Every Power 5 Conference's Best Heisman Candidate Through Week 3

You know what the best part about the first three weeks of the college football season has been? The unpredictability.

Then again, that's always the best part about college football, regardless of the time of year.

The surprises of the first few weeks have spilled over into the Heisman conversation. Many of the preseason odds and talking points have already been shaken up or otherwise thrown out the window. Ultimately, everyone has to go out and play. 

Through three weeks—for many teams, that's been one-quarter of the season—which player from each Power Five conference has made the strongest statement for college football's most prestigious individual award? We provide our answers in the following slides, based on current stats and key performances.

Accordingly, keep in mind that each conference's best Heisman candidate today may not be the same as in November. We're still a ways away from crowning some true front-runners for the award.

ACC: Florida State Running Back Dalvin Cook

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Two years after producing a Heisman winner—quarterback Jamies Winston—Florida State could have another finalist with running back Dalvin Cook. He's been the MVP for the Seminoles so far, and with the way the offense is sputtering, Cook may need to put the team on his back for the entire season. 

With Pitt running back James Conner out for the year with an MCL injury, Cook assumes the top running back role in the ACC. Cook has already proved to be a lifesaver against South Florida, rushing for a career-high 266 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. 

However, we've also seen how poorly Florida State's offense plays when Cook is less of a factor, as was the case against Boston College in Week 3. Hampered in part by an upper-body injury, the stud sophomore had just 15 carries for 54 yards. Finding a balance is important for Cook. He's the most consistent part of the offense, so refusing to feed him the rock isn't an option. However, if you're Florida State, you don't want to overwork him, either. 

"Power runners, if they take 25 carries, they're going to get hit 18 times, and get hit hard," former Miami and North Carolina head coach Butch Davis told Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel. "As a coach, you're watching those times. I don't see that in [Cook], I don't see him being that guy because of his elusiveness and ability to jump cut."

To Davis' point, Cook has an ideal combination of being a powerful inside runner and a blazing open-field threat. Good things happen when he touches the ball. The Seminoles need to be careful about how many touches Cook gets per game, but they aren't afraid to ride his momentum when they need to.  

Big Ten: Michigan State Quarterback Connor Cook

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Who would have ever thought the Big Ten's best Heisman option after Week 3 was someone not on Ohio State's roster? Not that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook doesn't merit Heisman chatter on his own, but it does speak to how the 2015 season has played out so far.

Michigan State has one of the best wins of the year against Oregon. Ohio State, meanwhile, has struggled in its past two games against Hawaii and Northern Illinois.

Cook is statistically one of the top passers in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes still have to figure out which signal-caller, J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones, is their best option. 

Michigan State looks like more than just a Big Ten "spoiler." Ohio State doesn't look like the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, as Associated Press voters thought before the season began. 

Cook's numbers (695 yards, 8.1 yards per attempt, eight touchdowns, one interception) aren't the best in the Big Ten, but they stand on their own all the same. The Spartans are also the best team in the Big Ten at converting third downs, and Cook has been especially excellent in 3rd-and-long (seven or more yards) situations. 

Big 12: Oklahoma Quarterback Baker Mayfield

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The Big 12 has a few quarterbacks that could make a claim for the Heisman. Baylor's Seth Russell leads the Big 12 in passing yards per game (359) and Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes II has been lights-out this year. (He's been so good, in fact, that he got a shout-out from Ohio State's Cardale Jones.) 

Neither of them, however, have been as prolific as Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. The first-year starter for the Sooners and former Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year at Texas Tech has a conference-best 10 touchdown passes and has another four scores on the ground. 

What really stands out about Mayfield is how he's played his best football when he absolutely needs to. According to Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World, Mayfield is "40-of-50 passing for 469 yards with 8 touchdowns and 1 interception" after halftime in three games. 

It's not just that Mayfield puts up great stats, though. His ability to extend the play with his feet has been highlight-reel material. This was especially on display against Tennessee and Tulsa. The win over the Vols is currently the best nonconference victory for any Big 12 team. 

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin was one of the preseason favorites to win the Heisman, and he may still vault himself into the forefront of that conversation in the coming weeks, but Mayfield has been undeniably enjoyable to watch. 

Notre Dame: Wide Receiver William Fuller

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As a bonus, we're adding in Notre Dame wide receiver William Fuller because, although the Irish are a FBS Independent, they're spoken of in the same breath as Power Five opponents. 

Fuller has been almost impossible to stop downfield. He ranks fifth in the country with 397 receiving yards and is tied for first with five touchdowns. His 22.06 yards per catch is one of the best averages in the country among receivers with at least 10 catches. As JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago noted before the Georgia Tech game, Fuller had "19 touchdowns over his last 15 games, more than any FBS receiver."

Fuller could prove to be one of the most valuable players in college football at any position. Notre Dame is down to its backup quarterback, DeShone Kizer, and without running back Tarean Folston and tight end Durham Smythe for the rest of the year. Fuller is easily the most valuable player in the passing game and has the speed to run right past defenders. 

Fuller should be on the Biletnikoff short list at the very least. If he remains as big a part of Notre Dame's passing game as he is right now, there's a strong Heisman case to be made for him. 

Pac-12: Cody Kessler

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The Pac-12's best Heisman candidate was the toughest decision of any of the Power Five conferences. There are a handful of legit choices, a couple of whom are on the same team. If you think USC has the best Heisman candidate, is it quarterback Cody Kessler or wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster? For that matter, who's to say Kessler is the only quarterback worthy of conversation? What about Cal's Jared Goff?

If running backs have stood out to you, is it UCLA's Paul Perkins, Oregon's Royce Freeman or Utah's Devontae Booker?

There are plenty of quality names, but if we're to pick the most impressive, Kessler is the textbook definition. The numbers on paper are what Trojans fans hoped they would be: 10 touchdowns, zero interceptions, 10.4 yards per attempt and 922 yards. 

Of course, USC has played one legitimate opponent, Stanford, and lost 41-31. It was hardly Kessler's fault, though. Completing 78.1 percent of your passes at 8.5 yards per attempt and three touchdowns is nothing to scoff at. He's been solid on third downs and playing from behind, though the scope of the latter category is admittedly limited. 

If there's a knock on Kessler, it's that he still tends to hold the ball too long, which can lead to some sacks. This was especially evident in the season opener against Arkansas State. Still, Kessler was a top Heisman contender heading into the season. Though USC lost its first big game of the year, he's done nothing to deter voters. 

SEC: LSU Running Back Leonard Fournette

This is about as obvious as it gets. Following LSU's 45-21 rout of Auburn, LSU running back Leonard Fournette has jumped to the top of the Heisman discussion. According to OddsShark.com, Fournette is now up to 11/2 odds to win the Heisman. 

There's support for Fournette across the board. Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports have Fournette as their top Heisman candidate and B/R colleague Barrett Sallee accurately notes that Fournette leads a running back-heavy Heisman group of the SEC. 

Through two games, Fournette leads the SEC with 193.5 yards per game—and he's played Mississippi State and Auburn. Point being, he didn't need an FCS warm-up to pad his stats. He's doing what he's doing against conference opponents. 

Fournette's runs are absolutely jaw-dropping, too. The sophomore simply will not go down on first contact. Or second. Or third. Or...

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.