The Heisman race is wide open again

Well, so much for wrapping up the Heisman in October. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith looked like he was running away with it for a while. Now the Buckeyes have another loss, Miami has two candidates near the top of the board, and November has plenty of opportunities for somebody else to take over. The race is open again, but that doesn't mean every price is worth buying. Let's look at the top five contenders and what could change everything this week.

Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (+156) Great numbers. Now comes the test. Miami is undefeated, he has thrown 25 touchdowns against one interception, and he leads the nation in completion percentage and passing scores. Mensah's case is an easy Heisman case to explain. My hesitation is who those numbers came against. Mensah has been excellent, but Miami hasn't faced a ranked opponent. That doesn't erase Mensah's production, but I'm not paying the favorite's price before his toughest test. This week's matchup at Notre Dame is when we find out how much of this carries over.

If Mensah goes into South Bend and looks like the best player on the field, the schedule criticism loses a lot of its power. Voters would have the numbers, the undefeated record and the signature performance. The +156 price is paying before he answers that question, and his own receiver is sitting close behind him in the market.

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+290) Still in it, no longer running away with it. I'm not pinning this on the quarterback change, as Smith caught 10 passes against USC and scored Ohio State's only touchdown. He wasn't missing from the offense. However, 83 yards in a loss doesn't grab voters the way those 200-yard games did earlier in the season, especially while other candidates keep building their cases.

Smith has now gone three games without reaching 100 receiving yards, and Ohio State now has two losses. The quarterback situation is something to watch, not an automatic explanation. Smith still has Oregon and Michigan to remind everyone why he was the favorite, and he needs another performance that makes the whole conversation about him once again.