Trask up to the task but Heisman no lock

The Heisman Trophy has seemingly been Florida quarterback Kyle Trask’s award to lose with COVID-19 limiting games for preseason favorites Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State QB Justin Fields.

For the first time in a month, it looks like Trask might’ve done just that.

With one week left to persuade voters, Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is alone at the top of oddsboards as a consensus -200 favorite to win the Heisman, jumping Trask ahead of the SEC Championship game.

But Jones might not be the player Trask has to worry about catching.

DeVonta Smith has been lurking in the betting market for weeks, sitting as long as 66-1 to win the award on November 15. That was following the cancelled game against LSU, but it was the make-up against the Tigers that jolted Smith into the conversation.

He hauled in eight catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns on Dec. 5 to move from 50-1 to 22-1. And while a Heisman moment usually doesn’t come in a 52-3 win over an unranked team, Smith’s punt return touchdown went viral and led the floodgates opening on the Razorbacks.

Jones didn’t do anything to lose consideration, but there was no special moment to shoot him to the top of the market. He completed 24-of-29 passes for 208 yards and no turnovers. He didn’t throw a touchdown either, which led to more attention on Smith. For an award that can be driven by narrative, though, quarterbacking the nation’s best team is often an automatic qualifier for a seat at the head of the table.

Instead, it was a hiccup by Trask — and more specifically, Florida — that caused a change. Trask wasn’t perfect against LSU on Saturday; he threw two interceptions, but also had 474 yards and four touchdowns (two rushing). But Florida losing to unranked LSU -- a team Jones threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns against in a 5517 win -- put a dent in Trask’s chances.

Trask’s numbers are still worthy. Once a 50-1 longshot, Trask led the nation with 3,717 yards and 40 touchdowns. He threw just five interceptions, but it’s poor timing to throw two your second-to-last game.

Those numbers are better across the board than Jones, who threw for 3,321 yards and 27 touchdowns, both ranking top five in the nation. His 96.0 QBR tops everyone in the country, including Trask’s 90.3 rating.

Here we are with one game left featuring a showdown of Heisman contenders all in one place. Trask has the best stats. Jones plays the most important position for the best team. Smith may be the best player in the country.

Put yourself in a Heisman voter’s shoes and take your pick.