No matter their performance, no players will be locking up an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in Week 8.

But a few names may be scratched off the list.

In particular, look at the SEC. Georgia is headed to Texas, and Alabama is at Tennessee. For various reasons, the quarterbacks of those programs—Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe and Nico Iamaleava, respectively—have a thinning margin for error in the Heisman race.

Win, and you're still in. The opposite result, however, could be crushing for a player's award candidacy.

The tiers are a personal view but consider a player's production, team success and more historical Heisman trends.

Tier 4: Worth Monitoring

Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana: The upcoming game is Rourke's greatest test to date. Nebraska's defense has ceded just 6.0 yards per pass attempt this season with eight touchdowns allowed to seven interceptions. Rourke will stick in the Heisman race as long as Indiana stays undefeated.

Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame: I'm not rushing to advocate for Leonard, whose 230.7 yards per game is a modest average. Still, he threw for season-best marks of 229 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of Stanford that pushed ND to 5-1. Plus, he notched a rushing score for a fifth consecutive game. Leonard isn't out of range as the Irish prepare to take on Georgia Tech.

Will Howard, QB, Ohio State: So far, the enduring moment of Howard's year is burning the final seconds in the loss at Oregon. Not great! He'll be battling the aftermath of that decision all season, but Ohio State has a few marquee opponents—No. 3 Penn State, No. 16 Indiana and No. 24 Michigan—left on the schedule. And if, say, there's a rematch with Oregon for the Big Ten title, redemption is possible.

Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse: The only other quarterback in the country with 300-plus yards in every game is Miami's Cam Ward. That's impressive company for McCord through six weeks. Syracuse, which is 5-1, has an idle weekend to prepare for a trip to unbeaten Pitt next Thursday.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: Ewers returned in Week 7 for a beatdown of rival Oklahoma. Texas cruised to a 34-3 victory, but he misfired on a few open throws and managed 199 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Realistically, he's well behind the leaders, although an explosive game against Georgia this weekend could flip his perception in a hurry.

Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee: I probably shouldn't eliminate him. Simultaneously, it's easy to not be invested in a QB with three straight 200-yard performances and a total of two touchdowns in SEC games. Tennessee must defeat Alabama for Iamaleava to hang around.

Tier 3: On the Radar

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: Yes, the Buckeyes lost at Oregon. True, an offensive pass interference on Smith hurt Ohio State on its failed last-minute drive. The freshman, nevertheless, had a career-high nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Smith has scored at least once in every game so far.

Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss: Last year, Jayden Daniels offered a reminder to not count out a player after a couple of losses. Dart, whose Ole Miss squad fell to Daniels' alma mater LSU last weekend, is hoping to follow in those footsteps. Ole Miss is idle in Week 8 before hosting Oklahoma.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Bit of a love/hate situation for Allar. He threw for a career-high 391 yards with two touchdowns in a dramatic overtime win at USC. Allar also matched his career total of interceptions with three giveaways in those 60-plus minutes. The important part is Penn State improved to 6-0, keeping Allar squarely in the chase.

Tier 2: Top Contenders

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: After a shocking loss to Vanderbilt, Milroe had a mediocre game again. He threw for 209 yards with one touchdown and a pair of interceptions in a 27-25 escape of South Carolina. Bama's three-game gauntlet at Tennessee, home to Missouri and at LSU begins this weekend, and those results will shape Milroe's candidacy.

Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: The train kept storming down the tracks last weekend as Clemson hammered Wake Forest 49-14. Klubnik put up 339 total yards and three scores in the rout. Clemson hosts Virginia this Saturday with an opportunity to hit 5-0 in ACC action.

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: Hunter left Colorado's loss to Kansas State in the first half because of a shoulder injury and didn't return. If he misses extended time, the Heisman dream is probably done. Either way, CU needs to rebound with a victory at Arizona to keep Hunter in it.

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: As the defense had an uncharacteristically mediocre day at Mississippi State, Beck notched a career-high passing 459 yards with three touchdowns. He also tossed two interceptions, so strike that balance. In truth, however, nobody will care in a week's time. Beck's performance at top-ranked Texas is far more impactful for his Heisman resume—and UGA's season, of course.

Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU: It wasn't pretty, but LSU found a way to clip Ole Miss. Nussmeier completed 43.1 percent of his passes for 337 yards with two scores and two picks, yet he snapped a clutch game-tying touchdown on a late fourth down and the overtime winner. LSU travels to Arkansas—which upset Tennessee two weeks ago—on Saturday.

Tier 1: The Favorites

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: Hawai'i held Jeanty to a season-worst 7.0 yards per carry in Week 7, which is simply a hilarious stat. He rushed for 217 yards and a touchdown with three receptions for 20 yards and another score in the 28-7 victory. Boise State is idle in Week 8 before a Friday night showdown at top Mountain West challenger UNLV.

Cam Ward, QB, Miami: Will the Hurricanes' recent penchant for drama continue after an open weekend? They'll be aiming to avoid a repeat of nerve-testing wins over Virginia Tech and Cal during a trip to Louisville—which is unranked but still a quality team at 4-2 this season.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: Thanks to a thrilling win against Ohio State, Gabriel has reclaimed front-runner status. He threw for 341 yards and two scores, also rushing in a key 27-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter of the massive Big Ten triumph. Oregon needs to avoid a letdown game at Purdue on Friday night.