College football Week 11 QB rankings: C.J. Stroud has best chance to join Bryce Young as Heisman finalist
If the season ended today, the Heisman Trophy finalists would be Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III and ... who?
There's a reason why names like Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis are bandied about when discussing which players will earn the invite to Manhattan in December, and it has to do with the smaller number of quarterbacks under serious consideration.
With Oklahoma freshman Caleb Williams no longer in the mix following the Sooners' loss to Baylor, only three quarterbacks join Young in the Heisman conversation: Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett and Mississippi's Matt Corral.
Of that group, Stroud would seem to have the best chance at joining Young and Walker as Heisman finalists thanks to his numbers and the Buckeyes' stretch of games to end the regular season. Up next for Ohio State are Michigan State, Michigan and a possible appearance in the Big Ten championship game.
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Stroud comes in just behind Young in this week's list of the best quarterbacks in the country:
1. Bryce Young, Alabama
The Alabama offense against New Mexico State was not a fair fight: Young completed 21 of 23 throws for 270 yards and five touchdowns, setting a new program record in completing his first 13 attempts. These November tune-up games against pitiful competition are always kind to Alabama quarterbacks, who have thrown for 24 touchdowns without an interception in recent games against the Aggies, Western Carolina, The Citadel, Mercer, Chattanooga and Charleston Southern.
2. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Stymied two weeks ago by the Nebraska defense – the only opponent in the Big Ten to hold the first-year starter to under nine yards per attempt – Stroud hit on 81.6% of his throws for 361 yards and five scores in the Buckeyes' rout of Purdue.
3. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
The Panthers beat North Carolina in overtime last week despite a rare interception from Pickett, his fourth in 385 attempts. After averaging one interception for 46.3 attempts in his first three years as the starter — which is a really good average — Pickett has tossed one pick for every 96.3 throws in 2021.
4. Matt Corral, Ole Miss
The numbers really don't favor Corral, who threw for 12 more touchdowns and averaged roughly an additional yard per throw last season across a similar number of attempts (326 in 2020 and 309 so far in 2021). Last year's 10-game schedule was also more difficult, with nine games against the SEC and a bowl game against Indiana. Corral's Heisman case rests instead on his importance to a team that is in line to reach a New Year's Six bowl in coach Lane Kiffin's second year.
5. Caleb Williams, Oklahoma
The bottom finally fell out for Williams, who had an outstanding first month as the Sooners' starter but went for 142 yards and two interceptions in the loss to Baylor. That drops the true freshman out of contention for the Heisman.
6. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
Ridder went for 304 yards in the Bearcats' 45-28 win against South Florida, his highest total so far this season and his first time over the 300-yard mark since a win against Central Florida last November. He also ran for a season-high 65 yards and a touchdown, giving him 155 yards on 38 carries in Cincinnati's last three games.
7. Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Rogers leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in completion percentage (75.7%) and ranks second behind Young in the SEC with 29 touchdown passes. And he is very high-volume: With 539 attempts, Rogers tops the FBS and is one game away from breaking the SEC single-season record of 559 set by Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen in 2000.
8. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
Hartman's completion percentage has dipped below 50% in each of Wake's last two games. The shootout loss to North Carolina was followed by Saturday's shootout win against North Carolina State, which left the Demon Deacons in very good shape to claim the ACC Atlantic and play for the conference championship. But Hartman has also thrown five of his eight interceptions in these past two games, which is worrisome.
9. Carson Strong, Nevada
Despite a great game from Strong, who hit on 34 of 48 passes for 350 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Nevada's 23-21 loss to San Diego State essentially ends any shot the Wolf Pack had of playing for the conference championship. Strong became the first Mountain West quarterback to complete more than 70% of his throws for more than 300 yards with multiple touchdowns and no interceptions against the Aztecs' defense since Nevada's Cody Fajardo did so in 2012.
10. Stetson Bennett, Georgia
Yes, Stetson Bennett. The backup to JT Daniels in the preseason, Bennett might be difficult to unseat as his steers the Bulldogs to the SEC championship game. You know who leads the conference in yards per attempt (10.9) and efficiency (184.6)? Bennett, that's who.
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg