Heisman watch: Mac Jones rolls, Justin Fields near-perfect, Travis Etienne makes history

Justin Fields made his move in the Heisman race with Trevor Lawrence out due to COVID while Travis Etienne set an ACC record to improve his stock in the Heisman watch.

Before a single snap was taken in Week 9 of the college football season, the Heisman Trophy race took a major turn. That, of course, was the result of Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence testing positive for COVID-19. The diagnosis ruled him out of Saturday’s game against Boston College and should do the same for next week against Notre Dame. For a player who was the leading Heisman candidate, that’s a huge blow.

Lawrence’s absence, however, opened the door in a number of ways. Not only did it allow Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback, playing in a ranked Big Ten matchup in his second game of the season, to make some headway but it also gave Clemson running back Travis Etienne more time to shine. Both players took advantage of the chance at hand.

In the case of Fields, he and the Buckeyes looked dominant in a win over Penn State. The quarterback looks better than advertised and is putting up big numbers through his first two outings. As for Etienne, he not only had a monster day to help Clemson survive an upset scare but he also set the ACC record for career rushing yards in the process.

Elsewhere in the college football landscape and, more pressingly, the Heisman Trophy race, Mac Jones and Alabama continued their torrid offensive run this season as they hung 41 on Mississippi State in a shutout. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask also returned to action while some Group of 5 playmakers also continued to make their mark.

So where does our Heisman watch stand after the action on Saturday in Week 9? Let’s check in on our top 10 Heisman rankings once again and see just how much things have been shaken up.