2019 College Football Heisman Trophy Power Rankings: Week 6

2019 College Football Heisman Trophy Power Rankings – Week 6: Week 5 of the 2019 College Football season is in the books, and we nearly had our first major upset of the season when North Carolina gave the defending national champion Clemson Tigers all they could handle, eventually losing 21-20 after failing to convert a two-point conversion with just over a minute remaining. While the Tigers kept their title hopes alive, their quarterback and one of the preseason Heisman favorites, Trevor Lawrence, isn’t even in the conversation anymore. Four other quarterbacks have surged to the front of the pack in his place, and with conference play picking up steam, the next few weeks are going to play a big role in sorting out the Heisman race.

2019 College Football Heisman Trophy Power Rankings

1. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Crimson Tide

He completely shredded the Ole Miss secondary in Week 5, completing 26 of his 36 pass attempts for 418 yards and six touchdowns. He also added a rushing score. Tagovailoa now leads the country with 23 touchdown passes, and he still hasn’t thrown an interception. He also ranks in the top four nationally in efficiency rating, passing yards, yards per attempt and completion percentage. With matchups against top-10 opponents LSU and Auburn looming, it will be tough to poke holes in his resume if he can keep the Crimson Tide undefeated and atop the SEC.

2. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Sooners

Hurts and the Sooners returned to action in Week 5 with another offensive explosion in a 55-16 destruction of Texas Tech. Hurts threw for 415 yards and three scores and added 70 rushing yards and a touchdown, and his 249.9 efficiency rating and 15.2 yards per pass attempt are tops in the country. Hurts will have to fall on his face the rest of the way to not be a finalist, but without the aura of the SEC schedule on his side, I think he needs Tua Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide to falter to give Oklahoma its third straight Heisman winner.

3. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU Tigers

The Tigers had Week 5 off, but through four games, Burrow has thrown for 1,520 yards and 17 touchdowns, completing 80.6 percent of his passes. His monster game in a win over Texas that saw him complete 31 of his 39 passes for 471 yards and four scores put him firmly on the Heisman radar, and he still has plenty of marquee matchups to bolster his status with voters. If Burrow carries LSU to wins over Florida, Auburn and Alabama and puts the Tigers back on top of the SEC, he should be in the driver’s seat for the Heisman.

4. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes

It was supposed to be the biggest test of the year for Fields and the Buckeyes in Week 5, but it was just another day at the office for the dual-threat playmaker. Fields tossed three touchdowns and ran for a fourth as Ohio State went on the road and rolled over Nebraska 48-7. Fields is doing everything asked of him and more, but even if he shines in remaining big games against Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan, he probably needs some of the guys ahead of him to slip up to go from Heisman finalist to Heisman winner.

5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin Badgers

Taylor went over 100 yards again in a win over Northwestern in Week 5, but it was far from his best performance. He was already fighting an uphill battle in the Heisman race as a non-quarterback, and while I think he still has an excellent shot at being a finalist for the award, he will need to be absolutely spectacular in his big games to make legitimate push. An upcoming stretch that includes matchups with Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa will decide his fate.

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