Heisman Watch: Can anyone chase Joe Burrow down? If so, who?

Can anyone chase down Joe Burrow for the Heisman Trophy? And if so, who is the player to do so? Here are three candidates with a shot.

The game of the year between LSU and Alabama lived up to the hype, and it provided us with some great performances from two Heisman hopefuls. However, it was Joe Burrow who prevailed over Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama and is the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman.

Of course, the same was said for Tua this time last year but Kyler Murray chased him down at the finish line so it’s not over until it’s over. This is college football after all and you never know what’s going to happen. Continuing to win and play at a very high level is the key for Burrow, but a slip-up could provide the opening these other players need.

Regardless, it is still fun to watch these elite players put on a show every weekend, and with big rivalries and conference championships on the horizon, they will all be on center stage soon.

For now, here is our Heisman watch for week 12.

Joe Burrow, LSU quarterback at Ole Miss

• 236-299, 3198 yards, 33 TDs
• 66 attempts, 189 yards, 3 TDs

In the game of the season, the LSU Tigers went into Tuscaloosa and beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 46-41. Burrow was unbelievable passing for 393 yards and three touchdowns and once again proved he is the best quarterback in college football this season. He also displayed his athleticism on the ground rushing for 64 yards, including some critical first downs.

This was a Heisman performance in every sense of the word, and at this point, something cataclysmic would need to occur for him not to be the front-runner for the remainder of the season.

With the win over Alabama, Burrow and the Tigers now have the inside track to the SEC championship and look primed for the college football playoff. But for now, they must continue to push through the rest of their schedule, and up next is Ole Miss.

The Rebels have not had a successful season thus far, and the defense ranks 117th in passing yards per game allowed and 78th in pass efficiency. This is not exactly the type of pass defense you want going against the hottest player in the sport. However, it will be interesting to see how LSU can keep it going after putting all their energy into beating Alabama. Ole Miss has those low numbers in pass defense but can be competitive, so LSU can’t just show up and expect a win.

Burrow should still be able to put up numbers because he has done it against everyone this season, but we’ll see how much his team has left in the tank after an emotional win.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma quarterback at Baylor

• 151-206, 2742 yards, 24 TDs
• 125 attempts, 869 yards, 15 TDs

Oklahoma looked like they were on the verge of a blowout win against Iowa State, but the Cyclones made a crazy comeback that fell just short, so the Sooner held on 42-41. Jalen Hurts continues to carry the offense, finishing with 341 yards and five touchdowns. Hurts’ consistency is something that needs to be recognized, especially since many people questioned his ability as a passer. Hurts has had at least 230 passing yards and 45 rushing yards in every game this season. Barring injury, he is going to finish 2019 with over 3,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards, which should get Oklahoma their third straight Heisman finalist.

This week is a big opportunity for Hurts to solidify his candidacy as the Sooners go on the road to face undefeated Baylor. This is the biggest game of the weekend, and perhaps the first of two matchups as these teams could play again for the Big 12 Title.

Head coach Matt Rhule has done a great job resurrecting the Baylor program after the troubling Art Briles era and has them playing well on both sides of the ball. The defense is most surprising given their recent history and the fact they play in the Big 12. The pass defense is tenth in the country in pass efficiency and has only allowed seven passing touchdowns all season. Even against the run, they’ve held up well ranking 31st in yards allowed.

I don’t think there is a defense in the nation that can entirely stop Hurts and Oklahoma, but Baylor presents a nice matchup. Possibly handing the Bears their first loss of the season will be a nice boost for Hurts in his quest for New York and Oklahoma in their hopes of returning to the playoffs

Justin Fields, Ohio State quarterback vs. Rutgers

• 144-211, 1859 yards, 27 TDs
• 81 attempts, 347 yards, 10 TDs

Lost in the allure of the LSU vs. Alabama was Justin Fields and Ohio State obliterating Maryland 73-14. This was another case of Fields not getting to play in the second half, but he still managed 238 total yards and four total touchdowns.

Unfortunately, this has been the case for Fields all season, and his lack of playing time in the second half plus the Buckeyes balanced attack has his stats failing in comparison to his counterparts. However, it’s clear when you watch the games Fields is playing at a high level, and he will get a chance as this season winds down to prove it against some stiffer competition.

Unfortunately, the Buckeyes still have another week until their showdown with Penn State and will need to get through a bad Rutgers team this Saturday. Rutgers’ only wins have come against UMass and Liberty, and they were mostly uncompetitive in every other game. They are arguably the worst Power 5 team in the country, and this game could look similar to OSU’s game verse Maryland. This means Fields will likely get his usual three or four touchdowns, but not very many yards because it will be shocking if we see him playing in the second half.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama quarterback at Miss State

• 166-234, 2584 yards, 31 TDs
• 21 attempts, 25 yards, 2 TDs

Saturday night belonged to LSU, and because of that, we will likely forget just how incredible Tua was in the second half.

Now in fairness, his play in the first half is, in part, what allowed LSU to have a 33-10 lead at the half. He fumbled on Alabama’s opening drive on a scramble where he was completely untouched, which killed a drive the look destined for seven points, or three at the worst. Then right before halftime, he threw a terrible interception that allowed LSU to score right before the half.

Tua wasn’t able to finish the comeback, but he did have 418 yards and four touchdowns against an LSU defense that will send multiple defensive players to the NFL.

This loss was going to be a severe blow for whichever quarterback in terms of their Heisman chances, and unfortunately for Tua, it was him this time around. Now he has to hope those in front of him fall off a bit and allow him to seek back to the top, but it’s going to be a tough proposition.

And what might be worse is that Mississippi State could be the victim of some Alabama frustration being unleashed this weekend. The Aggies finally broke their four-game winning streak a few weeks back against Arkansas, but are a very flawed team. They lost a ton of players from last year’s elite defense to the NFL and haven’t been able to bounce back.

Tua and Alabama will need to blowout their remaining opponents to stay in the thick of playoff, so expect huge numbers from him the rest of the season.

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