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The best quarterbacks in college football went out and did their thing last weekend, solidifying what has become effectively a four-man race for the Heisman Trophy. That is not to say that the award finalists are already locked up, because three more weeks of regular season play plus conference championship games offer plenty of room for movement. But between Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin, Ty Simpson and Marcel Reed, the frontrunners are few, defined and elite.

If the season ended today, those four quarterbacks would square off against each other in the Big Ten and SEC title games, giving them a chance to jockey for position in the Heisman race with head-to-head results.

Each of the star signal-callers bolstered their award campaigns with strong showings in victories, but one shined particularly bright, setting himself up as the new favorite entering Week 12. Mendoza delivered his Heisman moment in No. 2 Indiana's win over Penn State, leading a game-winning drive littered with highlight plays.

Here is the full Heisman Trophy outlook for Week 12 of the college football season.

Heisman Trophy odds entering Week 12

Odds via FanDuel

Stock up: Fernando Mendoza's heroics make Indiana quarterback Heisman favorite

The go-ahead touchdown strike from Mendoza to Omar Cooper Jr. will play on highlight reels at Indiana for years to come. It was a fantastic catch by Cooper -- one of the best of the year in college football -- and a clutch throw from his quarterback, who took the Hoosiers nearly the entire length of the field to erase a last-minute deficit against Penn State.

Detractors will point out that Indiana should not have been trailing against a zombie Nittany Lions team to begin with and that Mendoza's interception earlier in the fourth quarter was the primary reason for the deficit. But hear this: Winning on the road in the Big Ten is a grind, and Penn State is far from the typical 3-6 team. Mendoza gutted that one out to keep Indiana perfect on the year, and that deserves praise regardless of the circumstances.

Mendoza, appearing more like an eventual first-round pick by the week, is now the favorite to win the Heisman, per FanDuel. He has the raw talent, statistics, team wins and now signature moment it takes to generate first-place votes.

Fernando Mendoza delivers Heisman moment as heroic, game-winning drive vs. Penn State cements favorite status
Carter Bahns
Fernando Mendoza delivers Heisman moment as heroic, game-winning drive vs. Penn State cements favorite status

Stock down: Strength of schedule dooms Trinidad Chambliss

Trinidad Chambliss had the best game of his FBS career last week, but you wouldn't know it by looking at his Heisman odds. He entered Week 11 at +4000 to win the award and in Week 12 stands at +10000. How does one stumble so significantly after completing 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns? By playing against The Citadel.

This is the problem with Chambliss' résumé. He has been excellent since winning the starting job in mid-September but lacks marquee opportunities. His final three SEC opponents could all miss a bowl, and last week's win over an FCS opponent is effectively a throw-away game. While his Heisman-contending counterparts play in ranked battles with conference title and College Football Playoff implications, Chambliss has little to gain down the stretch. No. 7 Ole Miss is already penciled into the CFP bracket, and big numbers against weak opponents hardly move the needle.

Longshot of the week: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

History suggests that Jacob Rodriguez has close to no shot at winning the Heisman. It has been more than a quarter-century since a primarily defensive player won the award. But there is recent precedent for a defender to at least punch a ticket to the ceremony, and the linebacker for No. 6 Texas Tech could be the fourth player in the last decade to do so if enough voters take note of his achievements before ballots are due.

Rodriguez is on pace for his second consecutive 100-tackle season and will post double-digit tackles for loss for the second straight year, too. But what is most impressive about his skill set is his ability to take the ball away. The fifth-year senior leads the country with seven forced fumbles and already has a career-best three interceptions.

Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire made Rodriguez's Heisman case after last week's win over No. 12 BYU.

"The Heisman is given to the best football player," McGuire said. "It's not given to the best quarterback. They have awards for that. You can't say that Jacob Rodriguez, at his position, is not playing at that level, at an elite level, as good as anybody in the country. The things he's doing compare to linebackers that were actually there at the Heisman race or were talked about in the Heisman race."

Week 12 performances to watch

A particular trio of top-25 matchups come with implications for both the Heisman and CFP races. The stakes are doubly high for Simpson, Gunner Stockton and Jeremiyah Love as they seek strong finishes on the individual and team levels.

Ty Simpson vs. No. 11 Oklahoma

What does Brent Venables have in store for Simpson? Oklahoma can hang with anyone because of its unique ability to design intricate defensive schemes and confuse quarterbacks. If Simpson passes this test, No. 4 Alabama will be a win away from a guaranteed spot in the SEC title game and its quarterback will have survived one of the toughest matchups on the schedule.

Gunner Stockton vs. No. 10 Texas

No. 5 Georgia's date with Texas is a de facto SEC championship elimination game. The additional Heisman data point that comes with league title games is massively influential, so it would behoove Stockton to come away with a win and keep the potential of a 13th game alive. Stockton is riding high with 10 total touchdowns over his last three outings, but the Longhorns' defense is far better than the ones he torched during that hot streak.

Jeremiyah Love at No. 22 Pittsburgh

No. 9 Notre Dame cannot afford a third loss if it is to reach the CFP, but it squares off against the toughest remaining opponent on its schedule this week. If ever there was a spot for the Fighting Irish to lean on their best offensive weapon, it is this one. Love's 16 scrimmage touchdowns are the most in the country, and he will likely need to add to that tally in order for Notre Dame to keep up with a scalding hot Pittsburgh offense.