Week 12 Heisman HYPE Rankings

Rank	Previous Rank	Name	Position	School
1	1	Baker Mayfield	QB	Oklahoma
2	2	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin
3	3	Bryce Love	RB	Stanford
4	5	Saquon Barkley	RB	Penn State
5	4	Josh Adams	RB	Notre Dame
6	6	Sam Darnold	QB	USC
7	8	Lamar Jackson	QB	Louisville
8	7	JT Barrett	QB	Ohio State
9	NR	Rashaad Penny	RB	San Diego State
10	9	Jalen Hurts	QB	Alabama

Baker Mayfield stayed at #1 after a strong (although unsurprising) performance against Kansas, which may have garnered more attention for him being left hanging for a pregame handshake as well as some sideline antics than for anything that happened on the field. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 132 yards in a big win for Michigan. Saquon Barkley got himself back on track after a few down weeks with 158 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns along with 66 receiving yards in Penn State’s win over Nebraska. With only this coming weeks of rivalry games and the conference championship games remaining, only time is almost up for these players to make any last impressions on the Heisman voters.

Heisman HYPE Game of the Week #12

Michigan vs Wisconsin

Wisconsin bolstered their resume by defeating Iowa last week, earning their first win over a ranked opponent this season. This was a strong Iowa team who took Penn State to the wire earlier this year and had beaten Ohio State the previous week.

Wisconsin’s freshman running back Jonathan Taylor is averaging 152 rushing yards per game and is still in the Heisman discussion. If he can continue his strong performances and Wisconsin can win their last 3 games (Michigan, Minnesota and the Big Ten Championship) then Wisconsin will make their first appearance in the CFB Playoff and Taylor should find himself in New York for the Heisman Ceremony.

Week 11 Heisman HYPE Rankings

Rank	Previous Rank	Name	Position	School
1	1	Baker Mayfield	QB	Oklahoma
2	2	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin
3	5	Bryce Love	RB	Stanford
4	3	Josh Adams	RB	Notre Dame
5	4	Saquon Barkley	RB	Penn State
6	6	Sam Darnold	QB	USC
7	9	JT Barrett	QB	Ohio State
8	8	Lamar Jackson	QB	Louisville
9	7	Jalen Hurts	QB	Alabama
10	NR	Mason Rudolph	RB	Oklahoma State

Baker Mayfield strengthened his hold on the top spot with a big game in the Sooners’ win over TCU, putting up 333 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 157 yards in a big win for Wisconsin over Iowa, the Badgers’ first win over a ranked opponent this season. Bryce Love had a huge game in Stanford’s win over Washington, rushing for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns. Things are winding down and the top contenders seem to be getting clearer as we near December.

 

Heisman HYPE Game of the Week #11

TCU vs Oklahoma

Another week, another big game in the Big 12 with major implications. Both TCU and Oklahoma have a single loss, both coming to Iowa State. Both have a shot at the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. The winner of this game will be in good position on both fronts. The loser would still have a chance to make it to the Big 12 Championship game, but with two losses would be eliminated from playoff contention.

Baker Mayfield had a huge game against Oklahoma State last week, throwing for an eye-popping 598 yards and 5 touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown. That has put him in the driver’s seat for the Heisman, and another performance of that caliber could very well seal the deal for him. For TCU, Kenny Hill has been inconsistent, failing to log a passing touchdown over the last two games. For those who enjoy high-scoring contests, this should be a fun game to watch.

Week 10 Heisman HYPE Rankings

Rank	Previous Rank	Name	Position	School
1	3	Baker Mayfield	QB	Oklahoma
2	1	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin
3	5	Josh Adams	RB	Notre Dame
4	2	Saquon Barkley	RB	Penn State
5	4	Bryce Love	RB	Stanford
6	7	Sam Darnold	QB	USC
7	8	Jalen Hurts	QB	Alabama
8	9	Lamar Jackson	QB	Louisville
9	6	JT Barrett	QB	Ohio State
10	NR	Nick Chubb	RB	Georgia

Once again, the top 5 is shaken up. Saquon Barkley falls further down the list after being limited to 96 yards from in Penn State’s last second loss to Michigan State and being held out of the end zone for the first time this year. Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield had an incredible game in Oklahoma’s big win over Oklahoma State, putting up 598 yards passing and 5 touchdowns, plus another touchdown rushing. He leads the Sooners against TCU in a big matchup this week that could help push Oklahoma into the College Football Playoff and bolster his Heisman resume. Some other Heisman hopefuls have big games this week as well, with Bryce Love and Stanford facing Washington, Josh Adams and Notre Dame going up against undefeated Miami, and Jonathan Taylor leads Wisconsin against a strong Iowa team. Check back next week to see how things shake out.

