Entering the final stretch of the 2021 college football season, the Heisman race is most likely down to two contenders.
Looking back at Week 1, the top four favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook were Alabama's Bryce Young, Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler, Clemson's D.J. Uiagalelei and Georgia's JT Daniels.
Going into the final week of the regular season, only two of those four are still even the starting quarterbacks for their respective teams, let alone Heisman contenders.
Heading into Rivalry Week with Conference Championship Saturday just around the corner, here are the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook:
- QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State -200
- QB Bryce Young, Alabama +150
- QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss +2200
- RB Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State, +2800
- QB Kenny Pickett, Pitt +4000
The thing that jumps out is the gulf between the top two and the rest of the field. Let's take a look at the field and the current hierarchy.
The Heisman winner typically has three things going for them: A great statistical season, while playing on one of the best teams of the year, and at least one signature performance that qualifies as a "Heisman moment".
C.J. Stroud has checked all three of those boxes this season.
The freshman quarterback's stat line is downright mean to opposing teams. He's ninth in the country in passing yards (3,468), fourth in touchdowns (36) and has only thrown five interceptions. That passing has been a big reason why the Buckeyes are 11-1 heading into their matchup with Michigan.
Stroud had his Heisman moment last Saturday when the Buckeyes passing attack destroyed the Michigan State secondary. He had 432 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions as they ended Sparty's playoff hopes with a 56-7 drubbing.
The quarterback still has Michigan and the Big Ten Championship Game to seal the deal. With the best trio of receivers in the country in Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba he has all the weapons he needs to keep putting up numbers and hoist the trophy.
If anyone is going to catch Stroud, it's Bryce Young.
The Alabama quarterback is the only passer among the early-season favorites who has actually lived up to the hype. His stats are actually slightly better than his Columbus, Ohio, counterpart. Young has thrown for more touchdowns (38) and yards (3,584) while throwing fewer interceptions (three).
However, the remaining schedule likely plays into his lower odds. Young will get a crack at an Auburn secondary that is 94th in passer rating allowed, which will help boost his stats but won't be the marquee matchup that Ohio State-Michigan is with two top 10 teams playing.
Then Young gets the nasty Georgia Bulldogs defense.
If Young can lead the Tide to a win over their SEC West foe in the conference championship game, then this race will get really interesting.
Kenneth Walker III's Heisman hopes likely lived and died with Michigan State's game against the Buckeyes last week.
Walker already had his Heisman moment. A 197-yard, five-touchdown outing in a win over Michigan is still the most dominant performance we've seen from a running back this season. Had Walker even put up decent stats in a close game with Ohio State, his hopes for winning the award would still be strong.
That's the furthest thing from what happened, though. Instead, Michigan State got waxed, and Walker was held to 25 yards on six carries.
Going head-to-head with Stroud and being a non-factor in his team's biggest game of the season cost him the award, even if he still ultimately gets an invite to New York.
In the last 20 years, only four defensive tackles have finished in the top 10 of Heisman voting.
Of those four, Ndamukong Suh was the only one who finished high enough to get the invite to New York for the ceremony, and that was back in 2009. That year, Suh was absolutely dominant and had the stats to prove it. He notched 12 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss that season.
Davis does not have the same gaudy individual stats. He just has a crucial role in college football's best defense. When Davis is on the field, the Bulldogs have only allowed a successful play on first and second down just 34 percent of the time, per ESPN.
The Dawgs defense is holding opponents to just 2.4 yards per carry and two rushing touchdowns on the season. Much of that can be credited to the 6'6" 340-pound Davis eating up space and blocks on the interior.
The defensive tackle is occupying the No. 3 spot on The Athletic's Heisman straw poll, which mirrors the way the actual Heisman voting takes place.
In a year without many contenders for the award, it would be nice to see someone who plays the way Davis does to at least get the invite to New York.