Heisman Race 2014: Dak Prescott Jumps Out Ahead of the Pack

Dak Prescott [Mississippi State] Prescott did not have the strongest day through the air against Auburn. But, he made up for it with his fourth 100-yard game on the ground this season. He’s riding a huge wave from three-consecutive top 10 wins. Prescott is the guaranteed winner, if the Bulldogs win the SEC.

Marcus Mariota [Oregon] Mariota operated the cruise control adeptly with four total touchdowns, as Oregon was not terribly bothered by UCLA. He’s still completing 70 percent of his passes, averaging 10.5 yards/attempt and has a 17-0 TD to INT ratio. The Ducks need to keep winning. Mariota is the default candidate, should Prescott falter and no one else emerge.

Todd Gurley [Georgia] Obviously, Gurley was suspended indefinitely last week. One game won’t affect his candidacy. Two or three could get dicey. Games against Arkansas and Florida are relative spotlight games. Even then, if he has impressive outings against Auburn and in a potential SEC title game, that will keep him in the running.

Everett Golson [Notre Dame] Notre Dame keeps winning. Golson keeps coming through for the Irish in the 4th quarter while they do so. He hasn’t been that efficient over his past two games. He needs to pick that up if he wants to cement a trip to New York.

Bryce Petty [Baylor] Petty threw for 510 yards and six touchdown passes against TCU, sparking a 24-point fourth quarter comeback to win 61-58. He has a sub-50 percent completion percentage through the past two games. Though, he probably won’t face a defense as strong as Texas or TCU the rest of the way.

[USA Today Sports]