We've reached the final weekend college football's regular season, meaning there's one last chance for Heisman trophy candidates to make a statement to voters in their conference championship games (unless you're in the Big 12).
Last week, we saw Mississippi State's Dak Prescott and UCLA's Brett Hundley's Heisman hopes die with losses, and Ohio State's J.T. Barrett saw his hopes flash with a season-ending ankle injury.
That leaves only four players who have a legitimate chance to win the award. How do they stand going into championship weekend?
CONTENDERS
4) Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
Previously Ranked: 3
Last Week: 233 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT - 50 rushing yards, 1 TD in 48-10 win at Texas
Up Next: Sat. vs. Iowa State
Season Stats: 3,254 passing yards, 26 TDs, 6 INTs – 598 rushing yards, 8 TDs
Boykin is barely holding on to his Heisman hopes, and is still a contender because TCU keeps winning. He'll probably still get an invite to New York and be a finalist, but his chances of winning are extremely small. Boykin needs an absolutely monster performance against Iowa State and have the players ahead of him lose in order for him to win the award.
3) Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Previously Ranked: 7
Last Week: 13 catches, 224 yards, 3 TDs in 55-44 win over Arnold
Up Next: Sat. vs. Missouri in SEC Championship
Season Stats: 103 receptions, 1,573 yards, 14 TDs
Cooper is a bonafide stud, and had his best performance of the season against a good Auburn defense. He's been the best player on the field in every game he's played this season, but his position will likely hold him back in the eyes of Heisman voters. That being said, if he puts up over 200 yards and a couple touchdowns against Missouri, he'll make the race very interesting.
FAVORITES
2) Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
Previously Ranked: 2
Last Week: 151 rushing yards, 1 TD in 34-24 win over Minnesota
Up Next: Sat. vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Championshiop
Season Stats: 2,260 rushing yards, 26 TDs, 8.0 YPC
Gordon lept to the forefront of the Heisman conversation with his record-breaking rushing performance against Nebraska, but has been unable to overtake Mariota at the top of the race. That will change if he has a big game against a good Ohio State defense and leads the Badgers to a upset victory on Saturday.
1) Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Previously Ranked: 1
Last Week: 367 passing yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs – 39 rushing yards, 2 TDs in 44-10 win over Colorado
Up Next: Fri. vs. Arizona in Pac-12 Championship
Season Stats: 3,470 passing yards, 36 TDs, 2 INT – 636 rushing yards, 11 TDs
The Heisman is Mariota's to lose right now. He's had a stranglehold on the award since the middle of the season, and now has a chance to avenge Oregon's lone loss this season. As long as the Ducks pull out the victory, Mariota should be holding the trophy in New York.
Who’s your pick to win the Heisman? Is your dark horse missing from the list? Tweet your responses to @brauf33 and leave a response in the comments!
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