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    • Week 10 Heisman Watch: Dillon Gabriel has emerged as the leader ahead of November
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    Week 10 Heisman Watch: Dillon Gabriel has emerged as the leader ahead of November

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    Back in the preseason, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was considered one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious individual award. The Oklahoma transfer was one of the most experienced signal-callers in the country, and he was paired with the offensive coordinator who had helped Michael Penix Jr. earn a trip to New York. As far-too-early bets go, his was about as safe as it gets.

    So, I picked Gabriel as my preseason Heisman pick. It went hand in hand with my preseason national champion selection — Gabriel’s Ducks. If Oregon was truly a title contender, I thought its quarterback had a strong chance to win the Heisman.

    I still believe that. Gabriel is the current betting favorite to win the award, according to BetMGM, and has skyrocketed up most pundits’ lists since the Ducks’ monster win over Ohio State in a top-three matchup. And all he’s done since then was take care of business convincingly in blowout wins over Purdue and Illinois. It’s taken almost two months to get to this point, but I think most of us who have watched this team believe it’s one of the most complete teams in the country. I personally think it is, and this team is far from the one that struggled at times in the first two games, a too-close-for-comfort win over Idaho followed by a three-point win over Boise State – a win that looks better now , considering how well the Broncos and their star quarterback have played since then). Our early season impression of the Ducks was one of inconsistency and a shaky offensive line; both issues have been addressed, reworked and fixed.

    Gabriel threw for 2,371 yards and 18 touchdowns in eight games. He leads the FBS in completion percentage and is actually completing a higher percentage of his passes on the road (80.0) than he is at home (74.1). In the win against Ohio State, Gabriel threw for 341 yards and three total touchdowns. He ranks among the nation’s best in yards per game and yards per attempt. Oregon’s offense has been humming of late, especially its passing attack — which is why Gabriel tops my list of Heisman candidates this week.

    RTF Heisman Trophy Picks (Week 10).png

    Gabriel is not in first place though. I still reserved it for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who is averaging nearly 200 yards per game. He has rushed for 18 touchdowns in seven games and is averaging 8.65 yards per carry (and 6.42 yards per carry). after contact, according to PFF). He’s explosive with 29 punts of 10+ yards on the year and a run of at least 50 yards in all but one of his games this season.

    All that to say, Jeanty is a beast. He’s as special a running back as we’ve seen in college football, and he’s become a household name for chasing down meets. And in Boise State’s biggest game of the season so far — against UNLV last weekend — he rushed for 128 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. His stat line looked underwhelming by his own insanely high standards, but it’s clear to anyone who watched that Jeanty made a difference. I won’t knock him off his perch at the top of my list after he worked so hard for every yard he gained in a game the Broncos had to win to put themselves in good position for the playoffs- the 12-team college football.

    Meanwhile, you’ll see some familiar names in this top five, as Colorado star Travis Hunter is fully healthy and returned to dominant plays on both sides of the ball with 137 snaps in the Buffs’ win over Cincinnati, per PFF. Hunter had nine catches for 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns; afterward, Colorado coach Deion Sanders called Hunter “the best college football player in the country” and asked (rhetorically) why he’s even being debated. Hunter has been extremely limited in the previous two games due to injury, but it’s great to have him back and fully in the mix for this award again. And of course Cam Ward, Miami’s wizard of a quarterback, checks in at No. 4 after leading the ‘Canes to an 8-0 start, with seven of those wins featuring over 300 yards passing from Ward himself. He is simply electric, and as Miami continues to seek a CFP bid, he will continue to play on big stages.

    The newcomer to my top five is Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. While most of the nation wrote off the Tigers after the Week 1 loss to Georgia, Klubnik and his offense got back to work. And he has won seven straight, throwing for 1,694 yards and 20 touchdowns to just two interceptions in that span. Clemson could very well be playing for an ACC title in a few weeks, and Klubnik’s play is a huge reason why. It’s time to pay attention to one of Dabo Swinney’s quarterbacks once again (for good reason this time).

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