Heisman Trophy Watch 2017: Chaotic weekend scrambles Week 7 order

If anything, Bryce Love had a disappointing game against Oregon in #Pac12AfterDark action. The Stanford tailback had 115 yards and two touchdowns on five carries after the first two Cardinal series of the game. His last 12 carries of the game picked up only 32 yards and zero scores. The Ducks made solid adjustments that contained Love and prevented him from churning off any long gains for the rest of the night.

Even then, though, the damage was already done. Love singlehandedly outscored the Ducks in Stanford’s 49-7 blowout of its Pac-12 North rival. His final stat line of 17 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns would be a career best for most players. For Love, it was his first sub-150-yard game of the 2017 season.

The “quiet” day on the ground dropped Love’s season rushing average under 200 yards per game. Nevertheless, the Stanford back still sits nearly 30 yards ahead of Saquon Barkley as the top rusher in the country with 198 yards per game. He is also second in the country in all-purpose yardage behind Barkley, despite being almost exclusively a runner rather than a multi-threat star.

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In a normal week, such a downswing in productivity might send a player a spot or two down the Heisman Watch. But the combination of upsets and bye weeks among the other favorites allows Love to hold on to the top position as we head into Week 8.