The closer we get to the 2024 Heisman Trophy presentation, a true favorite will emerge. One player will begin to separate from the rest of the contenders for college football's most prestigious award.

Along the way, however, a different conversation will happen.

While we can only predict the winner today, we're starting to gain clarity on who will not hoist the Heisman this season. Poor individual showings and team losses are closing the window for several hopefuls.

Penn State's Drew Allar exited the conversation last weekend, and the upcoming slate will be a reckoning for several SEC quarterbacks. Multiple losses can be overcome—look at LSU's Jayden Daniels last season—but it takes a truly transcendent player with preposterous stats to make it happen.

Week 11 is destined to eliminate a few names from the list.

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

Tier 4: Worth Monitoring

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: Milroe has thrown for 1,937 yards with 13 touchdowns to six picks while rushing for 380 yards and 12 scores. Alabama takes on rival LSU in a primetime matchup this weekend. If the Crimson Tide lose again, Milroe won't be a contender. If they topple LSU, he'll stick around at least for another week.

Bryson Daily, QB, Army: Daily missed last weekend's win over Air Force because of an undisclosed injury. For him to have a realistic shot at stealing Heisman votes, Daily probably needs to have a great day on Nov. 23 opposite Notre Dame and Army to stay undefeated.

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: After a second straight three-interception game—and third of the season—Beck cannot afford any other ugly performances. He's only included because UGA is still highly ranked and plays Ole Miss this weekend with Tennessee coming up soon.

Will Howard, QB, Ohio State: Solid quarterback on a top team? Check and check. Howard's resume isn't convincing enough to think he'll truly contend for the award, but right now he's positioned to receive votes with 2,092 offensive yards and 24 total touchdowns. His upside is likely dependent on whether the Buckeyes win a Big Ten title.

Tier 3: On the Radar

Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: This is arguably too high for Klubnik, who really struggled in the upset loss to Louisville. He averaged just 4.1 yards per throw on 56 attempts. Clemson still has a path to the College Football Playoff, so he shouldn't be eliminated quite yet. Anything less than dominance against Virginia Tech and Pitt during the next two weeks will drop Klubnik off the Heisman radar, though.

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: To date, Sanders has passed for 2,591 yards and totaled 24 scores. He remains the second-best Heisman contender on CU's roster, so don't expect Sanders to actually win the award. But if the Buffs—who play at Texas Tech this weekend—finish 10-2 and make the Big 12 title game, he'll probably pick up votes.

Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU: Nussmeier has near-identical numbers to Sanders, throwing for 2,627 yards and accounting for 23 touchdowns while leading his team to a 6-2 record. However, he needs to bounce back from a three-interception day in a loss to Texas A&M—and do that against Alabama. He's in the "last chance" category with Milroe, Beck and one other SEC quarterback.

Tier 2: Top Contenders

Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana: Rourke returned from a finger injury as Indiana steamrolled Michigan State. He passed for 263 yards and four touchdowns, helping the 9-0 Hoosiers tie a program record for single-season wins. If they beat Michigan this weekend, they'll set up the most important game in IU football history at Ohio State in Week 12.

Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss: He wasn't trying to silence me, I'm sure, but he may as well have been. Last week, I pointed out Dart's low touchdown numbers in SEC games—and he proceeded to throw for 515 yards and six touchdowns in a rout of Arkansas. Dart's resume lacks a true "Heisman moment" through eight games, so Saturday's showdown with Georgia is a make-or-break contest.

Tier 1: The Favorites

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: Relative to the other favorites, Jeanty is fading just a bit. UNLV limited him to 3.9 yards per carry, and San Diego State held him to 4.8. Jeanty's raw totals of 1,525 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground are incredible, but he needs a flashy performance to reignite his appeal. Boise State hosts Nevada in Week 11.

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: Upset losses from Kansas State and Iowa State have swung the Big 12 door open for CU. If the Buffs take advantage, that only helps Hunter's case. They'll need to handle a trip to Texas Tech—which just stunned Iowa State—this weekend first.

Cam Ward, QB, Miami: For the second time in 2024, Ward heaved a mind-numbing pass across his body...toward the middle of the field...while running near the sideline...for an interception. Also, he threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns as Miami scored 53 points. Ward has been special, even if a few decisions are unconscionable. Miami travels to Georgia Tech aiming for a 10-0 record.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: He hasn't been anywhere near as flashy as Ward, for example, but Gabriel has been a steady hand for Oregon. The southpaw has passed for 240-plus yards and accounted for multiple touchdowns in all nine games this season. Gabriel should be able to continue that trend against Maryland on Saturday.