Heisman watch: Mac Jones makes a move while DeVonta Smith enters the mix

Related

What we learned: Don't mess with Mac Jones

Nick Saban opens up on yelling at the TV

Game MVPs

Things are shaping up for a potential Heisman showdown between Mac Jones and Kyle Trask as the two quarterbacks are on pace to meet each other in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 19. Both Jones and Trask had big games Saturday as Alabama and Florida rolled to easy wins.

According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, Trask is still the odds-on favorite to win the award at 20/27 odds while Jones is his closest competition at 3/2 odds. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (9/1) and Ohio State’s Justin Fields (14/1) are a bit further behind but still in the race. Meanwhile, Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith is lurking in the shadows with 40/1 odds.

Here’s a look at where the top contenders stand heading into Week 14 of the season.

Last week: Trask completed 21 of 27 (77.8 percent) passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns without an interception during Florida’s 34-10 victory over Kentucky.

Season stats: Through eight games, Trask leads the nation with 34 passing touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. He ranks second averaging 351.3 yards per game through the air, fifth in passer efficiency rating (196.79) and seventh in completion percentage (71.4).

Outlook: Trask recorded a sub-300-yard performance for only the second time this season as he went up against a Kentucky secondary that frustrated Jones the week before. Still, the Florida quarterback posted his highest completion percentage of the year while passing for three or more touchdowns for the eighth straight game.

Trask closes out the regular season with back-to-back games against suspect pass defenses in Tennessee and LSU. It’s extremely possible that he’ll have 40 passing touchdowns by the time Florida reaches the SEC Championship Game. Perhaps Trask can pad his stats enough to where a potential loss to Alabama wouldn’t knock him off the top spot. However, it’s more likely that he’ll need a win over Jones and Tide to secure the hardware.

Last week: Jones completed 18 of 26 (69.2 percent) passes for 302 yards and five touchdowns without an interception during Alabama’s 42-13 victory over Auburn.

Season stats: Through eight games, Jones ranks second in the nation in completion percentage (76.2), passer efficiency rating (207.96) and yards per pass attempt (12.0). He ranks fourth averaging 341 yards per game through the air and is tied for seventh with 23 passing touchdowns to three interceptions.

Outlook: Jones shook off a somewhat lackluster performance against Kentucky by posting a career-high five touchdowns against Auburn. His 230.3 passer efficiency rating against the Tigers was his second-highest mark of the season next to the 250.9 rating he posted against Texas A&M on Oct. 3.

Jones came into the weekend needing to regain some momentum in the Heisman race. He got that and then some. While none of the quarterback’s five touchdowns Saturday would necessarily be classified as a “Heisman moment,” the handful of scores through the air against a bitter rival will go a long way on his final resume.

Even with his five passing touchdowns against Auburn, Jones is still 11 behind Trask. However, if he can just keep things close, a win over Florida in the SEC Championship Game could be enough to overtake the Gators quarterback in the eyes of voters.

Jones will have a good chance to build on his stats this week as he faces an LSU secondary that ranks second-worst in the SEC and No. 120 in the nation, allowing 302.9 yards per game through the air.

Last week: Lawrence completed 26 of 37 (70.3 percent) passes for 403 yards and two touchdowns during Clemson’s 52-17 victory over Pittsburgh.

Season stats: Through seven games, Lawrence is averaging 319.4 yards per game through the air with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 70.6 percent of his passes. He has also rushed for 80 yards and four touchdowns.

Outlook: Look who’s back. After a five-week layoff, Lawrence was finally able to return to action over the weekend. The Clemson quarterback didn’t disappoint either, reaching the 400-yard mark for the second time this season.

Lawrence’s time on the shelf dealt a blow to his Heisman chances, but the future first-round pick still has some time to rally. Clemson travels to Virginia Tech this week before likely facing Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game. If Lawrence can ball out in both of those games — especially the latter — things could get interesting.

Last week: Ohio State’s game against Illinois was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Buckeyes’ program. It was the second game Ohio State had to cancel this season as its Nov. 14 game against Maryland was also canceled.

Season stats: Through four games, Fields leads the nation with a 79.6 completion percentage. He is averaging 302 yards per game and has 13 touchdowns passes compared to three interceptions. His 202.10 passer efficiency rating ranks fourth in the nation. Fields has also added 135 yards and three scores on the ground.

Outlook: While it’s hardly any fault of his own, it’s debatable whether or not Fields is still even in this race. Ohio State has played half the amount of games as Alabama and Florida and runs the risk of not even being eligible of making the Big Ten Championship Game if it has another COVID-19 cancellation.

Fields has excellent averages, but he simply won’t be able to put up the stats to stack up next to Trask, Jones and Lawrence. If he doesn’t make his conference championship game, his biggest game of the year will be a 42-35 victory over Indiana in which he threw three interceptions.

Last week: Smith recorded seven receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a 9-yard run during Alabama’s 42-13 victory over Auburn.

Season stats: Through eight games, Smith is tied for the nation’s lead in receiving touchdowns with 12. He ranks third in receiving yards per game (134.3) and receptions (72). Smith also has 11 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He is averaging 17 yards on four punt returns and 21 yards on two kickoff returns.

Outlook: It’s highly unlikely that a receiver wins this award, but Smith deserves to be on this list nonetheless. Over his last three games, the senior has 27 receptions for 518 yards and eight touchdowns. If he somehow keeps up at that rate, anything is possible.

For Smith to truly have a shot at this, he’ll likely need to add one or two special teams touchdowns into the mix while maintaining his current receiving pace. The good news is that he’ll be facing a porous LSU secondary this week. Last year, Smith lit up the Tigers for seven receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns.