The season is about to change.
Fall is approaching and this means that games in college football are about to become monumental for positioning in the College Football Playoff.
It also sets the stage for headline names to stake their claim on the Heisman Trophy.
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As we get more into conference play, all eyes will be on those candidates that thrive under pressure, deliver strong performances and captain their teams to wins.
Despite being the runner-up to Kyler Murray in 2018, Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama isn’t messing around this year. Not only has he changed the culture of how one thinks, feels and perceives Crimson Tide football, but he also shattered the record books.
The junior from Hawaii is second all-time in career touchdown passes (71) and fifth all-time in passing yards (5,902).
Listed below is a breakdown of where he stands in the race after four weeks.
Top 5 candidates for 2019 Heisman Trophy
1. Tua Tagovailoa, QB – Alabama
2. Joe Burrow, QB – LSU
3. Jalen Hurts, QB – Oklahoma
4. Justin Fields, QB – Ohio State
5. Sam Ehlinger, QB – Texas
Summary: Tagovailoa is dominating the Heisman race, totaling 1,300 passing yards with 18 touchdowns (one rushing) and no turnovers.
He is averaging 325 passing yards per matchup, while tying his career mark in scoring tosses in a single game (five) multiple times thus far.
He has actually looked better than his start from 2018, especially if one takes the return of Steve Sarkisian as offensive coordinator into consideration.
He has sharpened Tagovailoa’s skill set in run-pass option and Alabama’s offense chimes in with an average of 50 points per contest.
It takes on the Mississippi Rebels this week.
Burrow has been a nice touch for the Tigers. The lack of a vertical pass attack has hurt LSU in recent years, but Burrow seems to have it on track.
He comes in completing 80.6 percent of his throws (100-for-124) with 1,520 passing yards and 17 touchdowns to two interceptions.
LSU’s meeting with the Tide on Nov. 9 at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be interesting.
A bye week dropped him from second to third; however, Jalen Hurts is still in the picture for Oklahoma.
His output of 1,253 total yards (880 passing, 373 rushing) with 13 total scores to no turnovers through three games is insane.
Hurts is completing 80.6 percent of his throws and averages roughly 300 yards passing (293.3) and 125 yards rushing (124.3) per matchup.
The Red River shootout between Sooners and Longhorns will decide the Big 12.
Justin Fields remains at No. 4 on the list from Ohio State.
A former five-star from Georgia, he is making Ryan Day look good as a first-year head coach for the Buckeyes.
He shares the spotlight with running back, J.K. Dobbins, but Fields accounts for 880 passing yards with 19 total scores (six rushing) and no turnovers. He is averaging 220 yards passing per game and with the issues going on at Michigan, a loss to the Wolverines is unlikely.
Fields has Ohio State in a good spot to potentially win the Big Ten.
Sam Ehlinger brings up the rear at No. 5 for the Heisman.
He is pushing a Longhorns’ offense that’s averaging 41.8 points a game, while he is responsible for 15 touchdown passes and just one pick. Ehlinger has connected on 72.9% of his throws (102-for-140) for 1,237 yards on an average of 309.3 passing yards a game. He strikes more as a running quarterback to most; nevertheless, Ehlinger has become much improved with his arm.
His meeting with Jalen Hurts and the Sooners will be a blockbuster feature.
Players still in the hunt
-RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
-RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
-QB Jake Fromm, Georgia
-QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
