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Heisman-hopeful tailback Ashton Jeanty will have the stage all to himself during Champ Week.
The Boise State Broncos face UNLV on Friday night on their home field. Should Boise State win, it’s entirely possible the Broncos could land a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. When these 2 teams met in Las Vegas during the regular season, Jeanty punched in a 1-yard score in the fourth quarter that eventually became the game-winner in a 29-24 victory. He ran for 128 yards that day.
He’ll need a much more convincing performance this week to take the Heisman Trophy away from Travis Hunter.
That is, so long as voters wait to cast their vote until after the game. According to the Heisman Trophy Trust, ballots will be distributed to voters on Monday, Dec. 2. They have until the following Monday to submit their ballot. Finalists will be announced on Dec. 9.
Judging by the markets, Colorado’s two-way star has already won the award. Judging by the coverage, Colorado’s two-way star has done so rather decisively.
Hunter had a field day in Colorado’s final game of the regular season, a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State at home. But the Cowboys (0-9 in the Big 12) quit on their season weeks ago and Colorado was shut out of the Big 12 Championship Game despite the overwhelming result.
No, when the Big 12 title is settled next Saturday, Arizona State and Iowa State will take the field in Arlington, Texas. Colorado (9-3) will watch from home. The Buffs gave up control of their destiny when they lost to Kansas in Week 13. That might mean something in the Heisman race.
Or it may mean absolutely nothing.
Hunter’s case is what it is and it wasn’t going to be altered by another game.
Jeanty can force the conversation to morph, however, if he leads Boise State to a conference title.
The Broncos started 5-5 last season, fired their head coach, and finished with 6 losses — the most by a Boise State team in 26 years. Jeanty was good — 1,916 yards from scrimmage, 19 touchdowns — but he wasn’t the defensive nightmare he is this year.
And though Taylen Green transferred to Arkansas, Jeanty stayed in Idaho.
The result is one of the greatest rushing seasons in the history of college football.
Through 12 games, Jeanty has the fifth-most rushing yards by a tailback in a single season in FBS history. He is 340 yards shy of tying Barry Sanders’ 1988 rushing record. If he hits his rushing average against UNLV, he’ll pass USC’s Marcus Allen and move to fourth.
Hunter won’t be playing this weekend. The lasting impression will be Jeanty. What happens if Boise State cuts its star loose one more time and lets him pile up the yardage?
Jeanty has topped 31 carries in 6 of his last 7 games. He didn’t have more than 26 in any of Boise’s first 5 games. The Broncos are riding Jeanty for better or for worse, stacked boxes be damned. Oregon State sold out to slow Jeanty and he finished with a season-high 37 carries for 226 yards.
A couple of touchdowns, a 200-yard day, and a parting shot of Jeanty holding up the conference championship trophy is a pretty compelling argument.
Would it be better than one of the best two-way displays we’ve ever seen at the major level?
Jeanty is No. 1 for me again this week. I don’t believe this race is over yet.
With that, here’s the updated Heisman Trophy race after Week 14. If I had a ballot (I don’t), this is how it would look.
