2015 College Football Picks: Heisman Rankings Stock Report: Week 13

2015 College Football Picks: Heisman Rankings Stock Report – Week 13: With just a few weeks remaining in the 2015 college football season, the race for the Heisman Trophy is still very much wide open. One-time frontrunner Leonard Fournette has faded as LSU has collapsed in recent weeks, and TCU QB Trevone Boykin’s strong season was derailed by an injury. Meanwhile, Baylor WR Corey Coleman has been the victim of a rash of injuries to the Bears’ quarterbacks. As a result, several players have put themselves in the mix, and with rivalry week on tap, major statements could be made that ultimately decide who takes home the 2015 Heisman Memorial Trophy. Let’s take a look at the players on the rise and those slipping in the Heisman race heading into Week 13. NSAwins.com providescollege football expert picks every week in addition to free college football picks weekly on our blog.

2015 College Football Picks: Heisman Rankings Stock Report: Week 13

Stock Up

He only needed 10 carries to log 68 yards and a pair of scores in a blowout win over Charleston Southern, and with several other contenders slipping in recent weeks, Alabama RB Derrick Henry finds himself in the driver’s seat heading into the Iron Bowl. Henry has a great chance to break the SEC record for rushing touchdowns, and if he helps lead the Crimson Tide to the SEC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff, it will take a big performance on the part of another candidate to keep Henry from claiming the Heisman Trophy.

Coming of a school-record 389 all-purpose yards in a win over California, Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey is two decent games away from breaking Barry Sanders’ record for all-purpose yards in a single season. He has 1,546 rushing yards and 416 receiving yards, and that doesn’t include his work in the return game. McCaffrey has a big game on a big stage against Notre Dame in Week 13, and there is an old saying that suggests the easiest way to win the Heisman is to play for Notre Dame or to beat Notre Dame. If he delivers against the Fighting Irish, McCaffrey could push himself to the top of the list of contenders.

It was a short afternoon against Chattanooga, but Florida State RB Dalvin Cook took care of business, rushing for 106 yards and a pair of scores. Remarkably, he is nearly leading the nation in rushing despite missing almost two full games, and he has basically carried the Seminoles’ offense as the team struggles to find a reliable quarterback. If Cook lights up rival Florida in Week 13, he would be poised to strike if the other top candidates flop down the stretch.

Stock Down

Not only did his streak of 100-yard games end, but Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott further torpedoed his Heisman hopes after the team’s loss to Michigan State by throwing the coaching staff under the bus and announcing that he would be going pro. While a player’s accomplishments on the field are the most important factor, don’t think for a second his post-game action won’t weight heavy with voters. Elliott came up small in the biggest game of the season, and he responded by blaming someone else. He could run for 1,000 yards against Michigan in Week 13 and still won’t win the Heisman.

Although not his fault, Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield missed the second half of the team’s win over TCU with a concussion and missed out on a chance to impress voters with a big game against a highly-ranked opponent. Mayfield’s chances are far from finished, but missing time certainly didn’t help his odds. He will need to put on a show against Oklahoma State if he wants to be more than just a finalist for the award.

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