There is but one week left for the top players in college football to make their case to Heisman voters.
The field seems to have narrowed to three: Oregon’s Bo Nix (-150), Jayden Daniels (+120) of LSU, and Michael Penix, Jr. (+1600) of Washington.
Nix and Penix meet this weekend for the Pac 12 Championship while Daniels’ candidacy is complete.
Here are their stats heading into Championship Weekend:
Bo Nix
315-401 (78.6%) | 3,906yds. | 37 TDs | 2 INTs | 189.8 RTG | 159yds. rushing | 6 TDs
Jayden Daniels
236-327 (72.2%) | 3,812yds. | 40 TDs | 4 INTs | 208.0 RTG | 1,134yds. rushing | 10 TDs
Michael Penix, Jr.
280-427 (65.6%) | 3,899yds. | 32 TDs | 8 INTs | 163.3 RTG | -14yds. rushing | 3 TDs
Daniels numbers are clearly superior. However, does LSU’s three losses and absence from Championship Weekend hurt the senior from San Bernardino?
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Conversely, does the success of the Ducks and Huskies in the nation’s top conference this season elevate the candidacies of Nix and Penix? Does their success split the vote in the Northwest enough to better Daniels’ voting percentage?
All fair questions.
As far as precedent, many will argue the award has turned into a win for the best player on the best team, but the results of the past decade are not conclusive. Caleb Williams of USC won last year, and the Trojans finished 10th in the final poll. Bryce Young (2021) and DeVonta Smith (2020) were the best players on those Bama teams that did contend for a national title as was Joe Burrow (2019) with LSU. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray (2018) and Baker Mayfield (2017) had the Sooners contending nationally, but Lamar Jackson’s win in 2016 was quarterbacking a three-loss Louisville team that was not a contender aids the case for Daniels.
This year, all three have been special and each demands voters take a long look at their respective candidacies. As noted, voters will get a final look at the two quarterbacks from the Northwest this weekend. If neither or both stand out, Daniels may just stand at the podium in New York City as the 87th recipient of college football’s top individual honor.
*all odds courtesy of BetMGM
