Heisman watch: Mac Jones takes the lead, DeVonta Smith gaining steam

Did DeVonta Smith enter the Heisman race?

What we learned: Alabama shakes off adversity in blowout win

Sunday observations

Game MVPs from Alabama's win over LSU

Mac Jones is now the odds-on favorite in the Heisman race, but the majority of the talk following Alabama’s 55-17 victory over LSU centered around DeVonta Smith. The star receiver turned in another jaw-dropping performance Saturday, causing many to wonder if he could be the first player at his position to win the award in nearly 30 years.

At the moment, it still appears a quarterback will end up with the honor. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Jones leads the way with 20-27 odds, followed by Florida quarterback Kyle Trask (11-10), Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (20-1) and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (20-1). Smith sits fifth with 30-1 odds.

Here’s a look at how the top contenders stack up heading into Week 15 of the season.

Last week: Jones completed 20 of 28 (71.4 percent) passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns without an interception during Alabama’s 55-17 victory over LSU.

Season stats: Through nine games Jones ranks second in the nation in completion percentage (75.7 percent), passer efficiency rating (210.83) and yards per pass attempt (12.2). He ranks third averaging 345.9 yards per game through the air and is tied for third with 27 passing touchdowns to three interceptions.

Outlook: In most weeks, Jones' 385 yards and four touchdowns following an SEC road win would have generated more hype. However, it was his receiver teammate who earned the majority of praise Saturday.

Still, Jones had a pretty special night in his own right. The Alabama quarterback completed his first 12 passes while leading Alabama to scoring drives in each of its seven first-half possessions.

Sure, more than half of his passing yards through the air went to Smith. However, it was Jones who found a way to get the star receiver the ball throughout the night. The redshirt junior was 4 of 5 for 170 yards and three touchdowns on passes that traveled 20 or more yards through the air against LSU.

While Jones jumped ahead in the Heisman race this week, he and Trask will likely duke it out for the award during the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 19. Alabama and Florida both punched their tickets to the game over the weekend, setting up what should be a must-see matchup.

Last week: Trask completed 35 of 49 (71.4 percent) passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns without an interception during Florida’s 31-19 victory over Tennessee.

Season stats: Through nine games, Trask leads the nation with 38 passing touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. He ranks second averaging 360.3 yards per game through the air, fifth in passer efficiency rating (193.11) and seventh in completion percentage (71.4).

Outlook: Trask recorded his third 400-yard game of the season while passing for four or more touchdowns for the seventh time in nine games. His 49 pass attempts were a season-high as Florida abandoned its running game, recording just 19 yards on 17 carries against the Vols.

Through nine games, Trask has five more touchdowns than reigning Heisman winner Joe Burrow had at that same point last season. The Florida quarterback will go up against Burrow’s old team in LSU next week. Don’t be surprised if he puts up more gaudy numbers against a Tigers secondary that ranks last in the SEC and No. 124 out of 127 FBS teams, allowing 313.1 yards per game through the air.

Still, as long as Jones is able to stay within reaching distance of Trask in most passing categories, this race will likely be determined inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 19.

Last week: Fields completed 17 of 24 (70.8 percent) passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions during Ohio State’s 52-12 win over Michigan State. He also added 104 yards and two more scores on the ground.

Season stats: Through five games, Fields leads the nation with a 78.1 completion percentage. He is averaging 281.4 yards per game and has 15 touchdowns passes compared to three interceptions. His 196.12 passer efficiency rating ranks fourth in the nation. Fields has also added 239 yards and five scores on the ground.

Outlook: Fields’ numbers have suffered due to a pair of COVID-19 cancelations. However, when the Ohio State quarterback has been on the field he’s been impressive. Saturday’s performance was especially noteworthy considering the Buckeyes were without three starting offensive lineman due to the virus.

Fields has flashed his dual-threat ability over his past two weeks with a combined 182 yards and three touchdowns on the ground against Michigan State and Indiana. His per-game averages are certainly worthy of the award. However, a lack of games might end up being his undoing in this year’s race.

This week’s game against Michigan also runs the risk of cancelation due to COVID-19 concerns within the Wolverines program.

Last week: Lawrence completed 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) passes for 195 yards and a touchdown with an interception during Clemson’s 45-10 victory over Virginia Tech. He also added 41 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Season stats: Through eight games, Lawrence is averaging 303.9 yards per game through the air with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 69.2 percent of his passes. He has also rushed for 121 yards and six touchdowns.

Outlook: After popping back into the Heisman race last week, Lawrence likely bowed out over the weekend with a sub-standard performance against Virginia Tech.

While Lawrence still recorded three combined touchdowns in a comfortable win over the Hokies, he needed much more to climb above Jones and Trask as the favorites for the award. The only game remaining on Clemson’s schedule is the ACC Championship Game against Notre Dame on Dec. 19. Even with a stellar performance, Lawrence will probably come up short for the honor.

Last week: Smith recorded eight receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns during Alabama’s 55-17 victory over LSU.

Season stats: Through nine games, Smith leads the nation with 1,305 receiving yards and is tied for the lead with 15 touchdowns through the air. He ranks second in receptions (80) and receiving yards per game (145). 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: Smith might be the best player in college football. And while a wide receiver hasn’t won the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991, 2020 has brought its share of surprises.

Over his last four games, Smith has combined for 749 yards and 11 touchdowns on 35 receptions. Following his second 200-yard performance of the season over the weekend, the Alabama receiver got as close to an endorsement from Nick Saban as the head coach is going to hand out.

“I love Smitty,” Saban said. “I think he’s an outstanding player for our team. He’s probably done as much this year for our team as any player we’ve ever had. He’s a great leader on the team. So it’s not fair to compare him to somebody else that you didn’t even see. But I don’t think there are many players in the country who have done more for their team than Smitty’s done for our team.”

If Smith is going to buck the trend of quarterbacks winning the award, he’ll have to keep up at this insane pace. This week, Alabama faces an Arkansas secondary fresh off of allowing 380 yards through the air against Missouri, so he’ll likely have a chance to add to his already impressive numbers.