Are you hurt or injured? This is a question all football coaches have asked their players. If you are hurt, you can still play. If you are injured, you may need time off. John Mateer was the clubhouse leader in our Week 4 Heisman Poll. A broken hand has him bounced from our Week 5 Heisman Poll. Let’s take a look at our list after a fantastic Week 5 Slate. Last week, we warned of a lack of SEC bias; perhaps our list should look for a Big Ten bias. The conference has three of our top spots!
Don’t Be Upset! Week 5 Heisman Poll
The Last Word on College Football braintrust has spoken. Let’s get to our Week 5 Heisman list. We’ve also charted which players’ stocks are on the rise and which are slipping.
Honorable Mention: Diego Pavia, QB Vanderbilt Commodores
“Going 7-6 (last year) wasn’t good enough. I came back because I want to win a National Championship.” Vandy, in the national championship? We all laughed, I know I did. Diego Pavia and Clark Lea, though, were not laughing. Pavia and the ‘Dores head to Tuscaloosa at 5-0 this week. Sure, maybe they haven’t played “anybody,” but that didn’t stop them from knocking off the Tide last year. Alabama has been susceptible to the run in 2025. That probably means some late nights for Kane Womack and Kalen DeBoer. Here’s hoping Pavia can have Nashville “turnt” again Saturday night.
#5 Ty Simpson QB Alabama Crimson Tide
Speaking of Alabama. Pavia will square off against Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. After a rough start in Tallahassee, Simpson has been electric in the gun for the Tide. He made all the right calls and reads in Athens on Saturday night as Alabama knocked off Georgia…again. Simpson’s numbers have been downright gaudy this season. He has passed for 1138 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Competing 69.3% of his passes for a stellar 173.1 quarterback rating. Note to Simspon, the Tide, and DeBoer, let’s not lose for a second straight game against Vandy.
#4 Fernando Medoza QB Indiana Hoosiers
You just don’t walk into Kinnick Stadium and expect to win. Well, apparently nobody told that to Indiana and Fernando Mendoza. After lighting up the Illini the week before, Mendoza and the Hoosiers showed they can win big or ugly, the mark of a really good (dare we say great) team. Mendoza’s stats were not eye-popping, but showed just enough big-play ability to keep IU on track for another CFB Playoff appearance. He completed 13-for-23 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns and threw one interception. Mendoza helped put IU in the win column by throwing the game-winning touchdown pass with just under two minutes left to Fly the W at Iowa.
#2 Carson Beck QB Miami “The U” Hurricanes & Jeremiah Smith WR The Ohio State University
We have a tie in our Week 5 Heisman Voting. Carson Beck continues to stick around the top of our Heisman ballots. He and the Hurricanes have a big matchup this Saturday Night in Talahassee. There is no love lost between the Canes and the Noles. Beck has the opportunity, though, to help lead “The U” to their own state championship on Saturday night if they beat Florida State. The Canes have already knocked off USF and Florida this season.
Nothing solves a sputtering offense like a game-breaking wide receiver. That is exactly what happened Saturday afternoon when Julian Sayin hit Jeremiah Smith on a crossing route in the second quarter. Smith then took the ball into the end zone and put the Buckeyes out in front to stay against Washington. The Buckeye receiver is the straw that stirs the Buckeyes’ offense and will be key in helping the Columbus squad capture a second straight national championship.
#1 Dante Moore QB Oregon Ducks
Quack! Quack! Dante Moore and the Oregon Ducks will have plans to spoil the Buckeyes’ chances of winning a second straight championship. The Ducks remain undefeated in B1G play; we’ll exclude the Rose Bowl game last year. No Duck fan wants to remember that debacle. Moore looks comfortable and in control of the Ducks’ offense as QB1. He was a big reason the Ducks were able to weather the White Out and knock off Penn State in Happy Valley. Moore completed 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in the 30-24 double overtime win.
Main Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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