Heisman Trophy Watch Top Candidates After Week 7: The Race Is On

2022 Heisman Trophy race: Who are the top candidates now that the race is on?

2. QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Why Hendon Hooker Will Win the Heisman: I tried to tell everyone back in 2019  he had special upside when he was at Virginia Tech. 2020 was 2020 and he had a rough year, but he hooked up with Josh Heupel at Tennessee, and …

I tried to tell everyone the Vol coaching staff was nuts for starting Joe Milton. That lasted about 30 seconds, Hooker stepped in, and all he did was throw 31 touchdown passes and three picks in a breakthrough season for the program.

This year? In six games has hit 70% of his throws for 1,817 yards and 15 touchdowns and just the one interception last week against Alabama.

Oh yeah … the Alabama game, Did Tennessee beat Bama or something, because it seems like the world is talking about it.

21-of-30, 385 yards, close to 13 yards per pass, five touchdown passes, a wonderful final drive to set up the game-winning field goal, and about a gajillion babies named Hendon coming in nine months after what he and the Vols just did.

Why Hendon Hooker Won’t Win the Heisman: I know we’re not supposed to say this while everyone is still buzzing because he did throw more touchdown passes, got the win, and was absolutely brilliant, but …

(In a very, very quiet whisper … ) Bryce Young was better.

Okay, forget that. Did Young win? No.

Hooker created the magical moment that will live forever in Tennessee lore. Now he has to do it again with Kentucky up in a few weeks, and he’ll have to do it at South Carolina, and at Georgia, and …

Yeah, Georgia. If he lights up the Dawgs and Tennessee wins, this thing might be over unless something unbelievable comes from …

1. QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State

Why CJ Stroud Will Win the Heisman: The guy is the best passer in college football at the moment, and efficiency-wise, it’s by a mile.

He was the second-most efficient passer in the nation last year behind Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall, and at the moment he’s just barely on pace to be the most efficient passer in the last 20 years, possibly ever – at least for the volume of throws.

71% for 1,737 yards, almost 11 yards per attempt, 24 touchdowns, three picks. No, he doesn’t run, but he doesn’t need to.

Why CJ Stroud Won’t Win the Heisman: His problem is the team – Ohio State is boring.

They come out, they warm up, the win by a gazillion, repeat. The Heisman requires the imagination of the nation to be captured. It needs a signature moment, and something that makes everyone love college football because that one player is just that special.

Oh, that’s probably coming with Penn State and Michigan to deal with, but there might be a thought that he’s simply a very, very good quarterback surrounded by other elite talents.

To win this, there might need to be a moment when Ohio State needs 7 to come through and save the day. Again, that might be coming … or he and Ohio State will be too good and he could win it because he’s amazing.

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