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Game MVPs

This year’s Heisman hopefuls have all seen better weeks. Saturday wasn’t a banner day for the award’s biggest contenders as Florida quarterback Kyle Trask suffered his second loss of the season while Alabama quarterback Mac Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith both failed to fill up the stat sheet at their usual levels.

For a second straight week, Jones is the odds-on favorite for the award as the FanDuel Sportsbook lists him at 1-2 odds. Trask is next on the list at 5-2 odds, while Smith jumped to third with 15-2 odds. Those three will meet in Atlanta this week for the SEC Championship Game.

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (14-1) and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16-1) are both seen as outside contenders. They will face off this week in the ACC Championship Game.

Here’s a look at how the top contenders stack up heading into Championship Week.

Last week: Jones completed 24 of 29 (82.8 percent) passes for 208 yards and during Alabama’s 52-3 victory over Arkansas.

Season stats: Through 10 games, Jones leads the nation in passer efficiency rating (203.9) and yards per attempt (11.7). He ranks second in completion percentage (76.4) and fourth in passing yards (3,321). He’s tied for fifth with 27 passing touchdowns and has thrown just three interceptions. Jones also has a rushing touchdown to his name.

Outlook: On paper, Jones’ 208 yards and no touchdowns against Arkansas seem like a blow to his Heisman resume. However, there’s not a lot more the Alabama quarterback could have done against a Razorbacks defense hellbent on preventing the big play.

Arkansas dropped back eight defenders in a zone defense, doing its best to take away the Tide’s top receivers while leaving open checkdowns to its tight ends and running backs. After a slow start, Jones responded by taking what was in front of him, completing 20 of his final 22 passes while dinking and dunking Alabama up and down the field. His 82.8 completion percentage on the day was his highest of the season.

“I thought Mac did a really good job of taking what the defense gave,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “He hit the check-downs a lot. You’ve got to catch it and run with it sometimes when you play against a team like that.”

Despite his pedestrian numbers against Arkansas, Jones still finds himself leading this year’s race. A win and a good performance against Trask and the Gators could see him become Alabama’s third Heisman winner.

Last week: Trask completed 29 of 47 (61.7 percent) passes for 474 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions during Florida’s 37-34 loss to LSU. Trask also ran in two touchdowns and lost the ball on a fumble.

Season stats: Through 10 games, Trask leads the nation with 40 passing touchdowns and 3,717 yards through the air. He ranks sixth in passer efficiency rating (187.9) and ninth in completion percentage (70.2). Trask has also added two touchdowns on the ground.

Outlook: Even in defeat, Trask continued to put up big numbers. His 474 yards through the air matched his season-high while also serving as his fourth 400-yard game of the year.

Trask was expected to carve up an LSU secondary that came into the night with the nation’s third-worst pass defense, giving up 313.1 yards per game. He was able to do that for the most part. However, three turnovers, including an interception returned for a touchdown, proved costly in what is now his second loss of the season.

Trask is the only contender on the list with a defeat on his resume. Another loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game would put a sizable dent in his Heisman chances. However, if Trask was able to upset the Tide while putting up his usual stellar numbers, he’d likely jump Jones as the favorite to win the award.

Last week: Smith recorded three receptions for 22 yards while also returning a punt 84 yards for a touchdown during Alabama’s 52-3 victory over Arkansas.

Season stats: Through 10 games, Smith leads the nation with 1,327 receiving yards and ranks second in receptions (83) and receiving touchdowns (15). He is averaging 25.57 yards on seven punt returns, including an 84-yard touchdown. He also has a rushing touchdown.

Outlook: Had it not been for his 84-yard punt return, Smith might have fallen out of contention for the award. Instead, he jumps to third in the race with a legitimate opportunity to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991.

Smith was limited by an Arkansas defense that doubled him on occasion while also snuffing out big plays with zone coverage. While he was unable to make many plays on offense, his special teams score ignited the Tide, spurring it on to a blowout. It’s hard to have Heisman moments during an 11 a.m. CT kickoff against a three-win Arkansas team. However, the voters will like to see that Smith can do more than just catch balls on offense.

Smith will need a big game against Florida this week if he’s going to become the first non-quarterback to win the Heisman since Alabama running back Derrick Henry earned the honor in 2015. The senior receiver certainly has a chance of posting big numbers as he’ll face off against a Gators defense that allowed LSU freshman quarterback Max Johnson to pass for 239 yards and three touchdowns despite leading a depleted Tigers offense over the weekend.

Last week: Book and Notre Dame were off this week ahead of their matchup against Clemson in the ACC Championship game.

Season stats: Through 10 games, Book has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,382 yards and 15 touchdowns with two interceptions. He’s also added 465 yards and eight more scores on the ground.

Outlook: It’s a little surprising to see Book near the top of this list as his numbers don’t particularly stack up well to the other frontrunners. Still, he’s the most important player on a Notre Dame team that is ranked second in the nation and appears set for the College Football Playoff.

For Book to snatch the Heisman out of nowhere, he’ll need to not only beat Clemson this week but also hope that Alabama beats Florida without a convincing showing from Jones or Smith.

While that might seem like a tall order, the Notre Dame quarterback has already knocked off Clemson once this season, and the Tide’s two biggest stars are coming off of sub-par statistical performances this weekend. It’s 2020, crazier things have happened.

Last week: Lawrence and Clemson were off this week ahead of their matchup against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship game.

Season stats: Through eight games, Lawrence has completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,431 yards and 20 touchdowns with three interceptions. He has also added 121 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Outlook: Last week it seemed like Lawrence was falling out of the race as he completed just 12 of 22 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown with an interception against Virginia Tech. However, with unconvincing performances from the other contenders, the Clemson quarterback still has a shot at the award.

Lawrence’s road to the Heisman is similar to Book’s. A win and a nice showing in the ACC Championship Game combined with a lackluster day from the Alabama and Florida contenders might be enough for him to make a late push. It’s also worth noting that Lawrence didn’t play in Clemson’s lone loss of the season at Notre Dame.