Heisman Watch: Lamar Jackson slips again after loss to Boston College

Lamar Jackson became an anomaly last year by winning the Heisman Trophy as the quarterback of a three-loss team.

This year’s Louisville football team suffered its third loss of the season already on Saturday, falling to Boston College on a last-second field goal, 45-42. And while Jackson has been among the most outstanding players in the country again, it’s a stretch now for him to win college football’s top award considering his team’s struggles.

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Here’s a look at how the top candidates stack up this week, with odds via the Westgate Superbook:

Louisville QB Lamar Jackson (15:1)

Jackson’s odds worsened again, as the Louisville quarterback is now the sixth-most likely to win the Heisman. If the ceremony were today, he likely wouldn’t receive an invitation to New York.

That’s despite another terrific performance, maybe his best of the year considering the injury to backfield mate Malik Williams. Jackson threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns and ran 22 times for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Just past the midway point of his third year, he set the school’s all-time rushing record.

Jackson ranks fourth in the country in passing and leads the nation in total offense by a large margin at 430.3 yards per game. His numbers are close to where they were last year at this point, but if the Cardinals keep losing, Jackson will miss out on a repeat victory.

Stanford RB Bryce Love (7:5)

Another week, another long touchdown run for the Stanford running back. Love scored from 67 and 5 yards out on his way to a 17-carry, 147-yard day in a win over Oregon. He dipped below 200 yards per game on the season but still leads the rest of the country by almost 30 yards per game. His per-carry numbers are incredible this late in the season — he’s still gaining more than 10 yards per attempt.

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After a bye this week, Love will have another chance to pile up stats next Thursday night against Oregon State. If Stanford keeps winning, Love will be at least a finalist.

Penn State RB Saquon Barkley (8:5)

Barkley still barely trails Love atop the odds list. We’ll learn a lot more about Barkley’s candidacy this week when he takes on the nation’s best total defense in a primetime showdown against Michigan on Saturday.

Penn State had a bye this past weekend, so Barkley still leads the country in all-purpose yards per game. But in his last two games, he rushed for just 56 and 75 yards, respectively. If teams have begun to find an answer for him, he’ll fall on this list quickly.

Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield (7:1)

Mayfield finally threw his first interception of the season Saturday, but Oklahoma recovered nicely from its first loss to win the Red River Rivalry against Texas. Mayfield threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns.

Rough loss:Boston College shocks Louisville, winning on field goal as time expires

His Heisman candidacy still looks good. While the Sooners don’t pass as much as some other teams with Heisman candidates, Mayfield does lead the country in passer rating.

Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett (7:1)

Barrett finally made a well-deserved jump this week. He was nearly flawless Saturday at Nebraska, completing 27 of 33 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 48 yards and two more scores.

In the five games since everyone knocked Barrett and Ohio State after a loss to Oklahoma, Barrett has thrown for 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions, and the Buckeyes have won five in a row by a combined score of 266-56. After a wild week around the country, Ohio State looks as promising as almost anyone in the College Football Playoff race.

Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph (10:1)

Rudolph took advantage of a winless Baylor team on Saturday, completing 19 of 31 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns. He took the lead in passing yards per game, edging out Josh Rosen with 394.7. Still, Rudolph will need some help from the other leaders to earn the top spot.

Opinion:Louisville football expectations diminished by its defense

Others to watch: The field has narrowed quite a bit. Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold’s odds are now at 35:1 after USC almost lost to Utah on Saturday. Darnold lost three fumbles in that game, though he did play one of his best passing games of the season. He ranks 16th in the country in passing yards per game.