Heisman Watch Top Candidates After Week 13: Does ANYONE Want To Win This?

It’s supposed to go to the best player in college football, but realistically, it goes to the top player who’s the best combination Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Player.

The Heisman winner needs the stats, and it needs that moment. It needs that game when the world realized it’s seeing the signature player of the college football regular season.

Yeah, there aren’t any players who fit all of that this year. At least not yet.

So let’s give it a try. Who are the five top favorites to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy?

Player(s) of Week 13

RB Hassan Haskins & DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Haskins ran for 169 yards and five touchdowns in the 42-27 win over Ohio State – granted, all five Wolverine offensive linemen deserve credit here, too. On the other side, Hutchinson led a dominant performance by the defensive front, coming up with seven tackles with three sacks.

5 Other Players On The Heisman Watch List

Now. before going forward, let’s cut through all of the hoo-ha. With one notable exception on the list, you’re not winning the 2021 Heisman Trophy if you’re not playing this weekend.

In a year with no one standing out, if you didn’t grab it by now, you’re not going to do it watching the biggest games of the season on TV.

Next week will be the list of finalists, and several of these guys will be on it. But actually winning it is another story.

In alphabetical order …

QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss
QB Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
RB Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
QB Caleb Williams, Oklahoma
QB Bailey Zappe, WKU

6. DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

Hassan Haskins might have been the signature star in the win over Ohio State, but Hutchinson was close behind. He has 13 sacks on the season with 54 tackles, 14,5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and three broken up passes.

Why Aidan Hutchinson Will Win the Heisman: America saw him dominate Washington – back when Washington was supposed to be a thing. America saw him dominate Penn State – back when beating Penn State was supposed to be a thing.

America saw him come up with three sacks and a monster performance as a catalyst for the win over Ohio State. If he destroys Iowa, he might just rise up and grab the cheese.

Why Aidan Hutchinson Won’t Win the Heisman: He’s a defensive end – it’s going to take something even more otherworldly than his Ohio State performance to do this. However, if Chase Young could be in the mix a few years ago, Hutchinson can potentially get close.

5. DT Jordan Davis, Georgia

There is no signature star on Georgia, but the main man in the middle is the one the No. 1 team in the country works around. Georgia is No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense – allowing fewer than seven points per game – and it leads the nation in total defense, Davis is the textbook definition of an anchor for the D.

Why Jordan Davis Will Win the Heisman: If Georgia pitches a shutout – or at least stuffs Alabama in the SEC Championship game – that ends the campaign of Bryce Young, and there aren’t a whole lot of other main options. Davis would be a representative as the top defensive player on the top team.

Why Jordan Davis Won’t Win the Heisman: The splashy stats aren’t there. Ndamukon Suh – full disclosure; Suh got my vote – destroyed Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship to cap off an amazing year, but he also did it with 12 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, and he led the team with 85 tackles. That’s not Davis’s game – there won’t be any tangible numbers to crank up the support.