Fansided

Heisman rankings – Week 7: Will Grier tumbles, Tua Tagovailoa banged up

By Cody Williams

AMES, IA - OCTOBER 13: Defensive end Spencer Benton #58 of the Iowa State Cyclones puts pressure on quarterback Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers in the end zone as offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste #55 of the West Virginia Mountaineers blocks in the second half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 30-14 over the West Virginia Mountaineers. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - OCTOBER 13: Defensive end Spencer Benton #58 of the Iowa State Cyclones puts pressure on quarterback Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers in the end zone as offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste #55 of the West Virginia Mountaineers blocks in the second half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 30-14 over the West Virginia Mountaineers. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Tua Tagovailoa left with an injury as Will Grier struggled in an upset loss, thoroughly shaking up the 2018 Heisman rankings after Week 7.

One of the craziest Saturdays in recent college football memory is in the books now that Week 7 action has concluded. This was a week in which four top-10 teams went down to upsets, including two previously unbeaten teams, while another unbeaten outside of the top 10 also suffered their first defeat of the year. After all this madness, even the 2018 Heisman Trophy rankings couldn’t remain unscathed.

When you get into the middle of the season, team success begins to matter perhaps more than before in terms of the Heisman Trophy. That isn’t to say that it’s all that matters, but it plays into it by default. If a given candidate is stepping up during conference play — the bigger games of the season — then it’s more than likely the case that his team is enjoying success as a result of that.

Subsequently, it’s not hard to imagine that a number of candidates who had been dominant for much of the 2018 season are now falling in the rankings after they laid relative duds in their teams’ respective upset losses. Will Grier, the quarterback for West Virginia, is chief among them.

Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa, who topped our 2018 Heisman rankings last week, was forced out of action in Week 7 due to an injury. That would be a horrible way to have to drop in the rankings, missing time, but it’s in the cards if the injury is any kind of serious.

As Week 7 proved, things are ever-fluid in the college football landscape and we have to keep the 2018 Heisman rankings that way as well. With that, let’s get into the rankings after Saturday’s upset-filled action.

10. Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

As many suspected, the Colorado Buffaloes might not be as good as their previously undefeated record would suggest. The Buffs went on the road to face a slightly above average USC Trojans team and, in doing so, suffered their first loss of the season as they were largely held in check. Having said that, breakout star Laviska Shenault Jr. still put forth an impressive effort.

The sophomore wide receiver still made plays in this game, despite the struggles of Colorado as a whole. At the end of the upset loss, Shenault finished with nine catches for 72 yards along with 46 yards and a touchdown on the ground. For the year, that now gives Shenault 60 catches for 780 yards with six touchdowns and four additional rushing scores to go with that. The Buffs might not be a contender, but Shenault deserves all the shine he can get.

9. Ed Oliver, Houston

After being out of the Heisman rankings for the past couple of weeks, Ed Oliver has done what he’s done throughout most of his career with the Houston Cougars: made himself absolutely undeniable. On Saturday in a 22-point victory over East Carolina, Oliver was a revelation with six tackles, two sacks, a force fumble and an absurd five tackles for loss on the day. Calling the potential No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft disruptive on Saturday wouldn’t do his performance justice.

We’ve noted many times before how nearly impossible it is for defensive players to be in this conversation, but Oliver is putting for a season worthy of it. Though Saturday included his first two sacks of the year, he’s been wildly productive otherwise. Oliver now has 46 total tackles on the season, including 11.5 tackles for loss. He’s an absolute menace and he simply can’t be ignored.

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