College football Heisman watch: Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Alabama's Ty Simpson make their move

The Heisman drumbeat doesn’t slow; it spikes, dips, and flips with every week that passes. One masterpiece vaults you up. One shaky performance knocks you out.

After a chaotic Week 8 in the college football schedule, here’s my trimmed, no-nonsense board heading into Week 9.

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T-1) Fernando Mendoza, QB - Indiana ▲ 2 Places

Mendoza's and Indiana's surge up the rankings continued after his incredible performance in Indiana's 38-13 win over Michigan State.

Granted, he didn't play quite as well on the road at Oregon, but he kept his composure and delivered when it mattered most and threw a key fourth-quarter touchdown.

2) Ty Simpson, QB - Alabama ↔ Unchanged

Simpson has lifted the Crimson Tide offense to levels many thought they weren't capable of before the season started.

He already had three wins over ranked opponents, and added a fourth against Tennessee last weekend.

He's so close to Mendoza in these rankings that it feels almost unfair to separate them.

3) Julian Sayin, QB - Ohio State ▲ 1 Place

Sayin has gone from strength to strength and is fresh off a monumental performance in the Buckeyes' shutout of Wisconsin.

Granted, the Badgers weren't a tough matchup, but we can't knock Sayin for thoroughly dominating weaker opposition. His accuracy is off the charts.

4) Marcel Reed, QB - Texas A&M ✨ New Entry

Accuracy has been an issue at times, but he's been among the chasing group since his statement game against Notre Dame, and with the Aggies now at 7-0, he warrants inclusion.

Reed and the Aggies are looking good right now, but we'll find out what they're really made of when they take on Missouri in a few weeks, and LSU this weekend - which, by the way, you can watch live and free on DAZN.

5) Diego Pavia, QB - Vanderbilt ✨ New Entry

Pavia's had some so-so games, but his dual-threat ability has powered Vanderbilt to a 6-1 record, including a win over LSU.

After the loss to Alabama, he'll need to do well against the remaining ranked opponents on the schedule, starting with Missouri this weekend.

Chasing pack

Arizona State wideout Jordan Tyson, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith are all on the fringes.

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