Week 9 Heisman Watch: New Number One

After Bijan Robinson rode the number one spot in the Heisman watch for a few weeks, a new player has taken over. Texas has proven to not be back and Robinson didn’t do nearly enough against Baylor to back up his candidacy. As the regular season approaches its final weeks, now is as important as ever to put up big numbers. Let’s dive right into who is in the running for the most outstanding player in college football.

1. Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State

After falling off a little bit, Walker has now jumped right up as the new favorite. What a day it was for the junior running back. He carried the Spartans on his back to a huge comeback 37-33 victory over Michigan. Walker ran all over the field for 197 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries. The Tennessee native ran for three of his five touchdowns in the second half, leading Michigan State to a 17-point comeback. In the fourth quarter, he had a game-tying (after PAT) 58-yard score and an eventual game-winning 23-yard score. If he were to take home the award, Walker would be the first Michigan State player to win it.

Kenneth Walker III was turning heads in a Heisman-level performance against Michigan.

🟢 5 TD
🟢 197 YDS

WOW 😤 pic.twitter.com/x9eVYVqx0z

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 30, 2021

2. Bryce Young, Alabama

It was a bye week for Young and the Crimson Tide. They have some fairly easy games against LSU, New Mexico State, and Arkansas before the Iron Bowl against Auburn.

3. Matt Corral, Ole Miss

Corral has started to fade in the Heisman race as Ole Miss was handed their second loss to Auburn on Saturday. The California native didn’t throw for any touchdowns and was picked off once, but he did run in for a score and had 289 yards of throwing. He did also suffer an injury in the 31-20 loss, so his down game can get a pass if he bounces back and performs the rest of the way. The Rebels still have games against Texas A&M and the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, so Corral can still jump back in.

4. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

With big games still to come against Michigan State and Michigan, Stroud stayed steady against Penn State on Saturday night. In a tight 33-24 win, the freshman quarterback passed for over 300 yards for the fourth time this season. He only threw one touchdown but now has 23 on the year to just three interceptions.

5. Caleb Williams, Oklahoma

Spencer Rattler who? Ever since the true freshman Williams stepped in for the former Heisman “favorite” in Week 6, the former has gone off. It was a six-touchdown day for Williams in Oklahoma’s 52-21 trouncing of Texas Tech, and the D.C. native has thrown for at least two touchdowns in every game. He has 14 touchdowns through four games. Williams needs to continue to put up video game-like numbers with games against Baylor, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State to close the season, then the Big 12 Championship against either Baylor or Oklahoma State again.

Another day at the office for Caleb Williams 😤

23-30 | 402 YDS | 6 TD | 0 INT

First Sooners QB to throw 6 TDs since Kyler Murray in 2018 💫@CALEBcsw (via @OU_Football)pic.twitter.com/o6r26Se9Du

— Overtime (@overtime) October 30, 2021