Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had his worst game of the season last week against Houston and so did his team, sparking conversation about whether the enormous Heisman lead he built would start to shrink.

At least for this week, the answer is a resounding no.

Once again, Jackson picked up every single first-place vote among the 10 voters who participate in our weekly ESPN.com Heisman Watch. Oklahoma receiver Dede Westbrook is a distant second, with 20 total points. While this is a small snapshot, it shows not only how dominant Jackson has been throughout the year but also how few challengers there are for the top spot.

Voters were not ready to dock Jackson for one poor performance, in which he threw for 211 yards and a score and ran for a season-low 33 yards. They saw how the offensive line got completely manhandled in allowing 11 sacks.

One voter said, “I think he was too far ahead for one bad game to bring him back to the pack. I didn't think Louisville's poor performance was as much about him as its offensive line. I'm not sure any quarterback would have been successful with such lack of protection.”

Another voter added, “They want to know who the best player was this season, not who was the best at the end of the season. And I subscribe to the argument that getting sacked 11 times illustrated he has done everything he has done without the help that others have had.”

Lamar Jackson was under so much duress in the loss to Houston that it doesn't seem to be hurting him in the Heisman race. Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Jackson already has tied the ACC record for touchdowns scored in one season with 47 and ranks second in the nation in total offense with 4,476 yards. His 1,367 yards rushing ranks second in the ACC and is tops among all quarterbacks nationally. And Jackson did not finish five games this season because the Cards had such large leads.

Now to the point about his offensive line. Despite his speed and elusiveness, Jackson has been sacked 35 times this season, more than any other quarterback.

That line has taken steps backward as the season has progressed, allowing itself to get overpowered again and again. Teams have noticed. Jackson has been blitzed 129 times this year, third-highest among all quarterbacks.

Imagine the sack totals had Jackson not escaped the rush so many times this season. One stat backs that up: Teams have made contact with Jackson 184 times, also more than any other quarterback this season.

“Looking beyond the numbers, he's the most exciting player to watch,” another voter said. “He can make all the throws and cuts on a dime like a Ferrari. Louisville was never in the College Football Playoff discussion without him and there's no one else in the country who impacts his team with the consistency and the power that Jackson does.”

One voter offered a different perspective, even though he kept Jackson at No. 1.

“I gave pretty serious consideration to demoting him,” the voter said. “The 11 sacks in a must-win game did not sit well with me for a guy who has stressed defenses all year with his feet. But I kept him at the top because he's been so dominant -- and more notably because there's just not another candidate who has taken it away from him.”

That brings us to the final point. It is hard to remember another Heisman field where there are so few serious challengers for the top spot with only two weeks left in the season. But that doesn’t mean Jackson has the Heisman wrapped up.

Jackson has only one game left, against Kentucky on Saturday. Voters want to see him put up monster numbers to validate his No. 1 standing, especially after two straight weeks where Jackson has posted his two worst quarterback ratings this season.

Because on Dec. 3, he could be the only one among the Heisman contenders sitting at home, without an opportunity to make one final – and lasting – impression.

“For me, it damages Jackson's campaign that he's not playing for a conference title and has no shot to lead his team to the playoff,” one voter said. “I value team success more for a quarterback than players at other positions. So if any of the other three quarterbacks [Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts] plays extremely well and takes his team to the playoff, combined with another below par performance from Jackson against Kentucky, there's a decent chance I'll change my first-place vote.”

Another voter offers this viewpoint. “He will have to tell the country that he doesn't want the award or someone else will have to accumulate 1,000 yards alone in a single game between now and the Heisman ceremony. He would have to leave football and become ineligible for the award for me not to vote him No. 1.”