Heisman Trophy ranking: Who's the interloper among QBs?

The Heisman Trophy race looks much different now than it did a few weeks ago. In October, the last time we ranked the Heisman contenders, USC quarterback Caleb Williams — last season's winner — and Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel made the top three. Both QBs have lost multiple games since, putting them out of the running for the prestigious award.

So, who has taken their place in the rankings, and which quarterback is now in the driver's seat to win the Heisman?  

5. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

SEASON STATS: 156-for-206 (75.7%), 2,134 passing yards, 18 TD passes, three interceptions, 137 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns

McCarthy cracks the top-five solely because Michigan (9-0) is the most dominant team in college football, but he doesn't have the gaudy statistics the four front-runners do. Because the Wolverines have outscored teams by an NCAA-best 34 points per game, McCarthy is averaging only 22.9 pass attempts and 237.1 passing yards per game.

Those numbers aren't going to get it done in a Heisman race. McCarthy still has crucial games against Penn State and Ohio State left on the schedule, but stellar performances in both still may not be enough to take the Heisman Trophy back to Ann Arbor.

4. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State

SEASON STATS: 186-for-289 (64.4%), 2,469 passing yards, 19 TD passes, two interceptions, 190 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns

Travis has been everything Florida State needs him to be this season. The sixth-year senior is exceptional at passing to Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, and he's taken care of the ball well (two interceptions).

Travis is the most effective rusher of the four quarterbacks on this list. He has an argument to be made considering his Seminoles are 9-0, but we can't see him jumping two Pac-12 QBs.

3. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

SEASON STATS: 52 receptions, 914 receiving yards, 17.6 yards per catch, 10 TD catches
You could make an argument for four or five quarterbacks to be named the best QB in the country. That's not the case at wide receiver, where Harrison is almost unanimously considered the best receiving threat in college football.

Harrison is tied for fourth in the country in touchdown catches (10) and ranks fifth in yards per catch among receivers with at least 40 receptions. The raw stats don't tell the full story of his season, though.

Where would Ohio State (9-0) be without Harrison ruling the passing game? Over the Buckeyes' past three games (Penn State, Wisconsin and Rutgers), Harrison has scored five of the team's eight touchdowns. He has also accounted for 310 of Kyle McCord's 701 passing yards during that span. That's 44% of the team's receiving yards.

Harrison is more important to his offense than any other non-quarterback in the country, but don't take it from us. Take it from former Ohio State head coach and current Fox Sports analyst Urban Meyer.

"The Heisman Trophy goes to the best player," Meyer said, per Fox Sports. "I thought he was the best player a year ago. He's certainly the best player in the country — not best receiver — best player."

2. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

SEASON STATS: 235-for-301 (78.1%), 2,723 passing yards, 25 TD passes, two interceptions, 116 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns

Now we're talking! Nix, after four years of untapped potential at Auburn and Oregon (8-1), is finally starting to scratch the surface of his sky-high ceiling. The veteran QB is completing nearly 80% of his passes for 302.6 passing yards per game, and he ranks fourth in the country in both passing efficiency (180.14) and passing touchdowns. 

Nix has been on fire since Oregon's close loss to Washington a few weeks ago, and he's showing no signs of slowing. That trend might end up being the difference in the Heisman race. 

1. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

SEASON STATS: 225-for-324 (69.4%), 3,201 passing yards, 26 TD passes, seven interceptions, minus-13 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
The left-hander is the current betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, per OddsChecker, and for good reason. The sixth-year senior has dominated, and he has unbeaten Washington (9-0) on top of the loaded Pac-12 through nine games.

Penix leads the country in passing yards per game (355.7) and ranks third in passing touchdowns, plus he has a head-to-head win over Nix and Oregon in his back pocket. The only issue with Penix's résumé is his lack of rushing statistics, but the passing stats are too impressive to ignore. 

This Heisman Trophy-worthy play by Penix against USC surely will impress the voters.