We're just about at the midway point of college football's regular season, which means early cases for the Heisman Trophy start to turn real.
Last week gave us a signature performance from Oregon's Dante Moore in a road win over Penn State, who then got upset by 0-4 UCLA this week. Moore and the Ducks had the week off ahead of a top-10 game against another Heisman candidate in Indiana's Fernando Mendoza.
On the field, Carson Beck dazzled for Miami as they took down Florida State to remain undefeated. Ty Simpson has Alabama on a roll after a tough opening week loss to the Seminoles as the Crimson Tide continue their gauntlet of a schedule.
Oklahoma's John Mateer, who was an early Heisman frontrunner, remains sidelined after he underwent a successful hand procedure. Although he didn't play, he was fully dressed for the Sooners' dominant win over Kent State this week and his chances to play in next week's Red River Rivalry against Texas looks bleak. Although it's an uphill climb, Mateer could find himself back in Heisman conversations once he returns.
With Week 6 in the rearview, here are the five-top Heisman Trophy candidates ranked from top to bottom. Plus, some additional names making their own cases:
1. Dante Moore — QB, Oregon
- Season Stats: 1,210 passing yards, 14 touchdowns to one interception.
- Week 6 Stats: Idle
Moore and the Ducks were off this week ahead of ESPN's College GameDay making a trip to Oregon in Week 7 for their game against No. 7 Indiana and another Heisman hopeful in Mendoza. Although we didn't see Moore on the field this week, his most recent performance in Oregon's road win over then No. 3 Penn State remains fresh in the mind. It was a signature showing for the redshirt sophomore, throwing for three touchdowns and leading the Ducks to a thrilling win in two overtimes.
2. Carson Beck — QB, Miami
- Season Stats: 1,213 passing yards, 12 total touchdowns (one rushing) and three interceptions
- Week 6 Stats: 20-for-27 passing, 241 yards and four touchdowns to no interceptions (28-22 win over No. 18 Florida State).
The Georgia transfer is back near the top of early Heisman conversations after arguably his best performance of the season, throwing for four touchdowns as Miami fought off a late Florida State comeback attempt to remain perfect. What could hold Beck back is Miami's remaining schedule as they don't play a currently ranked opponent the rest of the way, but early wins against Notre Dame, Florida, USF and now Florida State should help his case. If the Hurricanes runs the table and Beck continues to put up numbers, he can't be left out of the Heisman race.
3. Ty Simpson — QB, Alabama
- Season Stats: 1,478 passing yards, 15 total touchdowns (two rushing) to one interception.
- Week 6 Stats: 23-for-31 passing, 340 yards and two touchdowns to one interception (30-14 win over No. 16 Vanderbilt).
Simpson is balling right now and has Alabama all the way back after consecutive wins against tough SEC opponents in Georgia and Vanderbilt. He was incredibly efficient this week as the Crimson Tide got past the Commodores even though he threw his first pick of the season. Alabama has ranked opponents in four of their next five games: No. 14 Missouri, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 11 LSU and No. 6 Oklahoma. The Tide seem to be hitting a stride after their opening week loss to Florida State. Should they continue to win with Simpson playing like he already is, he should at least have a spot in New York.
4. Fernando Mendoza — QB, Indiana
- Season Stats: 1,208 passing yards, 16 touchdowns to one interception. Two rushing touchdowns on 30 carries for 102 yards.
- Week 6 Stats: Idle
Another top quarterback who had the week off, Mendoza and his Hoosiers are getting ready for their toughest test yet as they head to Eugene for a top-10 matchup with Moore and the Ducks. Indiana's best win thus far is a 63-10 stomping of Illinois, who was ranked No. 9 at the time and is now sitting at No. 17. Mendoza threw for five scores against the Fighting Illini, then led IU to a difficult road win against Iowa in the following week. Beating No. 3 Oregon on the road is a tall task, but it provides an opportunity for the Cal transfer to prove he's a legitimate Heisman candidate.
5. Jeremiah Smith — WR, Ohio State
- Season Stats: 35 catches for 463 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns (one rushing).
- Week 6 Stats: Seven receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns (42-3 win over Minnesota).
After an electric freshman year, Smith has picked up right where he left off during his sophomore season. Last year, he scored 16 total touchdowns in Ohio State's run through the College Football Playoff as they won the national title. This year, he has seven touchdowns in just five games after his two-score day this week against Minnesota. The Buckeyes play No. 17 Illinois on the road next as their offense looks to keep rolling behind quarterback Julian Sayin and college football's most electric weapon in Smith.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ranking the Top Five Heisman Trophy Candidates After College Football's Week 6.
