It’s not always a big surprise to see a player drop in the rankings after his team experienced a bye week. While he was off of the main stage and getting a chance to rest and recover, other players were putting their talents on display and making a case.
That’s what happened to the No. 9 Oregon Ducks’ quarterback Bo Nix last week in the Heisman Trophy race. While the Ducks took the week off to prepare for this week’s clash against the No. 10 UCLA Bruins, many of college football’s best players were making a statement. That faction was led by Tennessee Volunteers‘ QB Hendon Hooker, who had a massive day, leading to an upset over the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Of course, Nix has a big stage coming his way. This weekend with ESPN’s College GameDay in town for the UCLA game, and a matchup that will feature a lot of national eyes in the 12:30 p.m. window on FOX, a lot has been made about the QBs at play. ESPN went as far as to call the game their “Heisman Game of the Week,” with Bruins’ leader Dorian Thompson-Robinson looking to make a statement as well.
So how far did Nix drop this past week, and how far might he climb in the coming days? Let’s take a look: