Heisman Forecast: No. 7 Notre Dame-No. 3 Georgia leads week of key matchups in Heisman race

As much as it can in the fourth week of the season, this has the feeling of a separation kind of Saturday in the Heisman Trophy race.

No. 3 Georgia has a pair of candidates in Jake Fromm and D'Andre Swift, both of whom have an opportunity to emerge as the Bulldogs' top challenger as they take on seventh-ranked Notre Dame in Athens. Meanwhile in that game at Sanford Stadium, Fighting Irish quarterback Ian Book can break out from the second their of contenders if he can deliver an upset win over the SEC East power.

The storyline continues in the Big Ten, where No. 13 Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor -- the reigning Doak Walker Award winner and the nation's active career rushing leader -- and 11th-ranked Michigan's Shea Patterson will look to bolster their candidacies in a clash in Madison.

It's also in the SEC, with No. 17 Texas A&M's Kellen Mond, who used his mulligan up in the loss to Clemson, faces No. 8 Auburn and Bo Nix.

So who will take advantage of this weekend's biggest matchups? Before we dive into that, here's a look at the Forecaster's Heisman Power Rankings heading into Week 4.

1. Joe Burrow, LSU QB
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama QB
3. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma QB

Swift has had light work with just 15 carries the last two games after totaling 16 in the season opener when he ran for 147 on Vanderbilt. But against an Irish defense that's 120th vs. the rush, Swift -- who averaged 110 yards per game last season against Top-25 opponents -- could and should dominate and take the lead as the Bulldogs' top contender in this race.

In a statement that we've heard many, many times, Mike Leach has the most prolific QB that nobody is talking about. Gordon leads the nation in passing yards (1,324) and yards per game (441.3) and is tied with Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa for the FBS lead with 12 TD passes. UCLA, which is 108th vs. the pass (279.0 yards per game) won't be able to keep Gordon from his fourth straight 400-yard game.

While he already has a signature win under his belt, beating No. 11 Oregon with the late touchdown pass in Atlanta, Nix wasn't spectacular in that game. He turned the ball over twice and hit on just 41.9 percent of his passes in his collegiate debut. Since then, Nix has completed 51.4 (Tulane) and 75 (Kent State) percent of his passes the past two weeks and is trending in the right direction as he faces his first real road test in College Station.

Fromm sits 72nd in passing yards with 601, but he's eighth in efficiency in throwing five touchdowns to zero interceptions. He'll be tested vs. a 12th-ranked Fighting Irish pass defense that has yet to allow a QB a completion percentage over 50 percent. The key to a Georgia win lies with establishing the run and while Fromm may make some key plays, Swift is positioned to steal the spotlight.

Book is racking up 340 yards per game and he's in the top five in pass efficiency. Georgia, ninth in total defense, will be a major step up in competition, and if Book could deliver their first win over a top-10 opponent since 2012, it would be time to wake up the echoes in South Bend. But this will be the best defense Book has seen since Clemson in last year's College Football Playoff and the Tigers held him to just 160 yards and an interception through the air and these Bulldogs could follow suit with their talented D.

This just hasn't been the production anyone expected out of Patterson, as Jim Harbaugh reconfigured the offense to fit his QB's strengths. The senior has a lower completion percentage (62.1) and has a worst efficiency rating (138.5) than he did in his first year in Ann Arbor. A tip to Wisconsin is a difficult enough task for the Wolverines, who last won their in 2001, but it gets more difficult as the Badgers lead the nation in allowing just 107.5 yards per game and they have maybe the best RB contender in Taylor.

Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His books, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' and 'The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners.' are now available.