Young, who tied OSU’s single-game records for sacks and tackles for a loss, said it was the best game of his career.
Quotable: “His get-off, his speed, it’s unbelievable,” OSU co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “It’s like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s ridiculous.”
Heisman odds: Field (10-1)
Total points: 27 (first-place votes: 1)
Notable: Tagovailoa, who got off to a hot start this season before spraining his ankle against Tennessee, missed Bama’s rout of Arkansas on Saturday. But he’s expected to practice by the middle of this week.
Quotable: “We expect him to return to practice by midweek this week,” Saban said. “I don’t know what he’ll be able to do or how much. But that’s sort of the prognosis for where we are right now.”
Heisman odds: 4-1
Justin Fields accounts for three touchdowns while J.K. Dobbins scores twice to lead Ohio State to a dominant 38-7 win over Wisconsin.
Total points: 14 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Fields threw for 167 yards and two TDs, and ran for another one in Ohio State’s blowout win over Wisconsin Saturday. He also rushed for 28 yards,
Quotable: “He was physical, he was powerful,” coach Ryan Day said.
Heisman odds: 8-1
Total points: 4 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Against Wisconsin, Dobbins rushed for 163 yards and two TDs — including one 34-yard run — and showed that OSU’s offense consists of more than just Justin Fields.
Quotable: “Dobbins is a home-run hitter. He looked like a future first-rounder as a freshman in 2017 before taking a step back last season.” — Mel Kiper Jr.
Heisman odds: Field (10-1)
Total points: 1 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Herbert didn’t throw for any touchdowns, but he went 21-for-30 and threw for 222 yards in Oregon’s 37-35 win over Washington State.
Quotable: “To be able to trade that for a win, I’d do that again,” Herbert said of his streak of 35 straight games with a TD pass ending.
Heisman odds: 40-1