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

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

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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Michigan State safety Matt Morrissey (10) trips up Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley (9) at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa., on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. The visiting Spartans won, 21-17. (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times/TNS via Getty Images) /

8. Trace McSorley, Penn State

The last time that Trace McSorley and the Penn State Nittany Lions took the field prior to Saturday, they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Ohio State. However, McSorley’s efforts in that game actually helped his Heisman candidacy as there’s no way they’d have been close if not for him. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of their Week 7 upset loss to Michigan State.

This isn’t to say that McSorley was a dumpster fire in this game, but he certainly didn’t do enough. The senior quarterback finished the afternoon going 19-of-32 for just 192 yards and one touchdown while being held to 37 rushing yards on the day. It was an incredibly pedestrian performance from McSorley and, with Penn State’s second-straight loss now, his candidacy has taken a major hit.

7. Will Grier, West Virginia

Put simply, this was a week that West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier needed to step up in a big way. Last week in a win against Kansas, he threw for 332 yards and four scores, but he threw three interceptions in the process and looked quite shaky. Thus, in a tough road matchup with Iowa State in Week 7, the pressure was on to get back on track. Grier, instead, did the opposite.

Grier had by far his worst game of the season on Saturday night as the Mountaineers were handled thoroughly by the Cyclones. The senior quarterback finished going just 11-of-15 for 100 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The offense as a whole was stagnant, and it should’ve been on Grier to make plays and light a spark, but that was never close to happening. Once a seemingly lock for a top 3-4 spot in the rankings, Grier now tumbles down and will need to bounce back to stay in.

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