Heisman Trophy watch: Week 7

Let’s get a little personal. I was in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a wedding and I decided to go down to Neyland Stadium to see what the tailgating scene is like. Let me tell you: It was gorgeous.

The Vol Navy was in full effect on the river, the stadium was beautiful, the barbecue was sublime and the people were incredibly generous (especially with said barbecue). It is unfortunate the fans there don’t have a player — or team — who can consistently wow them with incredible skills like the athletes on this list.

There’s just something different about being able to write this Heisman watch list still smelling that smoked meat goodness on my shirt from the grills of thousands of fans. 

Meanwhile, back there were plenty of great performances from the regulars in the face for the Heisman, but some have dropped off due to the lights being a little too bright.

Here are five players who helped their cases the most this past weekend.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Alabama may have played its first game against a ranked opponent Saturday, but the result wasn’t any different. The Crimson Tide won, and Tagovailoa picked apart another defense that tried in vain to stop him.

The Hawaiian native had little trouble against Texas A&M, carving up the Aggies for nearly 300 yards through the air and four touchdown passes. He has thrown for four scores in five of his last six games and currently leads the country in touchdowns responsible for. He did throw his first interception though, so things are obviously falling apart (/s).

Next up for Alabama is Tennessee, which is coming off a week where it held Mississippi State to 10 points. However, the Volunteers haven’t seen a quarterback of Tagovailoa’s caliber, and he should have no problems moving the ball against the Vols.

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

Michigan State may have held Jonathan Taylor to under 100 rushing yards for the first time this season, but the Spartans couldn’t stop him from continuing his pursuit of the Heisman Trophy.

The junior running back still scored two touchdowns, keeping him on the top of the heap for the most touchdowns from scrimmage in the country. He also leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and is third in total yards from scrimmage.

The Badgers have a tough stretch of games coming up against teams like Ohio State and Iowa, but Taylor’s performance against the Spartans is a good sign he can continue having strong games — even against quality opponents.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Despite a couple of rough spots in his first and only start in the Red River Shootout, Hurts showed out with the entire country watching him.

With another Heisman candidate starting opposite of him, the former Alabama quarterback left little doubt about who was the superior signal-caller in this game. Hurts came up victorious against Sam Ehlinger and Texas and contributed to the cause with 235 passing yards and three throwing scores. He also led the Sooners in rushing with 131 yards and a touchdown to send the Longhorns home with a loss.

The horns might be down, but Hurts’ play is not. Next on the schedule is West Virginia where he has a chance to pile up even more numbers.

Joe Burrow, LSU

The Florida Gators might claim to be "DBU," but they were nowhere to be found against LSU with Joe Burrow flexing his muscles down in Baton Rouge.

The Athens, Ohio, native threw for nearly 300 yards and added three touchdowns to his expansive numbers. He currently leads the country in completion percentage and sits with the second-most touchdowns responsible for in the nation, starring for a team that may be competing for a national championship in January.

Mississippi State is LSU’s next opponent. The Bulldogs couldn’t beat Tennessee this past week, and Burrow might have an easy time lighting them up on Saturday.

Anthony Gordon, Washington State

While other quarterbacks are getting more attention, Anthony Gordon is piling up huge numbers in the boonies of the Power Five conferences. Just because he plays in the Pac-12 doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve some recognition.

Although Washington State lost against Arizona State Saturday, Gordon did his best to not let that happen. He threw for three touchdowns and 466 yards — his fifth 400-plus-yard performance of the season. Gordon leads the country in passing yards and is second only to Tua Tagovailoa for most passing scores in all of college football.

Halfway through the season, Gordon is on pace to break 5,000 passing yards. With the Pac-12 continuing to show it’s not the strongest of the top five conferences in the nation, he may accomplish that goal and that would make him hard to ignore in December.