The Gophers face their first Heisman Trophy contender on Saturday in Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins. Here are his rivals:
1. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama: The statue is his to lose. He's playing for the nation's best team and has these jaw-dropping stats: 18 TD passes, 0 interceptions, 75.2 completion percentage and a ridiculous 258.40 passer rating.
2. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State: The sophomore leads the nation with 25 TD passes, and his big-game pedigree was on display when he rallied the Buckeyes from a 12-point deficit in the final seven minutes to win at Penn State.
3. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma: He's picked up where 2017 Heisman winner Baker Mayfield left off, passing for 21 TDs, completing 71.1 percent of his throws and compiling a 227.76 rating. Will the Sooners' loss to Texas hurt his candidacy?
4. Will Grier, QB, West Virginia: His 363.8 passing yards per game ranks second nationally, and he has 21 TD passes. November will be key, as the Mountaineers will play Texas, TCU, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin: Through five games, the sophomore from New Jersey has gained 849 rushing yards (a nation-best 169.8 per game), putting him on pace to surpass 2,000 for the season.
Randy Johnson
