Heisman Watch: Joe Burrow stakes his claim as front-runner
Joe Burrow gives praise to his support system for allowing him to succeed against Alabama but says LSU has its sights set on a championship. (1:15)
What a Saturday for Joe Burrow. The Heisman favorite threw for nearly 400 yards in LSU’s 46-41 win over Alabama, cementing himself as the front-runner.
Throughout the season, ESPN.com writers will vote for 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: 50 (first-place votes: 10)
Notable: If there was any doubt about Burrow’s status as the favorite going into last weekend, it was laid to rest on Saturday. The Tigers’ star QB threw for 393 yards and three TDs in LSU’s win over Bama, its first over the Tide since 2011. Burrow, who was carried off the field on his teammates’ shoulders, also rushed for 64 yards.
Quotable: “He’s one of the best we’ve had here.” — LSU head coach Ed Orgeron
Heisman odds (Caesars Sportsbook): -700
Total points: 31 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Hurts and the Sooners bounced back from their first loss of the season with a close win over the Cyclones. OU’s dual-threat QB threw for three TDs and ran for two more. He threw for 273 yards and rushed for 68 as Oklahoma held off a late rally from Iowa State.
Quotable: “You have games like this,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “You don’t want them, especially when you have a chance to separate like we did. But if they happen, you’ve got to find a way to man up and find a way to win in the end.”
Heisman odds: 7-1
Total points: 28 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Tagovailoa, still hobbled by his previously injured ankle, returned from surgery and put on a valiant performance in the Tide’s loss to LSU. He threw for a whopping 418 yards (including a late 85-yard TD pass) and four TDs.
Quotable: “He said he could play in the game, he wanted to play in the game and he thought he could go out and do a good job. I think he was a warrior in terms of what he did.” — Alabama head coach Nick Saban
Heisman odds: 12-1
Justin Fields throws three touchdown passes and runs in another score as No. 1 Ohio State beats Maryland 73-14.
Total points: 16 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: It was just another day at the office for Fields, who threw for three TDs and ran for another — all in the first half — in a blowout win over Maryland. He threw for 200 yards as Ohio State shredded the Terps’ defense and stayed undefeated on the year.
Quotable: “We went through a little adversity this week,” coach Ryan Day said. “Adversity reveals character, and our character was at the forefront of this game. I felt we came out and showed we’re made of something special here.”
Heisman odds: 7-1
Total points: 12 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Young sat out OSU’s blowout win over Maryland Saturday because of a possible NCAA violation. The latest news is that the Buckeyes expect Young to be handed a four-game suspension for accepting a loan from a family friend. Any absence puts a huge dent in Young’s Heisman candidacy, which was picking up steam the past two weeks.
Quotable: “Chase Young has proven what a great player he is. … He’s the best player in [the 2020 NFL] draft.” — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Heisman odds: 100-1
Total points: 5 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: His Cowboys were off Saturday, but Hubbard remains the leading rusher in FBS with 1,604 yards — more than 100 yards ahead of No. 2 on the list.
Quotable: “It took FBS coaches a while to learn about Hubbard, but now they know all about the world-class sprinter from Alberta, Canada.” — ESPN’s Chris Low and Mark Schlabach
Heisman odds: 75-1
Total points: 2 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Taylor worked his way back on this list with an impressive performance against Iowa on Saturday. He rushed for a season-high 250 yards (130 of which came in the fourth quarter). He also was the first RB this season to eclipse 100 yards against the Hawkeyes. His 250 yards were the most ever by a Wisconsin player against Iowa.
Quotable: “Jonathan has been great all season, but I think he holds himself to a high standard,” teammate Quintez Cephus said. “He wanted to come out here and do what he did today. He told us he was going to be better, and he did it. Props to him.”
Heisman odds: 150-1
Total points: 1 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: Oregon was on a bye over the weekend, but the Ducks remain in the CFP picture. Herbert, meanwhile, is just five TDs shy of tying his mark of 29 TDs last season.
Quotable: “So far, so good for Herbert, who has completed 69.4% of his passes with 24 touchdowns and two interceptions. He got off to a slow start in the win over USC, but he finished strong, completing all 10 of his throws off play-action for 128 yards and three touchdowns.” — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Heisman odds: 40-1
Total points: 1 (first-place votes: 0)
Notable: In the first quarter alone, Lawrence threw for two TDs and ran for another en route to a 55-10 win over NC State. He finished with 276 yards for the undefeated Tigers before being taken out of the blowout early.
Quotable: “Our guys were locked in and just really ready to play. And our execution was tremendous in that first half. We really played about as clean as you can play. We didn’t make many mistakes.” — Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney
Heisman odds: 150-1