Heisman Trophy Power Rankings 2023: Which finalist wins it?
By Scott Rogust
. . Marvin Harrison Jr.. player. 490. Marvin Harrison Jr. Heisman Finalist ranking. Marvin Harrison Jr.. . Ohio State WR. 4.
Behind Penix, Daniels, and Nix, there was a pretty sizable gap between other candidates, especially among other quarterbacks. But when looking past the quarterbacks, there's no denying that Marvin Harrison Jr. is the most valuable player on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
There was no C.J. Stoud, who was a Heisman finalist the previous two seasons, at quarterback. Kyle McCord had his fair share of ups and downs, but he couldn't replicate what Stroud could do. Having Harrison to target downfield helped tremendously. After all, Harrison is one of the best route runners in the country, and he's likely going to be the top-position player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Without him, there would be a shot that they could have a worse record than their 11-1 mark.
This season, Harrison brought in 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, the latter of which was tied for the second-most in all of college football.
Being named a finalist is a tremendous honor for Harrison, but he won't take home the Heisman on Saturday.
. . Bo Nix. Bo Nix Heisman finalist ranking. Oregon QB. 3.. player. . Bo Nix. 515
Entering Champions Week, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix had the most momentum to win the award.
After the Ducks' loss to the Washington Huskies in October, the team played out of their minds. As in, they absolutely dominated their opponents. Nix played a huge role in that, whether it was steamrolling the then-No. 13 Utah Utes 35-6, or throwing six touchdown passes and just five incompletions against Arizona State. This all led up to the ultimate rematch between Oregon and Washington in the final Pac-12 Championship Game.
While Nix played well in the Pac-12 Championship Game and helped the team overcome a 20-3 deficit to take a third-quarter 24-20, it wasn't enough for the Ducks to pick up the win. Instead, the team lost 34-31. That game would determine who would have the better odds of winning the Heisman between Nix and Penix. With that, Nix's odds fell and lands at No. 3 in our rankings.
Despite the ranking, Nix had a tremendous year, highlighted by his throwing for a nation-best 40 touchdowns.