The truth Hurts: After Mayfield and Murray, an Oklahoma QB takes Heisman pole position again

Impossible. Unthinkable.

Inevitable?

Are we going to see a third Oklahoma quarterback win the Heisman Trophy in as many years?

Short answer: Yes.

OK, it’s more like a definite maybe.

Jalen Hurts — successor to Kyler Murray, who was the successor to Baker Mayfield — is off to a videogame start for the 3-0 Sooners with his arm (880 yards, nine touchdowns, zero interceptions) and his legs (373 yards, four touchdowns). In Saturday’s 48-14 victory at UCLA, the ex-Alabama starter had one of those signature Heisman moments we’re always looking for, rushing for 99 yards on four carries on his team’s opening possession.

So, yeah, Hurts is at the top of the charts — and it’s not at all unlikely that it will become a two-man race with the man who took his starting spot in Tuscaloosa, Too Tagovailoa.

Also: It’s only September. I’ll shut up about the Heisman now.

On to the rest of the “Big 10” (where 10 actually means 10):

2. Irish ‘ayes’? Two games in, Notre Dame — which has swallowed up Louisville and New Mexico by a combined 70 points — looks like a stepped-up version of its 2018 playoff self. But is there anyone out there who truly believe the Irish will rise to the occasion Saturday at Georgia? Expect the betting line to be set in the neighborhood of 10 points. Heck, no, it won’t favor the visitors.

3. Hunter’s season: Evanston got its first look at Northwestern quarterback Hunter Johnson in Saturday’s 30-14 victory over UNLV, and it wasn’t great. His throwing talent is easy to recognize, but he’s not the most comfortable-looking guy. Wildcats fans will have to be patient.

4. Eastern Michigan 34, Illinois 31: And there goes the Illini’s “bigger, stronger, faster” narrative. They didn’t just lose at home to a MAC opponent; they were pushed around and at times toyed with. A total hot-seat moment for fourth-year coach Lovie Smith.

5. Kansas 48, Boston College 24: The Jayhawks — long ridiculed as the worst Power Five program — announced in no uncertain terms that times are changing. They did it on the road, too. Give it up to first-year coach Les Miles for the latest reminder that great change can happen, and fast, with the right guy in charge.

6. Chris Creighton, your table is ready: Eastern Michigan’s coach has taken what was a junk program and lifted it to three wins over Big Ten teams — Rutgers, Purdue and Illinois — in as many years. Somebody is going to have to wake up, smell the coffee and give this guy a bigger-time job.

7. Twelve angry men: Michigan State’s apparent game-tying field goal against Arizona State was wiped out because the Spartans had one too many players on the field. After that penalty: re-kick hooked, game over. Some of us are old enough to remember when Mark Dantonio had an elite program on his hands.

8. Bad Pitt: Perhaps someday, Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi will own up to his comical decision at Penn State to kick a field-goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in a game his underdog team — down to its final timeout — trailed 17-10 with 4:59 to go. The kick missed, by the way, because, you know, poetry.

9. That’s what he said: “I’m not going to comment on that. I’ll get fined for the rest of my life if I comment on that.”

That was South Carolina coach Will Muschamp heading into halftime after an unfavorable call in a loss to Alabama. Understand this: Everyone at every SEC school not named Alabama will agree that Nick Saban’s teams tend to get the royal treatment from the stripes.

10. And another thing: The enduring clip from Iowa’s 18-17 escape at Iowa State will be of a Cyclones player inexplicably running into his own punt returner late, causing a muff that the Hawkeyes recovered to seal the deal. But understand this: The Hawkeyes are really good. A massive test three weeks from now at Michigan can’t get here soon enough.