Week 5 Heisman watch: Beck, Ewers, and Gabriel sliding down the standings

Another week is gone and another article is here about which athletes are most likely to win the highly-coveted Heisman Trophy at the end of the season. A few athletes took one step closer to becoming finalists for the award while others took a step (or two) backwards in the rankings.

In Colorado's big-time win over the UCF Knights, two-way player Travis Hunter not only scored a touchdown with 9 receptions and 89 yards, but he also had an interception, after which he struck the Heisman pose.

Meanwhile, Boise State's star running back Ashton Jeanty had yet another career day against the Washington State Cougars.

Jeanty amassed a whopping 259 yards on the ground for the Broncos and scored 4 touchdowns to lead his team to a huge 45-24 win over the Cougs.

A final Heisman candidate who added a few more check marks to his ballot was Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe as he and the Crimson Tide took down the then-No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.

Beyond the incredible 374 yards and 2 touchdowns Milroe had through the air, he added on a massive 117 rushing yards and 2 more touchdowns on the ground against the dogs. Milroe's performance undoubtedly led the Tide to their win and their new place as the No. 1 team in the nation.

With those three stars leading the charge for the trophy, which players have fallen down the rankings over the past few weeks?

Quinn Ewers sidelined once again

As the Texas Longhorns officially entered the SEC and faced the Mississippi State Bulldogs, quarterback Quinn Ewers was once again sitting on the sidelines. After suffering an oblique strain in Week 3 against the UTSA Roadrunners, Ewers has now missed two games in a row.

Instead, backup quarterback Arch Manning has led the Horns to victory after victory and is getting the much-needed experience to become Texas' full-time starter next year.

While Ewers is expected to return for Texas against the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 7, he will miss another week of playing as the Horns have a bye in Week 6, meaning Ewers will have missed over 3.5 weeks of game action.

Carson Beck struggled through three quarters

Oh boy, Carson Beck did not have his best showing against the Crimson Tide defense in Week 5. Yes, he led the Bulldogs in their second-half (near) comeback but his 3 interceptions and minimal 54 percent completion rate simply aren't good enough for a Heisman candidate.

Beck, a usually decent runner, only earned 9 yards on the ground against Alabama and had an equal number of touchdowns and interceptions, not the ideal ratio for a top-tier quarterback.

Next week, Georgia hosts Auburn and it will be a big opportunity for Beck to right the ship and get himself back on track for the Heisman Trophy.

Dillon Gabriel's INTs still an issue

Dillon Gabriel didn't have a bad game, don't get me wrong. Oregon defeated UCLA by 21 points after all. However, Gabriel's INT skeletons came out of the closet once again and reared their ugly head. Former Duck Bryan Addison picked off Gabriel just before halftime to score the Bruins' only touchdown of the game.

At the end of the day, Gabriel threw 3 touchdowns and 278 yards while rushing for an additional 28 yards on the ground. He planted himself as the quarterback with the second-most passing yards of all time in the NCAA. He also earned himself a spot in the top five for the number of career passing touchdowns.

However, the interception against UCLA was the 27th in his career and against a defensive unit that is sub-par. As Oregon heads into more strenuous Big Ten play, Gabriel needs to make sure he minimizes his turnovers because the defenses only get better from here.

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