Heisman Trophy Power Rankings: Caleb Williams seizes his Heisman moment

USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams led the team to a huge win over the UCLA Bruins, and his Heisman stock increased as a result.

Week 12 of the college football season had far from the most exciting matchups on paper, but it made up for it with pure drama.

The Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and TCU Horned Frogs all had to fight tooth and nail to keep their undefeated records intact against teams that were motivated to score an upset victory.

Then there was the thrilling late game between the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins. USC managed to hold on for the 48-45 victory, and quarterback Caleb Williams may have had his Heisman moment, and subsequently raised his stock.

Here’s how the Heisman trophy power rankings look after Week 12.

Heisman Trophy Power Rankings, Week 12

There’s a new name to add to the power rankings, and it’s one of C.J. Stroud’s top pass-catchers in Marvin Harrison Jr. Yes, he’s the son of former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, Super Bowl champion, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.

Facing off against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday night, Harrison caught five passes for a total of 68 yards. One of those catches happened on the first play of the game, where he ran along the right sideline, and reeled in a Stroud pass with one hand for a 29-yard gain.

On the season, Harrison caught 65 passes for 1,037 yards and 11 touchdowns. His receiving yards total is the eighth most in the entire nation, per NCAA.com.

Last week, Michael Penix Jr. had the ultimate redemption by making a costly interception a non-factor, as he helped lead the Washington Huskies to a 37-34 win over the Oregon Ducks. This week, the Huskies got the chance to improve their Pac-12 championship odds by taking on the one-win Colorado Buffaloes.

Penix didn’t exactly drop jaws with his numbers this week, but he did just enough to lead the team to a victory. The left-handed quarterback completed 19-of-31 pass attempts for 229 yards and one touchdown.

After this game, Penix leads the entire country in passing yards with 3,865, leading Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed by 30 yards.

Next week, Penix leads the Huskies to a big regular-season finale against the Washington State Cougars.