Ohio State is one of just two schools to have multiple players on the first USA TODAY Heisman Watch poll. The other school with multiple candidates is Clemson, yet neither OSU or Clemson have a player in the top three, and the votes are few — but they’re still in there and in the hunt.
For Ohio State, the two players should be rather obvious, but it’s Justin Fields, who comes in tied for fifth, and J.K. Dobbins, who is tied for seventh.
Dobbins, one of just two running backs on the list, is tied with Clemson running back Travis Etienne. They both have just one third-place vote. Fields didn’t do much better though, tied with Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger with just one second-place vote.
Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, who secured 13 of just 21 first-place votes, leads the pack with 55 overall votes. Tua Tagovailoa is second with 37. LSU’s QB and former Buckeye Joe Burrow is third with 22. We didn’t see any mention of Georgia’s Jake Fromm (State Farm) with Trevor Lawrence coming in at No. 4.
The ranking, done by USA Today’s Eddie Timanus didn’t mention much on either Fields or Dobbins. However, both have been highly impressive to start 2019, helping kick the Buckeyes to a 3-0 start.
Dobbins, who totaled over 200 all-purpose yards last week, looked like a Heisman candidate as he single-handedly steamrolled Indiana, notching over 190 yards solely on the ground. He’s primed for a career year with Fields leading the way.
As for Fields, he’s also looking like a Heisman hopeful. He’s nearing 1,000 yards through the air without a single interception, notching nine touchdowns through the air.
However, it’s his dual-threat ability that takes him to the next level. Through the first three games, Fields has 114 yards, tacking on four more touchdowns. It might take a lot to get the Georgia transfer in the thick of the Heisman competition, but the NCAA should be fearful of what he’s turning into.
