Heisman Watch 2022: Highlighting Race's Front-Runners After Week 11

With two weeks to go in the 2022 college football regular season (and then conference championship weekend to follow), there's not much time for the top Heisman Trophy contenders to bolster their cases for winning the award. They'll need to finish on a strong note to leave a good impression on the voters.

Several players remain in the Heisman conversation, and there's no overwhelming favorite to win the award. However, Ohio State junior quarterback C.J. Stroud may be starting to distance himself from the rest of the field.

Stroud threw five touchdown passes and aired it out for 297 yards in the Buckeyes' 56-14 win over Indiana on Saturday. He's been the team leader for Ohio State (10-0), which is one of four FBS teams that are still undefeated.

The Heisman race is far from over, though. So let's take a closer look at Stroud's budding resume and the other front-runners for college football's top individual honor.

Stroud was expected to be one of the top players in the country this season after finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2021. He'll also likely be selected with one of the first picks in the 2023 NFL draft in April.

Before that, Stroud could pick up the Heisman while also trying to guide Ohio State to a national championship. The 21-year-old has passed for 2,750 yards, 34 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He's also thrown four or more touchdowns in a game six times this season, including his five-TD performance on Saturday.

In Week 12, Stroud should continue to put up big numbers as the Buckeyes are going on the road to face Maryland. After that, Ohio State closes out the regular season with a home matchup against Michigan, which will be the most important Big Ten game of the season. It will likely decide which of the two makes the conference championship game, and it will have strong College Football Playoff implications.

So while Stroud has fared well thus far, it would behoove him to have a Heisman-type performance when the Buckeyes face the Wolverines. That could set him well apart from the rest of the field.

Tennessee may no longer be undefeated, but it remains in the CFP mix. On Saturday, the Vols improved to 9-1 with a 66-24 home win over Missouri, which was an impressive way for them to bounce back after losing at Georgia the previous week.

The victory also featured another strong showing by senior quarterback Hendon Hooker. He passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 50 yards and a score. The 24-year-old has thrown for 2,888 yards, 24 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

There's a chance Hooker could play one fewer game than Stroud. Tennessee is unlikely to make it to the SEC Championship Game, while Ohio State should reach the Big Ten Championship Game if it beats Michigan later this month. So Hooker will need to put up more big numbers over the next two weeks.

Considering the Vols' final two regular-season games will be against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, Hooker should finish strong. If Stroud struggles, then Hooker could overtake him and end up winning the Heisman in his final college season.

If a quarterback doesn't win the Heisman, then it will likely be because it went to Michigan running back Blake Corum. The junior is having a tremendous year, and he hasn't been showing any signs of slowing down as the end of the regular season nears.

Corum has scored a touchdown in each of the Wolverines' first 10 games. The 21-year-old has also ran for more than 100 yards in each of the past seven contests. That included Saturday's win over Nebraska, when Corum ran for 162 yards and a score.

With 1,349 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns, Corum has been the top running back in the country this season. But he likely hasn't done quite enough to unseat the two quarterbacks at the top of the Heisman race.

There's still time for Corum to change that, though. And if he keeps rolling like this, he may force his way into the top spot on Heisman voters' ballots.