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State RB (LW: 1)
Week 14 results: 34-18 win over Oregon State
Week 14 stats: 37 carries, 226 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
Season stats: 312 carries, 2,288 rushing yards, 7.3 yards per attempt, 28 rushing touchdowns, 18 receptions, 102 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
One big number: more rushing yards this season than 106 different FBS teams; including more than 2.5 times as many rushing yards as Colorado
Current odds: +2300 (via FanDuel)
Up next: vs. UNLV (Mountain West Championship Game)
2. Travis Hunter, Colorado WR/DB (LW: 2)
Week 14 results: 52-0 win over Oklahoma State
Week 14 stats: 10 receptions, 116 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, 1 tackle, 2 pass breakups, 1 interception
Season stats: 92 receptions, 1,152 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown, 31 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 11 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble
One big number: 14 receiving touchdowns trails only San Jose State’s Nick Nash for the most in the FBS
Current odds: -10000 (via FanDuel)
Up next: Off
3. Cam Ward, Miami QB (LW: 3)
Week 14 results: 42-38 loss at Syracuse
Week 14 stats: 25-for-36, 349 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 5 carries, 19 rushing yards
Season stats: 67.4% completion, 4,123 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 194 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 1 receiving touchdown
One big number: 103.2 EPA leads all FBS quarterbacks, per ESPN
Current odds: +50000 (via FanDuel)
Up next: Off
4. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon QB (LW: 4)
Week 14 results: 49-21 win over Washington
Week 14 stats: 16-for-23, 209 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 3 carries, 20 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
Season stats: 73.5% completion, 3,275 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 175 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns
One big number: 1.4% turnover-worthy play rate is the second-lowest among FBS quarterbacks with at least 400 dropbacks
Current odds: +50000 (via FanDuel)
Up next: vs. Penn State (Big Ten Championship Game)
5. Tyler Warren, Penn State TE (LW: 5)
Week 14 results: 44-7 win over Maryland
Week 14 stats: 6 receptions, 68 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 3 carries, 32 rushing yards, 1-for-1, 9 passing yards
Season stats: 81 receptions, 978 receiving yards, 6 receiving touchdowns, 21 carries, 189 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 60.0% completion, 35 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown
One big number: 81 receptions are the fourth-most in a single season in Penn State history
Current odds: not on the board (via FanDuel)
Up next: vs. Oregon (Big Ten Championship Game)
6. Dylan Sampson, Tennessee RB (LW: 7)
Week 14 results: 36-23 win at Vanderbilt
Week 14 stats: 25 carries, 178 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 6 receiving yards
Season stats: 256 carries, 1,485 rushing yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 22 rushing touchdowns, 19 receptions, 141 receiving yards
One big number: 1,485 rushing yards lead all SEC players at the end of the regular season, putting Sampson on pace to be the first Tennessee player to win the SEC’s rushing title since Travis Stephens in 2001
Current odds: not on the board (via FanDuel)
Up next: Off
7. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana QB (LW: 8)
Week 14 results: 66-0 win over Purdue
Week 14 stats: 23-for-31, 349 passing yards, 6 passing touchdowns, 4 carries, -9 rushing yards
Season stats: 70.4% completion, 2,827 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, -25 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
One big number: 85.7 QBR is on pace to be the best by an Indiana quarterback and the ninth-best by a Big Ten quarterback in a single season in ESPN’s database (dates to 2004)
Current odds: +50000 (via FanDuel)
Up next: Off
8. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State RB (LW: unranked)
Week 14 results: 49-7 win at Arizona
Week 14 stats: 21 carries, 177 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, 1 reception, 8 receiving yards
Season stats: 247 carries, 1,398 rushing yards, 5.7 yards per carry, 17 rushing touchdowns, 35 receptions, 468 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
One big number: 3 touchdowns in the first half against Arizona marked a second consecutive game with 3 first-half touchdowns, making Skattebo just the eighth FBS player to accomplish that feat since 2008
Current odds: not on the board (via FanDuel)
Up next: vs. Iowa State (Big 12 Championship Game)
9. Carson Beck, Georgia QB (LW: unranked)
Week 14 results: 44-42 win over Georgia Tech (8OT)
Week 14 stats: 28-for-43, 297 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 7 carries, 10 rushing yards
Season stats: 65.1% completion, 3,429 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 86 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
One big number: 11 touchdown passes without an interception in Georgia’s last 3 games — all wins
Current odds: not on the board (via FanDuel)
Up next: vs. Texas (SEC Championship Game)
10. Cade Klubnik, Clemson QB (LW: 6)
Week 14 results: 17-14 loss to South Carolina
Week 14 stats: 24-for-36, 280 passing yards, 1 interception, 10 carries, 62 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
Season stats: 64.2% completion, 3,041 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 437 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns
One big number: 437 rushing yards this season are more than his 2022 and 2023 totals combined, as are his 7 rushing touchdowns
Current odds: not on the board (via FanDuel)
Up next: vs. SMU (ACC Championship Game)
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
