Last week was the Season Premiere of the Bloguin Heisman Poll, and Todd Gurley jumped out to the lead. Then, the news broke that Gurley would be suspended indefinitely. The star running back missed Georgia’s game this past weekend against Missouri. The Heisman leader getting suspended is unprecedented since I’ve been hosting this poll.
How would the voters respond? Would Gurley still get votes as the writers waited to see how long his suspension lasted? Would last week’s second-place finisher, Dak Prescott, take over the lead after Mississippi State’s victory over Auburn? With Jameis Winston now being investigated by FSU for the same reason Gurley was suspended by Georgia, would that affect his vote total?
So many questions…
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What you’ll see each week in the Bloguin Heisman Poll:
* The top five total vote getters, with quotes from the voters in support of their candidate
* A list of all players receiving votes
* Poll notes that look at some interesting facts, figures and trends of the poll
* The BHP Roll Call of voters, with links to their respective blogs and twitter accounts
Here’s the newest Bloguin Heisman Poll:
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1) Dak Prescott (QB – Mississippi State): 24 points, 44.44% of votes, 7 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 2
Last week: 18 of 34 passing (52.9%) for 246 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 21 carries for 121 yards and 2 rushing TD
Season: 96 of 156 passing (61.5%) for 1,478 yards, 14 TD vs 4 INT, 106 carries for 576 yards and 8 rushing TD, 2 receptions, 1 receiving TD
This week: BYE
COMMENTS
With Todd Gurley stepping out of the Heisman conversation, at least for now, my focus remains on Prescott after another big win. Prescott may not have had the best game, but I continue to give him praise for leading the Bulldogs to a third straight victory against a top-ten opponent.
– Kevin McGuire, The Student Section
Over the weekend, Prescott helped lead the Bulldogs to one of the biggest victories in school history. Prescott is a proven leader and has 23 total touchdowns in just six games.
– Mike Ferguson, Noled Out
Prescott is the current favorite because he leads the nation’s number one team in the country’s toughest conference. He’s passed for 1,478 yards and run for 576 with 23 total touchdowns. With remaining road games against Alabama and Ole Miss, plus a potential SEC title game, he’ll have ample opportunity to earn the trophy. He doesn’t stay on top if the Bulldogs slip out of playoff contention, but with wins over LSU, A&M and Auburn in the last three games, he’s the frontrunner.
– Dale Newton, The Duck Stops Here
Dak Prescott received help from his defense this past Saturday against Auburn, but if he plays well in Tuscaloosa and Oxford and leads Mississippi State to the SEC title, it’s going to be very hard for other contenders to deny Prescott the Heisman this year.
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TIE, 2) Jameis Winston (QB – Florida State): 10 points, 18.52% of votes, 2 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 4
Last week: 30 of 36 passing (83.3%) for 317 yards, 3 TD
Season: 126 of 180 passing (70.0%) for 1,605 yards, 11 TD vs 5 INT, 3 rushing TD
This week: vs No. 5 Notre Dame (6-0)
COMMENTS
Let me break it down like this: one game on a neutral field to win, who’s your choice at quarterback? If you’re smart… this guy.
– Bart Doan, The Student Section
Winston’s ability to deliver at crunch time separates him from the other candidates. He did nothing to hurt himself against Syracuse, connecting on 30 of his 36 passes for 317 yards and 3 TD. With a strong showing against No. 6 Notre Dame this weekend, he could vault to the top of everyone’s list.
– Terry Johnson, The Student Section
TIE, 2) Marcus Mariota (QB – Oregon): 10 points, 18.52% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 5
Last week: 17 of 27 passing (63.0%) for 210 yds with 2 TD and 0 INT, 7 carries for 75 yards and 2 rushing TD
Season: 108 of 155 passing (69.7%) for 1,621 yds with 17 TD and 0 INT, 290 yds rushing, 5 rushing TD, 1 reception
This week: vs Washington (5-1)
4) Melvin Gordon (RB – Wisconsin): 5 points, 9.26% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: No. 6
Last week: 27 rushes for 175 yards (6.48 ypc) and 4 rushing TD, 1 reception
Season: 132 rushes for 1,046 yards (7.92 ypc) and 13 rushing TD, 6 receptions, 1 receiving TD
This week: BYE
5) Bryce Petty (QB – Baylor): 2 points, 3.70% of votes, 0 first-place votes
Last week BHP ranking: unranked
Last week: 28 of 55 passing (50.9%) for 510 yds with 6 TD and 2 INT, 23 yards rushing
Season: 101 of 178 passing (56.7%) for 1,534 yds with 15 TD and 3 INT, 109 yds rushing, 3 rushing TD
This week: at West Virginia (4-2)
Also receiving votes: Connor Halliday (QB – Washington State) 1 point; Everett Golson (QB – Notre Dame) 1 point; Tevin Coleman (RB – Indiana) 1 point
Dropped Out: Todd Gurley (RB – Georgia); Ameer Abdullah (RB – Nebraska); Anu Soloman (QB – Arizona); Amari Cooper (WR – Alabama)
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Poll Notes:
– At this point in the season, the leader in the 2011 poll was Andrew Luck; the leader in the 2012 poll was Geno Smith; the 2013 poll leader after week seven was Marcus Mariota.
– Since 2011, from week six to week seven, this is the first time we’ve had a change at the top of the poll.
– How close were the other races at this point in the season in the past? In 2011, Luck led by 2.22 % over Russell Wilson. In 2012, Geno Smith led by 12.12 % over Collin Klein. In 2013, Marcus Mariota led by 9.26 % over Johnny Manziel.
– Last year at this point in the poll, the eventual winner, Jameis Winston, was ranked fourth (up one spot from the prior week) with just 9.26 % of the votes.
– The last running back to win the award was Mark Ingram in 2009. Last week, it looked like there would be a good shot to propel a running back to the top of the list this year. With both Gurley and Abdullah falling completely out of the polls, the chances no longer look good.
– Out of sight, out of mind? After a bye week, Ameer Abdullah vanished from the voting. Nebraska will face Northwestern (3-2) on Saturday. With a good showing, Abdullah could jump back into the polls.
– Voters did not reward Abdullah for sitting idle last week. Prescott and Gordon are idle this week, so it will be interesting to watch how that affects their stock.
– A wide receiver has not won the award since Desmond Howard in 1991. On Saturday we saw why. Unless you are returning kicks, it can sometimes be difficult to get the ball in your hands at the wide receiver position. Alabama’s Amari Cooper had just 2 catches for 22 yards against Arkansas.
– Someone to keep an eye on? Notre Dame’s Everett Golson. Notre Dame is matched up against Florida State this weekend. If Golson can lead his team to victory, he will likely zoom up the poll.
– The Student Section‘s managing editor, Matt Zemek, has chosen to abstain from voting until the second poll of November.
Bloguin Heisman Poll Roll Call
Andrew Coppens – Madtown Badgers (@andyonfootball)
Bart Doan – The Student Section (@TheCoachBart)
Dale Newton – The Duck Stops Here (@DSH_Newton)
Kevin Causey – The Student Section (@CFBZ)
Kevin McGuire – Nittany Lions Den/The Student Section (@kevinoncfb)
Matt Zemek – The Student Section (@SectionMZ)
Mike Ferguson – Noled Out (@Noled_Out)
Scott King – Bearcats Blog/The Student Section (@bearcatsblog)
Scott Halasz – Buckeye Battle Cry (@ohiostatescott)
Terry Johnson – The Student Section (@SectionTPJ)
