Heisman Trophy watch list: Top 5 candidates ahead of Week 9

Here we are, officially in Week 9 of college football. It’s just insane to believe that the season is over halfway done. And the Heisman Trophy race is heating up.

Candidates have been separating themselves from the pack over the past few weeks and this season more than ever before, it’s become evident that it’s going to be a quarterback taking home the award. Will we see a repeat winner of the award with Caleb Williams or will a new star rise to the top?

Here are my top five candidates ahead of Week 9.

Caleb Williams’ Heisman hopes took a massive hit this past weekend as the Trojans lost their second game of the season and it happened to be their second in a row.

USC fell 34-32 to No. 14 Utah in Los Angeles and it marked the third straight loss by the Trojans to the Utes under Lincoln Riley. They just can’t seem to figure Utah out.

In the game, Williams had 256 passing yards on 24-of-34 completions, but he didn’t throw a single touchdown pass and he only rushed for 27 yards and a score on 10 carries. He was far from his usual self and that makes it two weeks in a row of disappointing play from Williams.

Last week against Notre Dame, he was 23-of-37 for 199 yards and a touchdown with three picks in a 48-20 loss. So now he has 455 yards, one touchdown pass, and three picks over his last two games. He only has two touchdown passes over his last three games.

Heisman voters will need to see a massive turnaround.