Heisman Trophy watch: Week 8

Wet dogs, broken wagons and a stunning upset — Week 8 of college football had it all. While we did experience the things that make the sport great, there were some grim realities that were present as well.

Alabama’s star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, suffered a high-ankle sprain and is rumored to be out multiple weeks. An injury of that magnitude is sure to shake up the race for the Heisman Trophy, moving some dark horses into the light.

Here are five players who improved their stock the most.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Apparently the only thing that can stop the Sooners is a schooner malfunction. While Oklahoma’s signature wagon had a massive spill during the game, the Sooners kept rolling with a win against West Virginia thanks to another magical performance from their stud quarterback.

Hurts was nearly perfect on the field, completing 16 of his 17 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. He added 75 yards on the ground, including two scores, bringing his total to 30 touchdowns responsible for — second highest in the entire country. He also retained his spot at the top of the nation for the best passer efficiency rating.

Kansas State is next on the docket for the Sooners, giving Hurts another squad he can potentially torture for big numbers.

Joe Burrow, LSU

Teams and records continue to fall around LSU, and at the center of it all is quarterback Joe Burrow. With the help of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and passing game coordinator Joe Brady, the senior signal-caller has been dominating his opponents and putting up consistently sensational numbers in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

Burrow had no trouble against Mississippi State, throwing for 327 yards and notching four touchdowns. With Tagovailoa going down in his Week 8 matchup, Burrow took the lead for most touchdowns responsible for and leads the nation in completion percentage.

LSU has a nightmare two-game stretch, with Auburn next week and Alabama after the bye. It will be difficult, but If Burrow continues to produce at his current clip against those SEC monsters, his ticket to New York in December would almost assuredly be punched.

Justin Fields, Ohio State

With the Buckeyes in playoff position, Justin Fields didn’t let a short week stop his already productive season. Ohio State walked away from Evanston with an easy victory against Northwestern behind another great effort from its transfer quarterback.

Fields had 194 passing yards and added four touchdowns in a 49-point win. He is tied for second-most touchdowns responsible for in the country and has Ohio State in position for another playoff run.

Wisconsin will be in Columbus next week and hoping to get its season back on track after a shocking loss to Illinois this week. But with Fields carving teams up, The Badgers might be looking at back-to-back defeats.

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

No one sane could’ve seen 30.5-point underdog Illinois upsetting Wisconsin, but here we are with the Badgers getting handed their first loss. Don’t put that on running back Jonathan Taylor though, who did everything he could to keep the team in the game.

The engine that has been powering the Badgers finished the game with 132 rushing yards and a touchdown. He remains on top of the country with 19 touchdowns from scrimmage.

The season doesn’t get any easier for Taylor, who will face the Ohio State defense next week. He will need a big game to stay relevant in the trophy conversation.

Anthony Gordon, Washington State

Washington State’s aerial assault continues to run on all cylinders, as Anthony Gordon led the Cougars to a victory against Colorado. The senior quarterback is going to need to keep an ice pack on that arm after 51 passing attempts, but then again, he’s been doing this all season.

He finished the game against the Buffaloes with four touchdowns, giving him 29 passing scores for the season — tied with Burrow for the most in the country. He also has an FBS-high 2,981 yards through the air, which is nearly 500 yards more than the next best quarterback.

The Cougars have a big test next week against Oregon. If Gordon can outperform NFL prospect Justin Herbert, he could pick up a little more support for the Heisman heading into November.