On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Top 10 player rankings after Week 14

Rivalry week has come and gone and the Heisman Trophy race is starting to take pretty clear shape in the home stretch. Vanderbilt‘s Diego Pavia has surged into the lead this week, edging out the other competitors in the On3 experts’ polling.

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 Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 68 points

WEEKEND STATS: 18-of-28 for 268 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | 20 carries for 165 yards, 1 TD
Pavia wasn’t at his best throwing the football on Saturday in a win at Neyland Stadium, tossing two interceptions in the game. But he also went crazy on the ground, rushing for a season-high 165 yards and a score.

Vanderbilt is right on the cusp of a College Football Playoff berth but might not quite have gotten the help it needed this weekend to sneak in. If not, it’s certainly no fault of Pavia’s. He’s been excellent all season long.

2. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana – 59

WEEKEND STATS: 8-of-15 for 117 yards, 2 TD | 2 carries for 27 yards, 1 TD
It was a light afternoon’s work for Mendoza on Black Friday against Purdue. He threw only 15 passes in the game but still managed to account for three total touchdowns in the showing — his seventh such game this season.

On the year, few have been as important to their team as Mendoza, who has Indiana headed toward a College Football Playoff berth and potentially a first-round bye. He has 2,785 yards passing and 32 touchdowns, while he has also rushed for six scores.

3. QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State – 58

WEEKEND STATS: 19-of-26 for 233 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Ohio State had lost to Michigan in the previous four meetings, and the Buckeyes were looking to flip their fortunes in a key rivalry game with the Wolverines. Sayin helped make it happen with another very strong overall outing.

The Buckeyes quarterback threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns in the win, helping Ohio State build a comfortable lead and never look back. Sayin has now reached 30 touchdown passes on the season, against just five interceptions.

4. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame – 50

WEEKEND STATS: 14 carries for 66 yards, 1 TD | 1 catch for 6 yards
Love was limited during portions of Saturday’s late game at Stanford. He took a shot to the ribs and seemed to be nursing a slight injury, though he stayed in the game. Monitoring his status going forward will be key for the likely playoff-bound Irish.

For his part, Love has been remarkably consistent this season. He has tallied a touchdown in 11 straight games now, a remarkable stretch. On the season he has 1,372 yards rushing and 18 scores on the ground. He has also caught three touchdown passes and racked up 280 yards worth of receptions.

5. QB Ty Simpson, Alabama – 30

WEEKEND STATS: 19-of-35 for 122 yards, 3 TD | 10 carries for 31 yards
Simpson didn’t throw for a ton of yardage in the Iron Bowl but he was sharp when he needed to be. He threw for only 122 yards but hit the end zone three times, allowing Alabama to build a lead and apply pressure in a game that turned out to be tight.

The argument for Simpson is that he takes care of the ball and puts Alabama in the right spots. And the numbers are Heisman Trophy caliber. He has thrown for 3,056 yards with 25 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

6. QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss – 27

WEEKEND STATS: 23-of-34 for 359 yards, 4 TD | 8 carries for 26 yards
Chambliss arguably had the best performance of any of the Heisman Trophy contenders this week, but he only moves up the rankings a little bit. He threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns in a big win over rival Mississippi State.

On the season, Chambliss has played well enough to get Ole Miss into playoff contention. He has topped the 3,000-yard mark passing, with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions. And keep in mind, he wasn’t the starter all year.

7. QB Dante Moore, Oregon – 24

WEEKEND STATS: 20-of-29 for 286 yards, 1 TD | 7 carries for 11 yards, 1 TD
Oregon had a tricky final game of the regular season, needing to win to preserve its very strong playoff chances. Moore set the team up for success on the road at Washington, completing almost 70% of his passes and throwing for nearly 300 yards.

The Oregon quarterback might have needed to play a little better in the big games this season, as his so-so day against Indiana in a loss is hard to overlook when compared with others vying for the award. Still, Moore has thrown for 2,733 yards and 24 touchdowns this season.

8. QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M – 20

WEEKEND STATS: 20-of-32 for 180 yards, 2 INT | 12 carries for 71 yards
Texas stymied the Texas A&M ground game, which made life difficult on Reed and company. He threw two interceptions for the third time in the last five games, something he absolutely has to get cleaned up if the Aggies are going to make a deep playoff run.

Still, Reed’s overall numbers are quite good and worthy of Heisman Trophy consideration. He has thrown for 2,932 yards and 25 scores, while also rushing for 466 yards and six more scores.

9. WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State – 17

WEEKEND STATS: 3 catches for 40 yards, 1 TD
For the second straight week, Smith was limited to just 40 yards receiving, a season low. He did, however, find the end zone this weekend, unlike last.

That touchdown was Smith’s 12th of the season — 11 via receptions and one via a run. He is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark, sitting at 72 catches for 942 yards and the 11 touchdowns. Enough to merit consideration for a New York invite, but perhaps not enough to gain one.

10. QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia – 12

WEEKEND STATS: 11-of-21 for 70 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 15 carries for 42 yards
Georgia Tech‘s defense managed to make life quite difficult on Georgia, and Stockton had a pretty quiet game overall. It was his running ability that really helped change the game a bit, picking up some key chunks with his legs.

While Stockton hasn’t turned the ball over much this year, it’s a little concerning that four of his five interceptions on the season have come in the last five games. The Bulldogs probably need him to take his game to another level for the postseason push.

Rest of the Heisman Trophy Poll

T-11. EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech – 10
T-11. LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech – 10