3. QB Max Duggan, TCU
The guy didn’t even start the season. It was supposed to be Chandler Morris under center for new head coach Sonny Dykes, but he got hurt, Duggan stepped in, and 3,070 yards and 29 touchdowns later – along with close to 300 rushing yards and five scores – he’s in the Heisman hunt.
Why Max Duggan Will Win the Heisman: Quick, if you’re not a Big 12 fan and don’t really care about TCU football, name another Horned Frog player. At the very least you should know who WR Quentin Johnston is, and RB Kendre Miller has been wonderful, but … nah. It’s Duggan who’s the star of this show on a national scale.
Duggan’s a veteran who led the rise through the rock-solid Big 12 season, and now he has TCU in the conference title game with a shot at the College Football Playoff. Again, 29 touchdown passes, just three picks, the ability to pull game after game out of the fire – he has been Heisman worthy, but …
Why Max Duggan Won’t Win the Heisman: Quick, name who Max Duggan is.
It’s not fair, and it’s not right, but Duggan doesn’t have the name or face recognition like most of the star quarterbacks like Bryce, and Caleb, and CJ, and Michael, and AR, and others.
He was great the first time around in the win over Kansas State, and now he has to do it again. Even so, to get any first place votes it’s going to take a total collapse by …
1. QB Caleb Williams, USC
Williams followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma over to USC, became the signature get in the transfer portal, and he put on a show from the start hitting 86% of his throws in the win over Rice before bombing away on Stanford. The tone was set, and when things didn’t go right against Oregon State, he still came through in the clutch to pull off the win.
And the lone loss to Utah? 381 yards and five touchdowns, no interceptions. On the year …
Why Caleb Williams Will Win the Heisman: Over 3,700 yards with 34 touchdowns and just three picks. He connected on 18-of-22 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame, and that was after the 470-yard, two touchdown day against UCLA. All of that, and he ran for seven touchdowns in the last four games including three against the Irish.
With seemingly all of the college football world collapsing last weekend, he stepped up and put up the best game of the year when it mattered the most. But …
Why Caleb Williams Won’t Win the Heisman: What happens if the Utah defense goes Utah defense?
This hasn’t been the Utah D of last year, but it’s still fantastic at keeping down high-powered offenses – it allowed 21 points or fewer in the five games since the shootout against the Trojans in the first meeting.
Last year it stomped all over Oregon in the Pac-12 title game – 147 passing yards, no touchdowns, two picks. Really, what happens if the Utah defense plays like it can and Williams has a miserable day in the game that really means everything this weekend?
Max, Stetson, and everyone else on Championship Weekend, you might have a shot if the USC wheels come off.
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Week 13 Roundup
Rankings CFN 1-131 Rankings | AP | Coaches
Bowl Eligible Teams | Week 13 Scoreboard
Championship Week opening lines | CFP Top 25 Prediction
Bowl Projections, CFP Predictions | CFP Chase: 6 Teams Alive
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