After an offseason dominated by two teams and two players, the actual season has expanded the races for college football's most coveted trophies.
The field of legitimate national championship contenders includes more than Clemson and Alabama. The field of legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders includes more than Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa. Though Tagovailoa remains among the favorites to win the Heisman after finishing second in 2018, Lawrence's shaky start has set him back.
Tagovailoa instead must fend off a familiar face, Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, and several other capable challengers.
After I watched Hurts on Saturday in Dallas, it's time to examine the path to the Heisman for the nation's top candidates. In ESPN's latest Heisman Watch, five players received all but one vote, so I'm going to stick with this group for now.
Let's get started.