Heisman Forecast: A separation-kind-of-Saturday can narrow Heisman focus

At last, the kind of Saturday that has a chance to shape the Heisman Trophy race like none before it.

Sure, we’ve seen Alabama‘s Tua Tagovailoa do nothing to hurt his preseason favorite standing, LSU‘s Joe Burrow and Georgia’s Jake Fromm lay claim to contender status vs. Texas and Notre Dame, respectively, Oklahoma‘s Jalen Hurts set the tone for program to try for an unprecedented third straight win and the Big Ten’s top challengers, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, impress.

But at this point in the proceedings, about the only thing you can say with certainty is that Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence has a lot of work to do to get back into mix amid shaky performances in the first five games.

This week, though, is poised to provide some small bit of clarity in the race, with a separation kind of Saturday as the Big 12’s top two challengers clashing in the Red River Showdown, and two SEC matchups with that conference’s biggest threats.

But before we dive into who will rise and fall this week, here’s a look at the Forecaster’s real-time rankings.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama QB
2. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma QB
3. Joe Burrow, LSU QB