Heisman Watch: Jalen and Tua show no signs of slowing down

Through six weeks, Heisman Watch is shaping up to be a two-man race between Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. Maybe Joe Burrow, Justin Fields or Jonathan Taylor can sneak in. But that would require Jalen or Tua to have an off game. And that simply hasn’t happened yet.

Throughout the season, ESPN.com writers will vote on their top Heisman candidates.

To get the final rankings, we use the following methodology: 10 voters, five votes each. Points system: five points for first-place votes, four points for second-place votes, three points for third-place votes, two points for fourth-place votes and one point for fifth-place votes.

Voters: Andrea Adelson, Edward Aschoff, Kyle Bonagura, Bill Connelly, Heather Dinich, David M. Hale, Chris Low, Ivan Maisel, Adam Rittenberg, Mark Schlabach

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Total points: 43 (first-place votes: 5)

Notable: Hurts had four TDs in the Sooners’ 45-20 win over Kansas Saturday, throwing and running for two apiece. He passed for 228 yards and showed no signs of slowing down — and neither did Oklahoma’s offense, which had 545 yards.

Quotable: “Every team in the country circles our team and the offense and we like that. What’s exciting is you see glimpses of what it can be, and it’s on us to turn those glimpses into longer stretches of dominant play.” — OU head coach Lincoln Riley

Heisman odds (Caesars Sportsbook): 5-4

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Total points: 37 (first-place votes: 3)

Notable: Alabama was on a bye, but don’t expect a week off to drop Tagovailoa in our rankings. The Tide’s star QB has put on a show all season long — he’s fourth in FBS in passing yards and his TD-INT ratio is a sparkling 23-0. Can he throw five TD passes for a third straight game when Bama faces Texas A&M Saturday?

Quotable: “Tagovailoa has elite accuracy and great footwork, and his arm strength looks improved in his second season as the full-time starter.” — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

Heisman odds: -150

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Total points: 28 (first-place votes: 2)

Notable: Normally six TDs would seem astronomical, but this season, it appears to be just another day at the office for Burrow. The Tigers’ QB had another huge game, this time against Utah State, and tossed for 300 yards for the fourth straight game — the first LSU QB to accomplish the feat.

Quotable: “Our goal is simple when we have the ball,” said receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has six touchdown catches this season. “Go out there and put on a display. It’s fun out there.”

Heisman odds: 7-2

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Total points: 22 (first-place votes: 0)

Notable: The only non-QB on this list, Taylor continues to hold the mantle for running backs this season. Against Kent State, the Badgers’ star ran for 186 yards and had a career-high five touchdowns — four of which came in the first half.

Quotable: “It’s awesome. It never gets old,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said of watching Taylor play. “And you know — I know it and we know it; guys are talking on the sidelines — he’s special. To be able to see it, it’s pretty neat.”

Heisman odds: 18-1

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Total points: 15 (first-place votes: 0)

Notable: Fields’ three TDs — two through the air and one on the ground — helped Ohio State beat Michigan State and move into a tie for No. 3 in the AP poll. He now has 26 TDs through his first six career college starts for the undefeated Buckeyes.

Quotable: “I think we showed flashes, but we weren’t really consistent the whole game on the offensive side,” Fields said. “If we get better at that and more consistent about that, I think we’ll definitely be one of the best offenses in the country.”

Heisman odds: 15-1

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Total points: 1 (first-place votes: 0)

Notable: Ehlinger continued to show off his versatility, throwing and running for two TDs apiece in the Longhorns’ road win over West Virginia. Ehlinger now has 17 TDs and just two interceptions.

Quotable: “I’m really proud of the way that everyone kind of kept our heads down and kept swinging.” — Ehlinger

Heisman odds: 40-1

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