College Football

Heisman Watch: C.J. Stroud stakes claim; Gabriel, Bennett shine

Updated Sep. 18, 2022 2:08 a.m. ET

It's easy to get excited about a player in strong weeks, but it's those who establish consistency over the course of a long season who can truly achieve greatness.

That's the fun of watching the race for the Heisman Trophy, and Week 3 saw a bit of everything. Some players rose to the occasion, some simply battled along and some, to be frank, struggled.

One player, in particular, stood out above the rest — but there remains a long way to go.

Here's how the leading Heisman candidates heading into Week 3 fared Saturday.

Note: Players are ranked by FOX Bet odds entering Week 3.

1. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud +250 (bet $10 to win $35 total)

Everybody knew the Toledo Rockets were overmatched against Ohio State on Saturday. But if you thought Stroud and the Buckeyes might take pity, you'd be wrong.

Already one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, Stroud also had the benefit of getting two of his best receivers back — Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming. It all added up to a banner performance.

Take Stroud's first-half statistics, which would have been a great game for anyone: 18-for-20, 297 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions.

C.J. Stroud throws his third TD vs. Toledo

C.J. Stroud completed 18 of 20 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns in the first half vs. Toledo. Here is his third TD of the day.

The second half was more of the same for Stroud. He ended up going 22-for-27 for 367 yards and five touchdowns before exiting the game early.

Week 2 rank: 2

Trending: Up!

Next: Vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 24.

2. USC QB Caleb Williams +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total)

Williams was as solid as ever against a game Fresno State squad.

The transfer from Oklahoma was 25-for-47 for 284 yards, a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions, and also punched in a pair of scores on the ground.

Week 2 rank: 3

Trending: Flat.

Next: At Oregon State on Sept. 24.

3. Alabama QB Bryce Young +333 (bet $10 to win $43 total)

The reigning Heisman winner didn't have the best game on Saturday, tossing a pair of interceptions against Louisiana-Monroe.

It wasn't all bad, however, as he did complete 13 of his 18 attempts for 236 yards and three touchdown passes. Even more importantly, the Tide cruised to a 63-7 victory, so don't read too much into Young's sub-par day.

Week 2 rank: 1.

Trending: Down.

Next: Vs. Vanderbilt on Sept. 24.

4. Georgia QB Stetson Bennett +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)

It's probably time to stop thinking about Bennett as a former walk-on. Put simply, the defending national champs are really good, and so is their quarterback.

Georgia's 48-7 victory at South Carolina was the most lopsided of the series, eclipsing the Bulldogs' 40-0 victory way back in 1894. Bennett was at the center of it, of course, going 16-for-23 for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Bennett has passed for 852 yards and five touchdowns without a pick through three games this season.

Week 2 rank: 5

Trending: Up.

Next: Vs. Kent State on Sept. 24.

T5. Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr. +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)

Louisiana-Monroe wasn't the toughest challenge for the Crimson Tide, but Anderson isn't the kind of player who ever takes it easy or overlooks an opponent. The star linebacker showed why on Saturday, as he was all over the field in limited action.

Anderson had five tackles, including one tackle for loss. He had a sack, too, his second of the season. Oh, and for good measure, he threw in a 25-yard pick-six.

Week 2 rank: T7

Trending: Up.

Next: Vs. Vanderbilt on Sept. 24.

T5: Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)

The Sooners' lefty wasn't his most accurate, completing just 16 of 27 passes. But he did rack up 230 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in Oklahoma's impressive 49-14 victory over Nebraska in Lincoln.

On top of that, with the Sooners trailing 7-0 early, Gabriel quickly let the Huskers know not to get too confident, scampering 61 yards for a score to tie things up. All in all, Gabriel made things look easy, and his profile will continue to grow if Oklahoma keeps winning.

Dillon Gabriel's 61-yard scamper

QB Dillon Gabriel broke off a 61-yard TD run to bring Oklahoma to a 7-7 tie with Nebraska on Saturday.

Week 2 rank: Unranked

Trending: Up.

Next: The Sooners open Big 12 play with a home game against Kansas State on Sept. 24 (on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

7. Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)

McCarthy beat out Cade McNamara for the right to be the Wolverines' starter in Week 3, and his performance in a rout of UConn doesn't figure to change anything.

McCarthy didn't throw any touchdown passes, but he hit just about everything else, completing 15 of his 18 pass attempts for 214 yards as Michigan breezed to a 59-0 victory.

Week 2 rank: Unranked

Trending: Up.

Next: The Wolverines welcome Maryland to the Big House as they open Big Ten play on Sept. 24 (on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

8. Florida QB Anthony Richardson +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)

Richardson burst on the scene by leading the Gators to a season-opening victory over Utah. Since then, though, things have not gone well for the mobile quarterback.

On Saturday, Richardson had a rough outing in Florida's 31-28 victory over South Florida. He completed just 10 of 18 passes for 112 yards, with no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Also, the man known for doing damage with his legs was held to 24 yards on seven carries.

A win's a win though, right?

Week 2 rank: 4

Trending: Down.

Next: At Tennessee on Sept. 24.

T9. Texas RB Bijan Robinson +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)

Robinson could get a bump in the odds after his performance Saturday in a 41-20 victory over UTSA. The sturdy back carried the ball 20 times for 183 yards and three touchdowns.

The highlight was a 78-yard jaunt for a score. The vision, the shiftiness, the strength and the speed were all there.

Week 2 rank: T7

Trending: Up.

Next: At Texas Tech on Sept. 24.

T9: Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)

Gibbs, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior, is as talented as they come. But when you're on a team that is as loaded with talent as Alabama's, it can be difficult to stand out. Case in point: Saturday's 63-7 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.

The game was no contest for the Tide, and with fellow Heisman candidates Young and Anderson stealing the show, Gibbs didn't have a lot of opportunities to stand out.

He did carry the ball four times for 36 yards (that's 9.0 yards per carry!). And he also had one big, beautiful moment in the receiving game.

Week 2 rank: Unranked

Trending: Up.

Next: Vs. Vanderbilt on Sept. 24.