 

Heisman HYPE Game of the Week #10

#8 Oklahoma at #11 Oklahoma State

It’s Bedlam. A top 15 matchup of in-state rivals with major Big 12 implications. Three ranked teams from the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU) each have one loss, all to conference opponents. All three teams still have a shot to win the Big 12 and this game factor heavily into the final outcome. In addition to a Big 12 title, the winner of this game has a good chance of making the CFB Playoff.

Outside of the team implications, both teams’ quarterbacks have been in Heisman contention, with Baker Mayfield having made the stronger case up to this point in the season. A big game from Mason Rudolph and a Cowboys win could help him back into the thick of the Heisman race as the season winds down.

Week 9 Heisman HYPE Rankings

Rank	Previous Rank	Name	Position	School
1	4	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin
2	1	Sqauon Barkley	RB	Penn State
3	3	Baker Mayfield	QB	Oklahoma
4	2	Bryce  Love	RB	Stanford
5	NR	Josh Adams	RB	Notre Dame
6	NR	JT Barrett	QB	Ohio State
7	8	Sam Darnold	QB	USC
8	5	Jalen Hurts	QB	Alabama
9	10	Lamar Jackson	QB	Louisville
10	9	Mason Rudolph	QB	Oklahoma State

Another shake up in the top 5 as Penn State suffered its first loss of the season to Ohio State in a thrilling game. Saquon Barkley starting things off with a bang, taking the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. The Buckeye defense largely kept him in check the rest of the day, limiting him to 67 yards from scrimmage (by far his lowest total of the season) and one rushing touchdown. In addition to knocking Barkley from the top spot in the Heisman HYPE rankings, it also puts Penn State in a tough spot in the Big Ten and CFB Playoff picture.

Elsewhere, Josh Adams made a strong statement in Notre Dame’s big win over North Carolina State, rushing for 202 yards and a touchdown. He joins Barkley, Bryce Love and our new #1 Jonathan Taylor at the top of a running back-heavy list of Heisman contenders.

Everyone in the top 10 still has some big matchups left to add to their case for the Heisman, but things are getting down to the wire.

Heisman HYPE Game of the Week #9

#2 Penn State at #6 Ohio State

Penn State handled Michigan in Happy Valley last week, now they’re headed to the Horseshoe to contend with Penn State. Both teams are undefeated in Big Ten play and along with Michigan State (who Penn State plays next week) are vying for the top spot in the Big Ten East to likely meet an also undefeated Wisconsin for the Big Ten title and a likely shot at the College Football Playoff.

Penn State has steadily moved through their schedule led by Saqoun Barkley and Trace McSorely, while Ohio State has trounced all of their opponents by an average of 42 points following their loss to Oklahoma. This is a game you don’t want to miss.

Week 8 Heisman HYPE Rankings

Rank	Previous Rank	Name	Position	School
1	1	Saquon Barkley	RB	Penn State
2	2	Bryce Love	RB	Stanford
3	3	Baker Mayfield	QB	Oklahoma
4	5	Jonathan Taylor	RB	Wisconsin
5	7	Jalen Hurts	QB	Alabama
6	8	Trace McSorley	QB	Penn State
7	6	Nick Chubb	RB	Georgia
8	4	Sam Darnold	QB	USC
9	9	Mason Rudolph	QB	Oklahoma State
10	NR	Lamar Jackson	QB	Louisville

The top 5 saw some movement again this week as USC loss to Notre Dame hurt Sam Darnold. The top 3 remain unchanged. Wisconsin’s freshman running back Jonathan Taylor continues to put up outstanding numbers for the Badgers as they remain undefeated. Saquon Barkley had another solid performance in a win against Michigan, notching rushing and receiving touchdowns to go along with 161 yards from scrimmage. Just about every player currently in the top 10 has at least one big game left against a ranked opponent, giving them a chance to make a strong impression to close out the season.

Heisman HYPE Game of the Week #8

#19 Michigan vs #2 Penn State

This game is a major test for the Nittany Lions as it kicks off a stretch in which they play Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State in consecutive weeks. These upcoming games will go a long way I’m clearing up the picture in the Big Ten and also could have a big impact on the College Football Playoff race. The Michigan game will be a major opportunity for Saquon Barkley to strengthen his Heisman case. On Michigan’s end, they suffered a tough loss to Michigan State which knocked them out of the AP top 10. A win for the Wolverines keeps their playoff hopes alive.