Heisman Trophy Rankings after Week 10: Is there a new No. 1 with Travis Hunter on bye?

Week 10 of the college football season featured plenty of big moments. The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions once again. The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs survived a potential upset against the Florida Gators. The Louisville Cardinals defeated the No. 10 Clemson Tigers in convincing fashion. That is just a couple of examples of the big games with College Football Playoff implications.

With this being a big week of games, it allows some of the top athletes to show that they are worthy of being in contention for the Heisman Trophy. Colorado Buffaloes two-way superstar Travis Hunter was on a bye this weekend, meaning that contenders had a chance to leapfrog him for the No. 1 spot in our rankings.

Thanks to Cody Williams for filling in last week. Now, let's take a look at the Heisman Power rankings after Week 10.

Heisman Trophy power rankings after Week 10

The Ohio State Buckeyes picked up a huge win over the Penn State Nittany Lions to help increase their odds of competing in the Big Ten Championship Game. Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had a rather tame showing against Penn State, as he hauled in four receptions for 55 yards in the 20-13 win. Either way, Smith did enter the weekend with 35 catches for 623 yards and eight touchdowns.

The Army Black Knights were without quarterback Bryson Daily this week due to an undisclosed injury, and continued their undefeated season with a 20-3 win over the Air Force Falcons. Yes, Army won without Daily, but his numbers this season have been insane. Daily has run for 909 yards and 19 touchdowns on 138 carries, while throwing for 629 yards and seven touchdowns on a 57.4 completion percentage.

The Alabama Crimson Tide were on the bye this week . Jalen Milroe is one week removed from throwing for 215 yards and ran for 50 against Missouri. Milroe looked like a surefire Heisman finalist early on in the season. But now? Milroe continues to fall further and further down our rankings. There's still time for Milroe to turn the season around.

What a way for Jaxson Dart to return from the bye week. Dart and the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 63-31 to improve to 7-2 on the season. Dart completed 25-of-31 pass attempts for a staggering 515 yards and six touchdowns. That's right, Dart had as many passing touchdowns as he did incompletions. Also, Dart picked up 47 yards on 10 carries. It was a good outing for Dart, as the team looks to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff.

It was a rough Week 10 for the Clemson Tigers, who had no answers for the Louisville Cardinals. Clemson's defense had no answers for Louisville's running game, which picked up 210 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was not at the top of his game on Saturday, as he completed 33-of-56 pass attempts for 228 yards and a touchdown in the 33-21 loss. Don't let the final score fool you, as Louisville actually led 26-7 at the end of the third quarter.

Shedeur Sanders, like Travis Hunter, was on a bye this weekend. There's. no denying that Sanders is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, and has some Heisman moments of his own, notably the comeback win over Baylor. This season, Sanders has thrown for 2,591 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Colorado's games for the rest of the year are only getting much more important with them being serious Big 12 contenders after losses by Iowa State and Kansas State this weekend.

While USC, Washington, and UCLA are struggling in their debuts in the Big Ten conference, the Oregon Ducks are thriving. Having great quarterback play paired with electric complementary players and a solid scheme is a recipe for success. Dillon Gabriel has been everything the Ducks could have hoped for, especially after losing Bo Nix to the NFL.

On Saturday, Oregon picked up another massive win over a Big Ten mainstay in the Michigan Wolverines. Specifically, it was. 38-17 blowout victory. Gabriel didn't light up the stat-sheets like in week's past, however. Gabriel threw for 294 yards and a touchdown while completing 22-of-34 pass attempts, and picked up 23 yards and a touchdown on three carries.

Being the quarterback of the No. 1 ranked team in the nation would propel them up the rankings. But for Gabriel, there were better performances this week, even with Travis Hunter on a bye.

Last week, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty had a rather "normal" performance against UNLV. And by that, we mean rushing for 128 yards and a touchdown while averaging 3.9 yards per carry. This past Friday, Jeanty returned to form when facing off against San Diego State.

In the 56-32 win for Boise State, Jeanty had a big game, rushing for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries, while catching two passes for 31 yards. While this was a good showing for Jeanty, doing it against San Diego State was always unlikely to increase his odds of winning the Heisman. Unless Jeanty goes scorched earth against Nevada, San Jose State, Wyoming, and Oregon State over the next four weeks, or breaks Barry Sanders' single-season rushing yards record, Jeanty may fall short of winning college football's most prestigious individual award.

Cam Ward has become the rising star of college football and the 2025 NFL Draft. Miami and head coach Mario Cristobal look like geniuses for landing Ward from the transfer portal via Washington State. Ward showcased his ability to put the team on his back, make tremendous throws, and lead the Hurricanes to win after win.

On Saturday, Ward had to contend with Duke, who boasted one of the top pass defenses in the country. At one point, Duke led Miami 28-17 early on in the third quarter. But then, Ward put pedal to the metal and ensured that the Hurricanes would take the lead and not look back. Ward threw three touchdown passes in the second half (three-yard and 66-yard passes to Xavier Restrepo, and a 49-yard pass to Jacolby George) to lead Miami to a 53-31 win.

Ward completed 25-of-41 pass attempts for 400 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. Another impressive outing for Ward, who should without a doubt be receiving an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony at season's end.

Even after being on a bye, Travis Hunter still remains in the No. 1 spot in the Heisman rankings. What Hunter is doing on both offense and defense is incredible. He is college football's version of Shohei Ohtani for his elite skills as a wide receiver and a cornerback.

This season, Hunter recorded 60 receptions for 757 yards and eight touchdowns as a receiver, while posting 20 total tackles (13 solo, seven assisted), seven passes defended, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

Colorado's games are only getting more important, as they have a clearer path into the College Football Playoff. With that, there will be even more eyes on Hunter and more of an opportunity to make his case as the Heisman favorite.