It was a pretty stagnant weekend in the terms of the 2022 Heisman Trophy race and here is our updated look at the top 5 candidates going into Week 12 of the college football season.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy race seems to be on a collision course for Columbus and the final week of the college football regular season.
That’s because right now, it’s hard to look at the race and find two better 2022 Heisman Trophy contenders than C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Blake Corum of Michigan.
Stroud tossed five touchdown passes over the weekend, while Corum had another big day on the ground with 162 yards and a touchdown.
In terms of who was eliminated from contention for the 2022 Heisman Trophy over the weekend, Bo Nix of Oregon comes to mind. He played well, but your team also needs to win. It’s possible he could still get to New York, but I have a hard time seeing him in the top five.
As for what the top 5 2022 Heisman Trophy contenders look like right now, here’s my list heading into Week 12 of the college football season.
5. Caleb Williams, USC
Caleb Williams wasn’t bad in Week 11 against Colorado. He threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns but did have an interception. He did run for two touchdowns but only had less than 10 yards rushing.
The reason he dropped this week in our 2022 Heisman Trophy rankings is based on the play of the others more than him. His numbers are good and he’s still in the thick of his race.
USC will need to win out and he’ll need to be stellar in doing so as UCLA and Notre Dame await the next two weeks. We’ll see if the Trojans make the Pac-12 title game. If they do and win it, Williams could make a late push just as Aidan Hutchison did a year ago.
And since he’s closer to the top now and a quarterback, he might actually win.
4. Drake Maybe, North Carolina
In terms of the most valuable college football players in the 2022 season, Drake Maye has to be in that conversation. Very few players have had a bigger impact on their team and it was on full display last week against Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons were looking to knock off the Tar Heels and they might have done just that if it wasn’t for Maye and his 519 yards. He accounted for four touchdowns and moved the Tar Heels into field position for the game-winner with a couple of minutes left.
Maye is tied for the lead in touchdown passes with 34 total. He’s also third in all of college football in terms of passing yards, plus he’s got 584 yards on the ground and five touchdowns.
Few people picked North Carolina to be in the ACC championship game and that’s already a done deal. This program is likely headed to a major bowl game at worst and at best, the College Football Playoff.
Three more wins and it could happen. Maye could also win the 2022 Heisman Trophy and he’s a good bet to keep moving up these rankings.
3. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Hendon Hooker isn’t ready to concede anything in the playoff race or the 2022 Heisman Trophy race and he was spectacular last Saturday in a win over Missouri.
The Vols bounced back in a big way from their loss against Georgia, with a rout of Missouri. Hooker played a big part in that too throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns as well as rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown in a 66-24 win over Missouri on Saturday.
Tennessee is still expected to be ranked in the top five of the playoff rankings this week and they are still on the doorstep of making the four-team tournament. It actually seems more likely after what happened last week and if more help comes in the way of a loss by USC or TCU, Tennessee could easily get in.
Hooker feels like a solid bet to make New York. He’s ranked second in QBR and his win over Alabama was a program-changer for Tennessee. If the Vols finish 11-1, I have a hard time seeing him fall outside the top 3-4. But as I said last week, I don’t see him winning either.
2. Blake Corum, Michigan
If you listen to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Blake Corum is the 2022 Heisman Trophy favorite. I don’t know if that’s true but he’s definitely right in the mix and as I said last week, I sort of believe he’s in control of his destiny.
Corum certainly didn’t hurt his chances with 162 rushing yards against Nebraska and another rushing touchdown. He’s now third in all of college football in rushing yards (1,349) and is tied for first in total touchdowns (18). He’s tied for second in total points scored, is fourth in runs over 20 yards, and is sixth in total yards from scrimmage.
Corum is facing one of the best run defenses in the country in Illinois this weekend as the Wolverines aim to get 11-0. Next up will be Ohio State and the if the Wolverines win, win the Big Ten championship game and Corum keeps putting huge numbers, he’s my bet to win.
But the same can be said for our No. 1 contender.
1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Outside of Bryce Young, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has been a 2022 Heisman Trophy favorite since the beginning and with three weeks to go, he’s still holding the top spot.
But barely.
The Buckeye QB didn’t look great against Northwestern a couple of weeks ago in the bad weather and that hurt him a little but he responded with a five-touchdown effort against Indiana.
Ohio State heads to Maryland this week and that should lead to more big numbers for Stroud. I said last week, one bad game wasn’t going to cost him the Heisman Trophy, and just like Corum, he controls his destiny.
If Stroud plays well and Ohio State beats Michigan, he’s going to win the Heisman. If Corum and the Wolverines win, he could take the award.
Maybe the Heisman voters will view the race differently, but right now, outside of Drake Maye, the momentum seems to be gaining for Stroud and Corum, which means the 2022 Heisman Trophy could all come down to “The Game.”