With one week to go before voters must submit their final ballots, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is in the driver’s seat to win the 2013 Heisman Trophy.
The redshirt freshman captured 7 of 10 first-place votes to lead the penultimate HeismanPundit Heisman Straw Poll of the season released on Tuesday (Nov. 3).
His 24 total points was six ahead of second place Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois, who picked up the other three first-place votes in the weekly survey of Heisman voter sentiment. Lynch climbed from fourth place in last week’s poll, when he tallied just seven points.
Both Winston and Lynch have games on Saturday, so there is still potential for movement in the race. With a legal investigation of Winston ongoing, many voters remain unsure about how their final ballots will look.
“This is the toughest vote I can recall,” said one voter. “I’m going to wait until the 11th hour (to make my decision).”
Despite the doubts, Winston actually improved his standing from last week’s poll, which he led while appearing on just six of 10 ballots for a total of 18 points. He appeared on nine of 10 ballots this time around. Lynch appeared on eight.
The biggest plunge in support since last week’s poll took place with Boston College running back Andre Williams, who dropped from second place last week (with 16 points, just two points behind Winston) to a tie for seventh this week with one point.
Now in its eighth season, the HeismanPundit.com Heisman Straw Poll is the college football world’s most trusted gauge of Heisman voter sentiment. It has been the most accurate Heisman poll in the country during the past seven seasons, with the final 2012 poll correctly picking the top five finishers and the final 2011 poll picking the top seven. This year’s poll is made up of 10 anonymous Heisman voters from across the country. Each week during the season they will pick three players. Tabulations for the preseason poll are tabulated like a real Heisman ballot, with three points awarded for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote.
Each week’s poll is released on Tuesdays throughout the season at HeismanPundit.com. The final poll will come out next Monday, Dec. 9.
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Straw Poll, 12/3/2013
Total Points (with first place votes in parentheses)
1. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State — 24 (7)
2. Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois — 18 (3)
3. (tie) AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama — 4
Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State — 4
5. Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor — 3
6. (tie) Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon — 2
Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh — 2
7. (tie) Andre Williams, RB, Boston College — 1
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville — 1
Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State — 1
Number of ballots
Winston — 9
Lynch — 8
McCarron — 4
Petty — 2
Miller — 2
The rest — 1 each