Heisman Trophy watch: Week 12

Control is a huge reason why the best football players are the way they are. They do everything in their power to be the best, whether it’s working hard in the weight room, watching hours of film or taking extra practice reps. However, there are some things you can’t control— like injuries.

Tua Tagovailoa was well on his way to another great game to help his Heisman case only to have his hip dislocated with a fracture in the posterior wall at the end of the first half. Alabama’s star quarterback’s season is done, and so are his chances at the most coveted individual trophy. Things can change that quickly.

Fighting for the Heisman is admirable, but it comes with risks. One bad play can change the course of a season as well as a team’s. Still, while Tagovailoa’s season is done, there are plenty of players still standing whose chances for the Heisman got better.

Here are five players who improved their stocks this past week.

Joe Burrow, LSU

LSU keeps rolling, and Joe Burrow continues to solidify his place at the top of the Heisman hierarchy. The Tigers are well on their way to the SEC championship game, and their senior quarterback is powering everything they do on offense.

Burrow finished the game against Ole Miss with 489 passing yards and five touchdowns. Even though he had two uncharacteristic interceptions, he still leads the country in completion percentage, is third in passing efficiency rating and second in touchdowns responsible for.

With Arkansas and Texas A&M left on the schedule at home, Burrow has plenty of chances to add to his Heisman credentials and thrill the crowd in Baton Rouge.

Justin Fields, Ohio State

Ohio State fell from the top of the College Football Playoff rankings heading into Week 11, but the Buckeyes kept their perfect season alive with a convincing win against lowly Rutgers. Similarly, keeping his Heisman campaign alive was Justin Fields, who continues to show that Georgia may have missed out on at least one year of elite quarterback play by letting him go.

The sophomore sensation threw for a career-high 305 yards against the Scarlet Knights with four touchdowns before being sat in the third quarter. He remains in the hunt for most touchdowns responsible for, ranking second in the nation, and is fourth in passing efficiency rating.

However, the real test happens in the next two weeks. Fields faces a top-10 Penn State team next, and then he will prepare for his first start in The Game against Michigan in a couple of weeks. If he wants to cement his place in New York come December, surviving this tough stretch with good numbers would be a great boost.

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

The season may not have gone the way Wisconsin hoped it would, but at least the Badgers have a stud running back who is keeping the spotlight on Madison. Jonathan Taylor continues to pile up yards and make sure that the Badgers stay on the map.

Taylor notched is second straight 200-rushing-yard game, chewing up chunks of yards against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He also found pay dirt twice, bringing his total touchdowns from scrimmage to 21 — tied for best in the nation.

Wisconsin hosts Purdue next week, a team that has given up 172.2 rushing yards per game this season. Another 200-plus-yard rushing game would definitely keep him in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

It wasn’t the Super Bowl, but overcoming a 28-3 deficit is still overcoming a 28-3 deficit. The Sooners found themselves under the gun in the second quarter, down by 25 points, but strong play from their Heisman front-runner brought them back from the brink of disaster against No. 13 Baylor.

Jalen Hurts has been carrying the Sooners all season, and he put the team on his back again on Saturday. He threw for nearly 300 yards and notched four passing scores. He also led Oklahoma in rushing, with114 yards. He currently leads the country in touchdowns responsible for and passing efficiency rating.

The Sooners still has a slim chance of competing for a national championship and it’s all because of Jalen Hurts’ Herculean efforts. He gets TCU next week.

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

Clemson is heating up at the right time, and so is Trevor Lawrence. The national championship-winning quarterback has struggled at times this season but still has his team in playoff position and has sneakily put up elite numbers.

Wake Forest was helpless against Clemson, giving up 272 passing yards and four touchdowns to the sophomore stud. Despite toiling early this season, Lawrence is sixth in the country in touchdowns responsible for and eighth in passing efficiency rating.

If Clemson ends up in the College Football Playoff, it’ll be tough to ignore what Lawrence has done this year for one of the top teams in the country.