College Football Heisman Trophy Watchlist After Week 8

No trophy in college sports means as much as the Heisman Trophy, which recognizes the best player in college football. That's why each week I'll be taking stock of the top five contenders for the trophy.

This week, things have been really, really shaken up. What looked like a two-player race is anything but now. Caleb Williams isn't even in the picture at this point, for example.

Below are the top five Heisman contenders after Week 8 of the college football season. These are the five players who I view as having the best shot to win the trophy based on their performances this season.

5. Jordan Travis - QB, Florida State

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is unlikely to win the Heisman this year, but he continues to hang around the fringes of the conversation because the Seminoles keep winning games. Travis threw two touchdowns in a 38-20 win over Duke this week.

4. Bo Nix - QB, Oregon

Oregon's Bo Nix was 18-for-25 for 292 yards with two touchdowns in Saturday's win over Washington State. He's completing 78.4% of his pass attempts this season with 19 touchdowns and just one interception.

3. Jayden Daniels - QB, LSU

LSU's Jayden Daniels continues to climb the Heisman ladder. He threw three touchdown passes in a 62-0 win over Army and has now thrown 25 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season. He's also run for five scores.

2. Michael Penix Jr. - QB, Washington

Michael Penix Jr. drops below J.J. McCarthy this week after his worst game of the season, as he failed to throw a touchdown and was picked off twice in a 15-7 win over Arizona State. Still, he's thrown 20 touchdown passes through seven games and is completing 70.8% of his passes.

1. J.J. McCarthy - QB, Michigan

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy was 21-for-27 for 287 yards and four touchdowns this week in a 49-0 win over Michigan State. The undefeated Wolverines have scored 45 or more points in four consecutive games.

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