Week 10 reset the Heisman race, and two injuries helped do it. Miami said Malachi Toney was expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a high ankle sprain, while the injury to Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin could cost Jeremiah Smith the Heisman.
That matters now because the race is being judged on what happens next, not what happened before the break. Last week, Toney had a better argument for the award than Miami teammate Darian Mensah. Now he is likely out for the regular season, and the Heisman field has opened just as the calendar turns to the stretch that usually decides who stays visible and who fades.
Smith is still the name to watch on the Ohio State side. Against Oregon in Week 10, he caught seven passes for 133 yards and one TD even as the Buckeyes lost 41-28. On the season, he has 69 receptions, 1,200 yards and 14 TDs, plus two carries for seven yards. But the performance came with Luke Fahey under center, and a sizable chunk of his damage came late: four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter, when the game was already well in hand for Oregon.
That is the part that keeps the Heisman race from being clean. Smith’s numbers still look strong, but they are being weighed against Ohio State’s quarterback injury and a loss that leaves room for doubt about how much of his production carried the moment and how much came after it was decided. Toney’s injury removes one contender from the board for now, while Smith’s case is being tested by circumstances he cannot control.
The next question is whether Toney can return in time to matter again if the College Football Playoff picture opens a path back into the conversation. For now, Week 10 did more than reshuffle the rankings. It changed which names can still control the Heisman race and which ones have to wait for the next opening.
