Heisman Watch: Marcus Mariota stays in front of hard-charging Todd Gurley

If this week's Heisman Watch looks familiar, it's because the same five players from last week find their names throughout the list. But there's been some movement, with a mini shake-up among the bottom three.

While leading your team to an undefeated record is a great way to get an invite to New York, a la Jameis Winston last season, it's not a requirement to take home the Heisman. Put up a good enough performance in a loss, like Todd Gurley did for Georgia this week, and you can keep your name in the conversation. 

Here is the Heisman Watch list after Week 3:

Each player's previous ranking is listed in brackets.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (1) 

Mariota holds down the top spot for the second straight week after a solid, though not spectacular, outing against Wyoming. In the Ducks' 48-14 win, Mariota passed for 221 yards, rushed for 71 more and accounted for four total touchdowns (two rushing, two passing). The numbers could've been much better, but Mariota barely played in the second half. 

He's completed more than 70 percent of his passes and rushed for nearly eight yards per carry on the season. Mariota was key to the victory over Michigan State, Oregon's signature win thus far, and has offered no reason to remove him from the No. 1 spot.

2. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia (2)

A loss can often crush Heisman hopes, but a running back has a better chance to survive a defeat than a quarterback. That was the case this past week for Gurley, who remains second on the watch list despite Georgia's 38-35 loss to South Carolina.

Gurley can hardly be blamed for the loss - when an offense puts up 35 points in a losing effort, it's usually the defense's fault. Against the Gamecocks, Gurley put up the kind of numbers we're used to seeing, rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. With Georgia set to face Troy this Saturday, Gurley could have a monster game in store.

3. Everett Golson, QB, Notre Dame (4)

What's Everett Golson done since returning from last season's year-long suspension? Just lead the Fighting Irish to a 3-0 start and put Notre Dame back into contention for a national title. The Irish have yet to face a true test this season, but Golson has done everything he can to make people take notice.

In Notre Dame's come-from-behind win over Purdue on Saturday, Golson was a wrecking ball. He put up more than 300 total yards and accounted for all three of the Irish's touchdowns, including a 15-yard run in the final minute of the first half that put them up for good. As Notre Dame's schedule gets harder, Golson will get even more opportunities to prove his value.

4. Kenny Hill, QB, Texas A&M (5)

It's hard to envision a better way to begin your collegiate career as a starting quarterback than Kenny Hill's first three games. After leading the Aggies to a huge road victory over South Carolina, Hill guided Texas A&M to back-to-back blowouts, including a 73-3 shellacking of Lamar in Week 2.

All told, Hill has completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns without throwing a single interception. He's fifth in the nation in passing yards and should have another huge game against an SMU defense allowing an abysmal 44 points per game. Don't sleep on "Kenny Trill."

5. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (3)

Winston hasn't been bad so far this season, but compared to the way he exploded out of the gate last year, his performances have been underwhelming. Whereas 50- and 60-point games were the norm last year, the Seminoles have yet to top even 40 points this season.

A lack of top-end opponents will also make it hard for Winston to climb back up this list, and he needs a big game against Clemson to remain in contention. In last season's 51-14 win, Winston passed for 444 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers while adding another score on the ground. If he doesn't at least approach those numbers this time, he may find himself falling off the watch list altogether.