On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Top 10 player rankings after Week 13

Indiana star Fernando Mendoza has had the lead in the On3 experts’ Heisman Trophy polling for the last few weeks. Can anyone catch him?

On3 stops to poll its top national analysts for their take on college football’s top award. Voting in this poll are Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman, Chris Low, Brett McMurphy, Pete Nakos, JD PicKell and Charles Power.

Each of the national experts submitted a ballot with his top 10 players on it, and we’ve compiled the results to create a complete ranking using points — 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for second, etc. Let’s get into how the rankings unfolded below.

1. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana – 67 points

WEEKEND STATS: 22-of-24 for 299 yards, 4 TD
Mendoza took a beating against Wisconsin, sacked a season-high five times. And that’s perhaps a concern moving forward for Indiana. But the veteran quarterback was excellent despite the pressure.

He finished with 299 yards passing and his sixth game accounting for at least four touchdowns. That’s elite work and has Mendoza once again at the top of this week’s Heisman Trophy poll.

2. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 55

WEEKEND STATS: 33-of-39 for 484 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT | 15 carries for 48 yards, 1 TD
Pavia had a game for the ages against Kentucky, totaling more than 500 yards in the contest. He very nearly reached 500 yards passing, finishing with 484 on an 85% completion percentage afternoon.

The veteran dual-threat quarterback has piloted the Commodores to a 9-2 record and the cusp of College Football Playoff contention. If Vanderbilt does make the postseason it’s going to be hard to keep Pavia from a New York City invite.

3. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame – 52

WEEKEND STATS: 8 carries for 171 yards, 3 TD
The focus in the race has been on the quarterbacks, but arguably nobody is hotter than Love. He has scored a touchdown in each of his games since the season opener, while he has recorded multiple touchdowns in three of the last four games.

Love’s numbers on the year are also starting to look pretty juicy. He’s up to 1,306 yards — on 7.1 yards per carry — with 17 rushing touchdowns. He’s also got 274 receiving yards and three scores via the air.

4. QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State – 47

WEEKEND STATS: 13-of-19 for 157 yards, 2 TD
It was a quieter weekend for Sayin in an absolute blowout of Rutgers. And that’s kind of been the story with the Ohio State quarterback. His team has been too good for him to be in competitive games where he could post truly huge numbers.

Still, he’s been remarkably good. Sayin has thrown for 2,832 yards and 27 touchdowns (against four interceptions), which stacks up well with just about anyone else out there. There’s some question as to whether he has enough “moments” to challenge someone like Mendoza. But that is fairly subjective.

5. QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M – 44

WEEKEND STATS: 10-of-15 for 120 yards, 3 TD
Reed was exceptional in a quick and clean blowout of Samford on Saturday. He threw for three touchdown passes before giving way to the other quarterbacks on the roster to close things out.

Reed’s on a playoff team and has posted good numbers, which will give him a shot at the Heisman Trophy. He has 2,752 yards passing and 25 touchdowns, against eight interceptions. He has also run for 395 yards and six scores.

6. QB Ty Simpson, Alabama – 26

WEEKEND STATS: 11-of-16 for 147 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT | 2 carries for 17 yards
Simpson wasn’t super sharp in a big blowout of Eastern Illinois, which probably doesn’t bode well for his Heisman Trophy chances. Games like that are a chance to pad the stats and really start to stack up some numbers.

Simpson, though, has a competitive case overall. He has thrown for 2,934 yards and 22 touchdowns, against just four interceptions. He has also run for two scores. Most importantly, he has Alabama in the thick of the playoff hunt.

7. QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia – 24

WEEKEND STATS: 17-of-21 for 196 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Like Simpson, Stockton wasn’t his sharpest in a matchup against a team that Georgia was always likely to blow out. In a period where Heisman Trophy candidates need to be surging, Stockton missed an easy opportunity to pad the stats.

Still, he’s got great numbers on the year and has Georgia poised to earn a playoff berth — and potentially a first-round bye. Stockton has accounted for 27 total touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions this season.

8. QB Dante Moore, Oregon – 22

WEEKEND STATS: 22-of-30 for 257 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Moore was far from perfect, but he was pretty darned good in a crucial win over USC. That kept Oregon’s playoff hopes alive and well as the regular season quickly comes to a close.

The Oregon quarterback was picked off once but threw two absolute dimes for touchdowns in the contest. The types of throws that only elite quarterbacks make. Moore’s numbers aren’t quite as good as some of the other top contenders, but he’s on a playoff-caliber team and clearly orchestrating things for Oregon.

9. WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State – 17

WEEKEND STATS: BYE
Smith was on a bye, which put his Heisman Trophy campaign on hold for a week. But he’s got a chance to do something special when the action resumes against rival Michigan on Saturday.

Smith can eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark with another 98 yards. He’s currently sitting at 69 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. He’s also accounted for a rushing touchdown.

10. EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech – 14

WEEKEND STATS: BYE
Like Smith, Bailey was on a bye this weekend with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. But he has been excellent throughout the season. He’s one of the most disruptive players in opposing backfields.

Through the first 11 games, Bailey has recorded 16.0 tackles for a loss and 12.5 sacks. He has also forced two fumbles, recovered one, broken up a pass and logged 34 total tackles. Productive.

Rest of the Heisman Trophy Poll

11. QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss – 11
12. LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech – 3
13. QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech – 2
14. QB Demond Williams, Washington – 1