Heisman Trophy watch 2021: Top 5 candidates after Week 2
Week 2 of the college football season brought with it plenty of excitement and here’s what it means for the 2021 Heisman trophy race.
For the second straight week, the college football schedule was filled with intriguing matchups. There were some upsets and also some statement wins.
Oregon was one of the teams that made a statement last weekend, going into the Horseshoe in Columbus and upsetting third-ranked Ohio State.
It was a win that announced Oregon as a frontrunner for the College Football Playoff. It also jumpstarted the Heisman trophy candidacy of running back CJ Verdell.
Last week, in the first edition of ranking Heisman trophy contenders, there were no running backs to be found. Will that change this week?
Things are certainly different. After JT Daniels missed another game, he was dropped out of the top five, although he is still a contender if he can get healthy.
However, Brock Purdy and Breece Hall of Iowa State are all but eliminated after rough outings in a loss to Iowa. Purdy threw three picks, while Hall ran for 69 yards, he didn’t do enough. Both were long-shot candidates and now that Iowa State flopped again vs Iowa, it’s nearly impossible to see either winning it.
It’s also too early to count out C.J. Stroud after the loss to Oregon and the Buckeyes quarterback is where we begin our top-5 list of 2021 Heisman trophy candidates after Week 2.
Heisman Candidate No. 5: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Yes, Ohio State lost on Saturday to Oregon and C.J. Stroud threw an interception late, but the kid still threw for 484 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed 64 percent of his passes.
It obviously hurts any Heisman trophy candidate to lose a game like that one against Oregon but it’s not like Stroud was the reason Ohio State lost — that was the run defense or lack of one.
And as I said last week, this year’s Heisman field is pretty weak. By season’s end, Stroud is going to be leading what’s likely a strong College Football Playoff contender and with his elite passing targets, Stroud is going to put up astronomical numbers.
I think he’s still a dark-horse, although Ohio State can’t afford any more losses.