B/R's 2023 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Penix Stays in Front After Week 9

Although his perceived lead has shrunk, Michael Penix Jr. enters November as the front-runner in the 2023 Heisman Trophy race.

Penix bounced back from his worst showing of the season with a strong stat line in Week 9, guiding Washington to a win over Stanford. He threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns, moving the Huskies to 8-0.

Understandably, the favorite is the headliner. But the most impactful Heisman stories of the weekend aren't very positive.

Oklahoma is undefeated no more, and Dillon Gabriel had a rough outing in the loss at Kansas. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye took a resume hit as the Tar Heels fell to Georgia Tech, too. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's Sam Hartman and Penn State's Drew Allar slipped off the fringe of the narrowing conversation.

There is one piece of good news, though: It's time to introduce you to hard-charging Oklahoma State back Ollie Gordon II.

Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State: The quarterback of a highly ranked, undefeated team basically must be mentioned. However, there's nothing particularly special about McCord's season so far. He's been fine, averaging 270.4 passing yards with 14 touchdowns to three interceptions. But he'd need a sizzling finish to truly contend for a Heisman.

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: Maye threw for 310 yards, rushed for a season-high 58 and totaled three scores in a 46-42 letdown to Georgia Tech. His production is impressive, but UNC's 6-2 record with bad losses to Virginia and GT are two pretty glaring negatives.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: If a shoulder injury again sidelines Ewers, he'll exit the race. He missed the Longhorns' win over BYU and is questionable—though likely doubtful—against Kansas State this weekend.

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Beck put together a steady game, as usual, in UGA's dismantling of Florida. He completed 19-of-28 passes for 315 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in the rivalry win. Georgia hosts 14th-ranked Missouri in Week 10.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: The hot streak for Harrison continued in a valuable win at Wisconsin. He nabbed six passes for 123 yards and two scores, making it four consecutive games with six catches, 100-plus yards and a touchdown. Ohio State heads to Rutgers this weekend.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: Gabriel's roller-coaster day ended with a deflating loss at Kansas. He threw an early pick-six, responded to rush for three touchdowns to give the Sooners a late lead and then watched Kansas steal an upset win. Gabriel will try to bounce back against rival Oklahoma State in the final (for now?) Big 12 edition of Bedlam.

Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State: If you amass 284-plus yards in three straight weeks, you simply demand our attention. Gordon's role expanded in late September, and he's since rushed for no less than 121 yards in five games. He ranks second nationally with 1,288 scrimmage yards and has scored 11 touchdowns, sparking what looked like a mediocre Oklahoma State squad from 2-2 to 6-2.

Caleb Williams, QB, USC: The bad news is USC's struggles have stung Williams' odds. The bright side is the Trojans end the regular season with No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Oregon and No. 20 UCLA over the next three weekends. If they navigate that gauntlet, it presumably means Williams had a stellar run to carry USC into the Pac-12 title game. That'd absolutely be a Heisman-worthy finish, although the chances of that happening are not high.

Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State: Now that's the kind of production Travis needs to gain ground in the Heisman chase. He passed for 359 yards, rushed for 29 and totaled four touchdowns during a rout of Wake Forest. Travis, who's accounted for 289.3 yards per game with 24 scores to two interceptions, leads FSU into Pitt this weekend.

Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: Week 10 brings a now-or-never moment for LSU, which travels to rival Alabama. Daniels' production is stellar, but he won't be a threat to win this award if the Tigers lose a third game.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: After an idle Saturday, McCarthy is set to lead a maligned program in a home matchup with Purdue. As the sign-stealing controversy lingers over U-M, he's riding a hot streak with four straight games of three-plus touchdowns.

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: Nix affirmed the Ducks' spot in the Pac-12 race during a vital 35-6 victory at Utah. He threw for 248 yards and totaled three scores, propelling Oregon to a 7-1 record with a clash against Cal this weekend before hosting USC next Saturday.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

Washington's blistering start is only a memory. After closing September with a shaky win at Arizona, the Huskies edged Oregon, struggled with Arizona State and needed a small comeback to beat Stanford.

Most importantly, though, Penix bounced back in Week 9.

Let's be blunt: He had a terrible, turnover-filled day against ASU. Even in a reasonably unsatisfying 42-33 win at Stanford as heavy favorites, however, he threw for 369 yards and four scores—his fifth game of the season in which he passed for at least four touchdowns.

Washington heads to No. 24 USC this Saturday, hosts No. 18 Utah next weekend and travels to No. 16 Oregon State in Week 12.

Those key showdowns offer him plenty of chances to pair another Heisman moment with his clutch touchdown against Oregon. Then again, Penix must navigate a difficult road to protect his front-running status.