Heisman Watch: Will someone replace Lamar Jackson as the frontrunner?

Three weeks ago, the Heisman race was a foregone conclusion.

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had surged into the lead with a stellar performance against Florida State and was going to be tough to catch. That was until Jackson struggled against Houston and then again against Kentucky, which opened the door for another Heisman hopeful to emerge. Several contenders play this championship weekend; will one of them do enough to move past Jackson?

Here’s the Heisman Watch for Week 14:

Jackson has had a rough two weeks, including four turnovers in last week’s loss to Kentucky. That game was his final chance to impress voters, especially after a rough showing against Houston the week before. Voters will have to weigh whether all the bad, which included a fumble that cost the Cardinals the game, outweighs the nearly 400 yards of total offense and four total touchdowns.

Watson made his last grasp at the Heisman with a six-touchdown performance in a dominant win against South Carolina. The six touchdowns were a season-high and a career-high. And Watson will have another opportunity to impress voters in the ACC title game against Virginia Tech. The Hokies’ defense is a much better opponent, though, allowing just 21.1 points and 186.4 passing yards per game.

Baker Mayfield had the week off last weekend while preparing for Saturday’s de facto Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State. Mayfield leads the nation in quarterback rating (91.2) and, after being named a finalist for the Davey O’Brien (best QB) and Maxwell (best player) awards, Mayfield is definitely on the radars of most Heisman voters. A good performance against Oklahoma State could get him to New York.

Westbrook has at least one touchdown during the Sooners eight-game winning streak and only once during the streak has he failed to catch for at least 100 yards. His candidacy relies on quarterback Baker Mayfield, but there’s no doubt Westbrook is deserving of a Heisman look.

Browning had a strong game against rival Washington State last week completing 21 of 29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. It was the type of game he needed to get back on the Heisman radar, especially as Lamar Jackson struggled. But Browning still has work to do and having a good showing against a Colorado defense that’s one of the best in the nation might secure his trip to New York.

Related NCAAF coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday