SportsRatings: College Football

SportsRatings' Heisman Pick: Luck or Griffin?

Our take on the Heisman is that it comes down to two players, both quarterbacks led their teams to great seasons. No running back dominated enough for consideration, and the other quarterbacks/receivers/etc ultimately fell by the wayside.

Trent Richardson and Montee Ball had great seasons, but neither was the major reason for their team's success (Alabama's being defense, and Ball had a great offensive line and QB in Russell Wilson).

Kellen Moore and Case Keenum both had excellent, record-breaking seasons. Moore is now the all-time career leader in wins, while Keenum has the most career completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes in NCAA history. Neither played a tough enough schedule to be seriously considered for the award without going undefeated; each lost one game.

We also never really considered one of the five official Heisman finalists. Tyrann Mathieu made a bit of noise early then came on strong in the voting because of his performance against Georgia, but his year overall doesn't warrant getting the Heisman Trophy. The one defensive player we briefly considered was Boston College's Luke Kuechley.

Many other players fell by the wayside as the year progressed, leaving Luck and Griffin as the final considerations.

Andrew Luck was the favorite from the start, and for most of the season he lived up to it. He was throwing nearly flawlessly, running well when he had to, and Stanford was undefeated. By the time he pulled out a triple-overtime win at USC, it looked like the award was his to lose.

But then Luck had one of the weaker finishes for a Heisman leader in recent memory. He threw for just 206 yards in a win over Oregon State. Then came the Oregon loss in which he threw two interceptions including a pick six. He threw just two touchdown passes in a too-close win over California, and while he finished with a 4 TD effort against Notre Dame it didn't carry the weight of a normal win over the Irish; his team clearly outclassed them at almost every position. He threw 5 interceptions in the last four games, and had two pick-sixes in the final five games.

Luck also lost the element of "inspiration" that makes a Heisman leader special. He netted only 153 yards rushing this year; last year his ability to run made him a more complete player. Early in the season he caught a pass, another "he can do it all" moment, but those moments were conspicuously missing late in the year. And though he undoubtedly made Stanford a better team, they would have had a good season even had he gone pro last year.

Robert Griffin III, on the other hand, was the primary reason for Baylor's 9-3 finish this year. Baylor won five close games because of him (TCU by 2, Missouri by 3, Kansas by 1, and Oklahoma by 7). The Bears also lost to Kansas State by a point and were blown out by Texas A&M, but Griffin played well in both of those, with a combined 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Only in the loss to Oklahoma State did he play poorly, though he still completed 33 of 50 passes, and had two total touchdowns against 2 interceptions.

Griffin threw for just shy of 4,000 yards with a 36:6 TD:int ratio for the year. He also netted 644 rushing yards, making him a real dual threat. He caught a critical pass in the TCU win and punted three times, showing his versatility.

Without Griffin, Baylor would have been a 5-7 team. Look at the Kansas game, a 31-30 win. How can you claim the rest of the team is good if they struggle to beat Kansas by a point? Like Cam Newton last year, Griffin has elevated his team by about 4 wins that they otherwise would not have. That is the mark of a great player, and the one most deserving of the Heisman Trophy. All indications are that he will be justly rewarded.

2011 SportsRatings Heisman pick

1. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (9-3)
   267-369 72% 3998yd 36TD 6int; 161rsh 644yd 4.0av 9TD 3fmb; 15 rec yds
   #1 in pass efficiency, and also the most exciting player in the country.
2. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (11-1)
   261-373 70% 3170yd 35TD 9int; 43rsh 153yd 3.6av 2TD 1fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Luck was great at times, just good at others, but in the end uninspiring.
   
3. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (11-1)
   300-405 74% 3507yd 41TD 7int; 19rsh -65yd -3.4av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore had a great year and a great career and deserves a higher finish in the vote than he'll get.
4. Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (11-1)
   263rsh 1583yd 6.0av 20TD 0fmb; 27rec 327yd 3TD; 66ret yds 0TD
   Richardson was Alabama's offensive engine.
5. Montee Ball, Wisconsin (11-2)
   275rsh 1759yd 6.4av 32TD 0fmb; 20rec 255yd 6TD; 32passYd 1TD; 15 retYd 0TD
   Ball scored 38 TDs and was especially good in the later games of the season.
6. Case Keenum, QB-Houston (12-1)
   383-534 72% 5099yd 45TD 5int; 50rsh 25yd 0.5av 3TD 2fmb
   Keenum's record-breaking season came to a unfortunate end in a big loss.
   
7. Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin
8. LaMichael James, RB-Oregon
   
9. Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan
   
10. Brandon Weeden, QB-Oklahoma State
    
    previously considered:
11. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State
12. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma
    
13. Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson
    
14. Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma
    
15. Luke Kuechly, LB-Boston College
    
16. Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina
    

2011 Heisman Race week 13: Down to the Wire with Luck, Keenum, Moore, Richardson, Griffin, and even Ball

Is this the best Heisman year ever or the worst? It's a fair question. "Best" because at the 11th hour there are still at least five players being named as possible Heisman trophy winners. "Worst" because not one of them has really had a far and away, electrifying Heisman-type of season.

Andrew Luck was the default pick from day one, and he hasn't disappointed. But he also hasn't exceeded those expectations and taken his game to a higher level. He wasn't able to keep his team undefeated and won't be playing for the national championship nor in the Rose Bowl. Luck is done until the bowl season, and may have done enough to win the award...maybe not.

Case Keenum has made a great comeback from last year's injuries and has been piling on the yards, touchdowns, and NCAA career milestones. But it's been largely against inferior competition. He's done well recently against slightly tougher teams, and faces top 25 Southern Miss in the C-USA finale. His team is undefeated and if it remains so after this week, Keenum could finish in the top three and might be our choice for the award.

Kellen Moore has had another great year, but without Boise being undefeated there was no way he was going to win. His numbers are as good as Luck's and Boise's schedule is tougher than Houston's, but closing out against the weakest teams on the slate—including this weekend's laugher against 1-10 New Mexico—doesn't help. Moore will be in the top ten but we think he deserves a trip to New York.

Trent Richardson is the top running back in contention—for now. Alabama's regular season is done so he won't add any more yards to his borderline-Heisman-level 1,583. He also finished strong with 203 yards against Auburn, so those inclined to vote for him have no reason not to. But has he earned the award? A lot depends on how a few other candidates do this weekend.

Robert Griffin is going to be the most-watched candidate this weekend. A late push has put him among the favorites, and he was having a fantastic game until he suffered a possible concussion against Texas Tech. If Griffin has a great game for Baylor in a win over Texas he could win himself a Heisman. If Baylor loses, Griffin might not make the top three, as the race seems so close right now.

As I noted last week, I have exercised the option to place Montee Ball on the list at the last minute. He takes over Russell Wilson's spot as Wisconsin's representative. The Badgers still have a game to play—for a spot in the Rose Bowl—and Ball has done most of his damage late in the year. His touchdown total (29 rushing, 5 receiving, and 1 passing) is amazing—within striking distance of Barry Sanders' record 39—and he's been racking up yards like Sanders lately, too.

2011 Heisman Race after week 13

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (11-1)
   261-373 70% 3170yd 35TD 9int; 43rsh 153yd 3.6av 2TD 1fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Four touchdown passes against Notre Dame is a good way to wrap up a Heisman season.
   
2. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (12-0)
   342-467 73% 4726yd 43TD 3int; 44rsh 43yd 1.0av 3TD 2fmb
   Five touchdown passes against Houston's toughest foe and a great TD:int ratio.
3. v Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (10-1)
   272-372 73% 3194yd 38TD 7int; 18rsh -57yd -3.2av 0TD 0fmb
   Three touchdown passes against Wyoming is less impressive.
4. Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (11-1)
   263rsh 1583yd 6.0av 20TD 0fmb; 27rec 327yd 3TD; 66ret yds 0TD
   Richardson topped 200 yards against Auburn in a strong finish to his season.
5. ^ Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (8-3)
   252-347 73% 3678yd 34TD 5int; 149rsh 612yd 4.1av 7TD 3fmb; 15 rec yds
   In injury-limited action against Texas Tech Griffin threw a TD pass and rushed for 2 more.
6. ^ Montee Ball, Wisconsin (10-2)
   248rsh 1622yd 6.5av 29TD 0fmb; 17rec 248yd 5TD; 25passYd 1TD; 15 retYd 0TD
   Ball is making a strong push at the end of the year with over 750 yards in the last 4 games.
   
   Removed from consideration:
   
7. v Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (10-2)
   189-260 73% 2692yd 28TD 3int; 66rsh 325yd 4.9av 5TD 2fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   After being a serious candidate earlier in the season, Wilson has been eclipsed by teammate Ball.
8. LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (10-2)
   197rsh 1427yd 7.2ave 14TD 1fmb; 15rec 186yd 1TD; 150ret yds 1TD 1fmb
   James bows out with a 142 yard performance against rival Oregon State.
9. Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (10-2)
   133-237 56% 1959yd 18TD 14int; 208rsh 1176yd 5.7av 16TD 3fmb
   Robinson's 5 TD performance against Ohio State was perhaps his best yet.
10. Brandon Weeden, QB-Oklahoma State (11-1)
    355-486 73% 4111yd 34TD 12int; 15rsh -95yd -6.3av 0TD 0fmb
    Weeden has a big game coming up but for him the Zeitgeist has passed.
    
    previously considered:
    
11. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State
12. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma
    
13. Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson
    
14. Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma
    
15. Luke Kuechly, LB-Boston College
    
16. Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina
    

Russell Wilson had the misfortune of peaking early while Ball peaked late, and drops off our last consideration list.

LaMichael James and Denard Robinson ended their regular seasons on high notes. James rushed for 142 yards against Oregon State; Robinson rushed for 170 against Ohio State, scoring twice and throwing three touchdowns on 14 of 17 passing. James and Robinson were probably the least consistent players on the list, however. Brandon Weeden also falls off the list after an idle week. The Cowboys still play Oklahoma but there are too many other candidates at this point.

2011 Heisman Race week 12 - Not so fast Weeden, Jones, & James

Remember last week, when everyone was coronating the latest Heisman star, Brandon Weeden? How LaMichael James was said to have put himself squarely back in the race with Oregon's win over Stanford? And how Landry Jones has supposedly been a viable candidate all year?

How quickly things change. We don't move things around very quickly on our list for a reason, and last weekend was a golden example of why. James didn't "re-insert" himself into the race because for us, he was never out of it. Weeden didn't become the front-runner because that doesn't happen overnight. And Jones never became a serious candidate for us because, well, he never looked like a Heisman winner to us.

Like everyone else, we're getting tired of having Andrew Luck at the top spot. Not that we have anything against him, and he's had his moments, but more and more he's just not very inspiring. Between the loss to Oregon and several recent ho-hum games, his position at the top is precarious. A late push by nearly anyone could topple Luck, and if he loses to Notre Dame next week he's out. A big game against the Irish, however, would silence a lot of the critics.

Kellen Moore hasn't recovered from Boise's loss but hasn't stopped playing well, either. Boise doesn't have any games against decent competition left so Moore's best outcome is to prevent a slide. Unless all the other candidates self-destruct, #2 is probably the best he can do. Racing up behind him is Case Keenum, who got ESPN GameDay exposure last weekend and had a good game, though it wasn't a 9-TD performance. Keenum has an outside chance of winning as his slew of records continues to grow. Looking at our top three, it's a contest between the best quarterback of the last two years (Luck), the best QB of the last four years (Moore), and the best QB of the last five years (Keenum).

Trent Richardson is almost as uninspiring as a running back as Luck is at QB. Like Luck, he has his moments and highlight reel plays, but he's not killing with the numbers. 175 yards against Georgia Southern is nice, but a huge game against Auburn would be better. It's also his last chance since Alabama has almost no way to reach the SEC title game. Wisconsin's Montee Ball is the current running back du jour, and he's a big reason Russell Wilson falls 2 spots on our list. Wilson's 90 passing and -6 rushing yards were nothing compared to Ball's 224 against Illinois. Wilson is still the passing efficiency leader, but efficiency without output never won a Heisman. He does have potentially two more big games to turn the perception around, but Wilson currently has no traction. In fact, I should probably officially reserve the right to magically replace Wilson with Ball, in case the latter continues his pseudo-Sanders-esque string of performances.

2011 Heisman Race after week 12

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (10-1)
   241-343 70% 2937yd 31TD 8int; 39rsh 133yd 3.4av 2TD 1fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Luck had another adequate, not-bad-enough-to-downgrade performance.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (9-1)
   248-336 74% 2915yd 35TD 6int; 16rsh -50yd -3.1av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore threw 4 TD passes, enough to stay near the top.
3. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (11-0)
   309-421 73% 4269yd 38TD 3int; 41rsh 54yd 1.3av 3TD 2fmb
   His team is 11-0. No other full-time starting quarterback can say that.
4. ^ Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (10-1)
   236rsh 1380yd 5.8av 20TD 0fmb; 26rec 322yd 2TD; 66ret yds 0TD
   His 175 yards came against an FCS team, but nearly everyone faced one this year.
5. v Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (9-2)
   170-231 74% 2506yd 26TD 3int; 59rsh 289yd 4.9av 5TD 2fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   90 passing yards doesn't cut it, even in a comeback win.
6. ^ Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (7-3)
   245-336 73% 3572yd 33TD 5int; 135rsh 550yd 4.1av 5TD 3fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin's third straight great game included Heisman-like heroics in an upset win.
7. v LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (9-2)
   173rsh 1285yd 7.4ave 13TD 1fmb; 14rec 180yd 1TD; 151ret yds 1TD 1fmb
   Just 78 yards against USC, and a goal-line fumble that would have been the difference.
8. v Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (9-2)
   119-220 54% 1792yd 15TD 14int; 182rsh 1006yd 5.5av 14TD 2fmb
   Robinson scored 4 total TDs against Nebraska but his TD/int ratio is hard to swallow.
9. ^ Brandon Weeden, QB-Oklahoma State (10-1)
   355-486 73% 4111yd 34TD 12int; 15rsh -95yd -6.3av 0TD 0fmb
   Weeden had 476 yards in a losing effort; his full-season stats keep him alive.
   
   Removed from consideration
   
10. v Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (10-1)
    103rec 1241yd 15TD 2fmb; 3rsh 6yds 2.0 ave 0TD; 2ret yds 0TD 1fmb
    Blackmon had 99 yards, 1 TD in a loss, not enough to salvage his candidacy.
    
11. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (8-2)
    290-444 65% 3796yd 28TD 10int; 22rsh 21yd 1.0ave 2TD 0fmb
    447 yards but no scores pretty much sums up Jones' Heisman campaign.
12. Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson (9-2)
    243-395 62% 3255yd 27TD 9int; 110rsh 181yd 1.6av 4TD 1fmb
    Boyd's campaign ends with a thud in a 37-13 loss to North Carolina State.
     
    
13. Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma
    
14. Luke Kuechly, LB-Boston College
    
15. Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina
    

Robert Griffin III had the explosive performance of the week. In what we had termed an elimination match between Griffin and Oklahoma's Landry Jones, Griffin stepped up and threw a killer touchdown pass that ended both Oklahoma's national title hopes and Jones' Heisman campaign. In the last three games Griffin has 10 TDs and 1 interception, and nearly 1,200 passing yards. Also: 238 yards on the ground and two more touchdowns. He jumps from #8 to #6 on our list and is safe for at least another week and should make it to New York. He has two games left which is great for his upside potential but at the same time, taking a fourth loss could end his hopes.

LaMichael James' up and down season took another down note with his 78-yard effort in the loss to USC. Worse, James fumbled the ball on a 3rd-and-goal from the 1 at the end of the first half. In a 3-point loss, an extra TD would have helped a lot. James will need a big game against Oregon State to survive to next week on our list, and even though he should have another game on December 3 it might not matter. Denard Robinson played well in Michigan's blowout win, but his passing stats are just too weak to win as a quarterback. Unless, of course, the Wolverines were undefeated; then it would be a different matter. He'd have to be pulling off magic every week, but he flubbed a couple of times here and there, and it's likely he falls out of the running next week. A big game against Ohio State could forestall the inevitable though. 

Oklahoma State's loss wasn't necessarily due to Brandon Weeden or Justin Blackmon, but the Cowboy offense wasn't quite itself, either. Faced with keeping one of the two, we've finally put Weeden in front of Blackmon. The latter didn't have as good of a year as last season while Weeden has been much better. His completion percentage is up from 67% to 73% and he has almost as many yards in 11 games this year as he did in 13 last season. His 34:12 TD:int ratio is almost exactly last year's 34:13, so he still throws quite a few picks. It's doubtful we'll keep him around for his last game on December 3, but if Wilson, Robinson, and James stink up the place over Thanksgiving, Weeden will have one last shot. Blackmon is one of our three cuts this week.

As mentioned we've also cut Landry Jones, who had nearly 500 passing yards against Baylor but suffered his 2nd loss of the season. His numbers just weren't there, nor was any sense of excitement that has to surround a Heisman winner. Clemson's Tajh Boyd also goes down in flames with a 37-13 loss. If Clemson hadn't lost to N.C. State, then great performances against South Carolina and in the ACC title game could possibly have given Boyd a push at the end, but it was not to be.

2011 Heisman Race, week 11: Luck, Moore lose - now what?

The same week the national title race began to narrow, the Heisman race opened up to include just about anyone. With Andrew Luck's Stanford taking a painful loss, the front-runner is no longer far ahead of the field. Another contender, Kellen Moore, sufferered a similar setback. Meanwhile LaMichael James re-ignited his candidacy and Brandon Weeden became the leading candidate on the highest-ranked undefeated team, not a bad position to be in.

Andrew Luck is still the probable front-runner, and still our #1. His last two weeks haven't been great, and the loss to Oregon was substantial—Luck lost a fumble that led to an easy Oregon score, threw a terrible pass that was intercepted (leading to another score), and threw a late pick six which wasn't his fault but killed any hope the Cardinal had of winning the game. A disaster, yes, but when you look at the field, almost every candidate has had such a game this year.

Case in point: Kellen Moore, still our #2, is a very weak #2 in that there's not much difference between #2 and #10 at this point. Boise State's first loss was by just a point—36 to 35—and you can't fault him for racking up 35 against TCU, and he played well. But late in the game he couldn't drive Boise in for the touchdown, and they were lucky to even have the chance at a field goal.

Russell Wilson had a fantastic day, with 3 more TD passes than incompletions (16 of 17) against Minnesota. His team's earlier losses hold him back—he already had his disaster game, against Michigan State—but he leads the nation in passing efficiency and can't be discounted as a high finisher if Wisconsin wins out. Remember, if that happens the Badgers are in line for an extra game in the Big Ten title game, something Luck, Moore, Richardson, and the candidates from Oklahoma State and Oklahoma don't have.

Case Keenum continued his winning ways against sub-par competition. His numbers the last few weeks were good but he needs more 9 touchdown games to really break into the top three. If you dock Moore for losing to TCU, you have to note that Houston hasn't faced a team that good all season. If you count Southern Miss, then that might be forthcoming, but the Cougars will have to beat Tulsa first. Keenum does get a boost from his team's unblemished record as Luck and Moore can't claim that, regardless of the fact that they've played live opponents.

Trent Richardson moves into our top five, the only change at the top in the tumultuous week. But LaMichael James is right on his heels after Oregon's big win. James has missed games and had poor games, but when he has a big outing it's spectacular. Richardson is more consistent, perhaps, but he feeds off highlight-reel runs more than huge numbers. James was off most people's lists a long time ago but we're not quite so fickle. Still, he's going to have to impress to overtake Richardson as the top running back, as the Alabama back did somewhat better against LSU and has faced tougher competition overall.

2011 Heisman Race after week 11

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (9-1)
   221-313 71% 2680yd 29TD 7int; 34rsh 134yd 3.9av 2TD 1fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Andrew's luck ran out against Oregon, with 2 big INTs, a fumble and a loss.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (8-1)
   220-297 74% 2549yd 31TD 5int; 14rsh -40yd -2.9av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore was 28 of 38 for 2 touchdowns but the Broncos fell to TCU 36-35.
3. Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (8-2)
   160-218 73% 2416yd 25TD 3int; 55rsh 295yd 5.4av 4TD 1fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   Wilson threw 4 TD passes and had just one incompletion against Minnesota.
4. Case Keenum, QB-Houston (10-0)
   279-376 74% 3951yd 37TD 3int; 37rsh 35yd 0.9av 2TD 2fmb
   Another "quiet" game for Keenum with 325 yards and 3 TDs against Tulane.
5. ^ Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (9-1)
   204rsh 1205yd 5.9av 18TD 0fmb; 25rec 318yd 1TD; 66ret yds 0TD
   Richardson added 127 yards and another TD to his totals against Mississippi State.
6. ^ LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (9-1)
   153rsh 1207yd 7.9ave 12TD 0fmb; 13rec 175yd 1TD; 140ret yds 1TD 1fmb
   James came up big against Stanford with 146 yards and 3 touchdowns.
7. v Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (8-2)
   108-202 53% 1709yd 13TD 13int; 159rsh 923yd 5.8av 12TD 2fmb
   Robinson was injured in the 3rd quarter against Illinois and had just 122 combined yards.
8. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (6-3)
   224-302 74% 3093yd 29TD 5int; 117rsh 478yd 4.1av 5TD 3fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin had three passing and one rushing TD for the 2nd straight week.
   
9. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (10-0)
   93rec 1142yd 14TD 2fmb; 3rsh 6yds 2.0 ave 0TD; 2ret yds 0TD 1fmb
   Another solid 100 yard, 2 TD game from Blackmon.
   
10. ^ Brandon Weeden, QB-Oklahoma State (10-0)
    313-428 73% 3635yd 31TD 9int; 15rsh -95yd -6.3av 0TD 0fmb
    Weeden was 31 of 37 for 5 touchdowns in a 66-6 romp over Texas Tech.
    
11. v Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (8-1)
    254-393 65% 3349yd 28TD 9int; 17rsh 22yd 1.3ave 2TD 0fmb
    Jones and the Sooners were idle last weekend.
12. ^ Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson (9-1)
    222-361 61% 3017yd 27TD 7int; 100rsh 191yd 1.9av 4TD 0fmb
    Boyd was hot and cold, throwing 2 interceptions but rallying the team to a 31-28 win.
    
    Removed from consideration
    
13. v Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma (8-1)
    83rec 1157yd 10TD 1fmb; 196ret yds 0TDs 1fmb
    Broyles is out for the year with an ACL tear.
14. ^ Luke Kuechly, LB-Boston College (3-7)
    168 tackles, 2 interceptions, 0 sacks
    Kuechly had another 18 tackles in B.C.'s third win of the year.
    
15. v Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (8-2)
    163rsh 818yd 5.0av 10TD 2fmb; 19rec 182yd 1TD
    Lattimore is out for the season with injury.

Denard Robinson has been fading for weeks and is starting to get "dinged up" like he did last year. His rushing numbers are falling and his passing numbers aren't getting any better. There's always a chance he has an explosive game that reminds people why he's so amazing, but barring that it's very likely that we'll cut him from the "live contenders" next week. The one advantage he has over last year is Michigan's improved record, but his personal numbers just aren't there this season. Kansas State's Collin Klein is even getting more press now as a run-first quarterback than Robinson.

Baylor's Robert Griffin III had another solid game in another Baylor nail-biter. Over the past two weeks the Bears have won two games by 4 points total, and Griffin has thrown 6 touchdown passes and run for 156 yards. Baylor's woeful 4-3 record has turned into a respectable 6-3, and with next week's game against Oklahoma Griffin could make a move. He's one of many who still have a small chance to win the trophy, and a more realistic shot at being in the top three or going to New York.

Oklahoma State is the most important team in the race right now. Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden are both candidates, but Blackmon's chances are very small while Weeden has become the flavor of the week, topping a lot of people's lists. I don't think he's a true contender unless Oklahoma State wins out; at that point, he might be the favorite. For now, he's in no danger of dropping off our list and will continue to move up with each Cowboy win, but the make or break game is, of course, Oklahoma, whose Landry Jones is a lesser choice in almost every way. Remember that there is no Big Twelve title game, so Weeded has exactly two games to prove he deserves to be the Heisman winner, even as some other candidates play an extra game. The good news is that the OK-OK State game is on December 3rd, so it's much the same thing. And as we noted, few of the candidates will be involved in conference title games. 

We've started cutting the list to make it more manageable, and the first three to go are the obvious: Marcus Lattimore and Ryan Broyles, both out with injury for the season, and Luke Kuechly, who may set an NCAA record for tackles for Boston College. For Kuechly, the Butkus award will have to be his Heisman.

Clemson's Tajh Boyd holds on this week but just barely; he and Denard Robinson are on the short list of players that are losing viability. The Oklahoma-Baylor game will determine whether Landry Jones or Robert Griffin remains a viable candidate, and Justin Blackmon will need a big game against Iowa State to prove he still belongs. Basically the top six—and Weedon, providing Oklahoma State doesn't lose—are safe, but any of the other five have an uphill battle in a year that's turning out very good for the Heisman race.

2011 Heisman Race, week 10: Luck, Moore still on top by default

After ten weeks we have our final list of 15 candidates that we'll start whittling down over the next 5 weeks. On top are quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore; neither had a Heisman-like game last weekend but stay on top because of season-long performance...and the fact that Trent Richardson didn't have an explosive performance against LSU in a losing effort.

Andrew Luck completed 20 of 30 passes for 206 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception against Oregon State. Kellen Moore was 18 of 31 for 219 yards, but he did throw for 5 touchdown passes against UNLV. Their stats are pretty even for the year: both are over 70% in completions; Luck has a few hundred more yards (with an extra game); Moore has 29 TD passes to Luck's 26; both have 5 interceptions. Lately the Cardinal are playing much tougher teams—culminating in the Oregon game Saturday—while Boise's schedule gets weaker after the TCU game. But as of right now, their opposition to date hasn't been radically different. Moore now holds the all-time NCAA record for wins for a starting quarterback. Russell Wilson had a good game last week, throwing 3 touchdown passes and rushing for 76 yards and another score, but his candidacy is based on taking Wisconsin to the top level; he seemed to be doing that but in their two losses he came up just short. He's a distant 3rd in our book and the only reason he hasn't fallen is that no one is really pushing for the top slots.

Case Keenum of Houston might be at the point where he's pushing for the top slots, however. Last Saturday he scored four times, twice on passes and twice on the ground. Keenum has set a number of all-time NCAA records and he's making a big move, but ultimately Houston's schedule of cupcakes will probably hold him back. He moves up one spot to #4, replacing Denard Robinson, who came up short—controversially—on several attempts from the 3-yard line in a loss to Iowa. Even had the TD been allowed on replay, Michigan's next plays were from the 2-point conversion distance so the outcome of the game—which the Wolverines lost 24-16—would probably not have changed.

2011 Heisman Race after week 10

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (9-0)
   194-272 71% 2424yd 26TD 5int; 29rsh 147yd 5.1av 2TD 0fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Luck had 3 TDs and just over 200 yards passing with one interception.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (8-0)
   192-259 74% 2229yd 29TD 5int; 10rsh -16yd -1.6av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore had just 219 yards, but 5 touchdown passes.
3. Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (7-2)
   144-201 72% 2238yd 21TD 3int; 48rsh 276yd 5.8av 4TD 1fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   Wilson threw 3 TD passes and ran for another against Purdue.
4. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (9-0)
   257-347 74% 3626yd 34TD 3int; 32rsh 27yd 0.8av 2TD 2fmb
   Just two TD passes last week instead of nine, but he ran for 2 more.
5. v Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (7-2)
   102-192 53% 1617yd 13TD 12int; 147rsh 893yd 6.1av 10TD 1fmb
   Robinson rushed for 55 and went 17 of 37 in a loss to Iowa.
6. ^ Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (8-1)
   172rsh 1078yd 6.3av 17TD 0fmb; 23rec 292yd 1TD; 66ret yds 0TD
   Richardson had 89 rushing and 80 receiving yards in the loss to LSU.
7. v LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (8-1)
   133rsh 1061yd 8.0ave 9TD 0fmb; 12rec 165yd 1TD; 137ret yds 1TD
   James has 156 yards against Washington but Richardson gets the top RB nod.
8. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (5-3)
   202-273 74% 2781yd 26TD 4int; 107rsh 375yd 3.5av 4TD 3fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin had three passing and one rushing TD in a win over Missouri.
   
9. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (9-0)
   87rec 1039yd 12TD 2fmb; 3rsh 6yds 2.0 ave 0TD; 2ret yds 0TD 1fmb
   Blackmon exploded for 205 yards in a close win over Kansas State, offsetting 2 fumbles.
   
10. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (8-1)
    254-393 65% 3349yd 28TD 9int; 17rsh 22yd 1.3ave 2TD 0fmb
    Jones had a tame, 255 yard, 2 TD game against Texas A&M.
11. ^ Brandon Weeden, QB-Oklahoma State (9-0)
    282-391 72% 3212yd 26TD 9int; 14rsh -85yd -6.0av 0TD 0fmb
    Weeden threw 2 interceptions but passed for 502 yards and four scores against K-State
12. v Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma (8-1)
    83rec 1157yd 10TD 1fmb; 196ret yds 0TDs 1fmb
    Broyles had 87 yards on 2 catches but tore his ACL and is lost for the year.
13. v Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (7-2)
    163rsh 818yd 5.0av 10TD 2fmb; 19rec 182yd 1TD
    Lattimore is out for the season with injury.
14. Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson (8-1)
    195-318 61% 2674yd 25TD 5int; 89rsh 164yd 1.8av 4TD 0fmb
    Clemson didn't play last week.
15. Luke Kuechly, LB-Boston College (2-7)
    150 tackles, 2 interceptions, 0 sacks
    Kuechly had 20 tackles against FSU in another BC loss
    

Trent Richardson didn't hurt himself in the loss to LSU, but he didn't do enough to get Alabama the win and put himself among the top candidates on our list. With 89 yards rushing and 80 receiving, he pretty much was all of Alabama's offense, but he couldn't will the team to win the way great players are supposed to. Nevertheless, his candidacy isn't hurt and he can keep moving up in the coming weeks. He finally overtakes LaMichael James as the #1 running back despite James' 156 yards against Washington. Comparing their full seasons and opponents, Richardson has faced tougher teams and has a stellar 17 rushing TDs to James' 9; moreover, his performance against LSU (89 rushing, 80 receiving, 23 return yards) surpassed James' (54 rushing, 61 receiving, -4 return). James is still averaging over 150 yards per game so a big effort against Stanford and a strong finish could reignite his candidacy, but missing two games and failing to reach 70 yards in three others makes his performances look inconsistent.

Baylor's Robert Griffin III had a great game in a tight win over Missouri, totalling 4 touchdowns and leading his team to a 3-point victory. Baylor's 3 losses hold Griffen back, but statistically—and in importance to his team—he's up there with anyone. Justin Blackmon had his most productive of the season as Oklahoma State edged Kansas State; he had 205 receiving yards and caught 2 TD passes. He also had two fumbles—one after a catch, and one on a punt return—that could have lost the game for the Cowboys, but his other efforts offset those mistakes. Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles was unfortunately lost for the year with an ACL tear, so Blackmon will finish as the top wide receiver. His QB, Brandon Weeden, also had some mistakes (2 interceptions) while ultimately contributing to the K-State win in a big way with over 500 yards and 4 TD passes.

Marcus Lattimore continues to slide down the list as his season has been over for weeks. Clemson was idle so Tajh Boyd doesn't move. Our final listed candidate in the top 15 is a defensive player. We thought we'd add Tyrann Mathieu if LSU won; after all, undefeated, #1 teams should logically have a Heisman candidate. But Mathieu's stats are really underwhelming. He has forced four fumbles and returned two of those for touchdowns, and that's what his name is built on this year. But other than that, he has 2 interceptions, 1.5 sacks, and 47 tackles. On offense he's averaging 7.9 yards per punt return. With those numbers, and a 1-game suspension and cheap shot in the Alabama game, why list him when there's another defensive player who should get the token recognition?

Boston College's Luke Kuechly has 150 tackles in 8 games. That puts him on pace for 200 tackles, which would be an NCAA single-season record. He can't help it if the Eagles' offense is terrible and can't win games. He might not survive the cut next week but is at least on someone's list now.

2011 Heisman Race, week 9: Luck lucks out, stays in at #1

Sometimes you have to dig a hole to show how well you can get out of it. Andrew Luck, our front-runner almost every week of the season, did just that against USC when he threw a late pick-6 with the game tied. But he went right back an engineered a touchdown drive to tie the game and three more to win it in triple overtime. In Heisman politics, that means he's a stronger #1 than ever, even though at the end a USC fumble sealed the win for the Cardinal. If USC had managed to win, Luck's candidacy would have taken a hit.

Kellen Moore was idle last week and remains #2. His stats are similar to Luck's but the competition is starting to get weak just as Luck's opponents are getting tougher, and that will be the difference if they continue on their current trajectory. Moore has a good shot at finishing in the top three because many other top candidates, such as Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, are hitting turbulence. Wilson played well against Ohio State but the Badgers lost; again, not his fault that a last-minute pass play won the game for the Buckeyes, but it still harms his standing. We didn't drop him yet but the chasm between #2 and #3 is wide. Denard Robinson holds on at #4 as Michigan is now 7-1. If they win out he could not only be in New York but has an outside chance to win. His stats, which include an equal number of TD passes and interceptions, are a problem, especially since he's not putting up huge rushing numbers lately.

Case Keenum cracks the top five with a monster, 9-touchdown performance before last weekend. It will be discounted because the opponent was Rice, but that's still a huge amount of touchdowns for any single game. He's sure to break all the all-time records that are within his reach, and that should be good for at least a trip to New York. Winning, however, would require a lot of teams to lose and other candidates to falter. If the award is going to a non-AQ player then Moore is in line ahead of Keenum, who has been tagged with the dreaded "system quarterback" label that has been applied ever since Andre Ware won in 1989—also playing for Houston.

2011 Heisman Race after week 9

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (8-0)
   174-242 72% 2218yd 23TD 4int; 25rsh 119yd 4.8av 2TD 0fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Luck threw a pick-six to put the USC game in jeopardy, but led his team back to victory.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (7-0)
   174-228 76% 1998yd 24TD 5int; 8rsh -12yd -1.5av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore and Boise State were idle last week.
3. Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (6-2)
   129-181 71% 2033yd 19TD 3int; 38rsh 200yd 5.3av 3TD 0fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   Wilson still leads the nation in passing efficiency, but his Badgers have lost 2 in a row.
4. Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (7-1)
   85-155 55% 1423yd 11TD 11int; 135rsh 838yd 6.2av 10TD 0fmb
   Robinson had a very understated game against Purdue but Michigan still won 36-14.
5. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (8-0)
   218-303 72% 3219yd 32TD 3int; 30rsh 25yd 0.8av 0TD 2fmb
   Nine touchdown passes. Nine. Against Rice, yes, but NINE TOUCHDOWN PASSES.
6. v LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (7-1)
   108rsh 905yd 8.4ave 8TD 0fmb; 11rec 159yd 1TD; 137ret yds 1TD
   James returned from injury and had just 53 yards in limited action.
7. ^ Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (8-0)
   149rsh 989yd 6.6av 17TD 0fmb; 18rec 212yd 1TD; 43ret yds 0TD
   Richardson was idle but can make or break his case against LSU this weekend.
8. v Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (4-3)
   175-232 75% 2375yd 23TD 4int; 88rsh 322yd 3.7av 3TD 2fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin had an okay game, but the Bears are 4-3 after losing to Oklahoma State.
   
9. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (8-0)
   74rec 834yd 10TD 1fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Blackmon rebounded with 172 yards against Baylor, his best total of the year.
   
10. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (7-1)
    236-355 66% 3094yd 26TD 9int; 14rsh 22yd 1.6ave 2TD 0fmb
    Jones added another 5 TDs and 505 passing yards against K-State.
11. Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma (7-1)
    81rec 1070yd 10TD 1fmb; 187ret yds 0TDs 1fmb
    Broyles almost exactly matched Blackmon with 14 catches and 171 yards.
12. Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (7-1)
    163rsh 818yd 5.0av 10TD 2fmb; 19rec 182yd 1TD
    Lattimore is out for the season with injury.
13. Brandon Weeden, QB-Oklahoma State (8-0)
    246-345 71% 2710yd 22TD 7int; 14rsh -85yd -6.0av 0TD 0fmb
    It's time to give Weeden some recognition as the key to the Cowboys' success
14. v Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson (8-1)
    195-318 61% 2674yd 25TD 5int; 89rsh 164yd 1.8av 4TD 0fmb
    Clemson suffered their first loss with Boyd throwing 2 picks.

Running backs are in short supply at the top of our list. LaMichael James is the only viable candidate averaging over 150 yards per game, and he's missed two games and had just 53 last weekend. Clearly Trent Richardson is poised to surpass him, and on most lists he's near the very top. We're hesitant to call Richardson the reason for Alabama's success (which is, defense), and that puts him in the "best player on the best team" category. Which is fine as long as Alabama beats LSU this weekend; otherwise his shot at winning decreases. For next week's purposes, he just has to do better than James did against LSU (54 yards back in September) to move up. The only other true running back on the list (though Denard Robinson sort of functions as one) is Marcus Lattimore, out for the season, still listed at #12 but obviously a top candidate to be cut in a couple of weeks.

Baylor's Robert Griffin III has fallen for the same reason Robinson fell last season—losses. The Bears are 4-3 now, and while Griffin is still playing well, he's nowhere near his early season "more TDs than incompletions" form, which was obviously unsustainable. He threw 1 touchdown pass against Oklahoma State and two interceptions. In that game, #9 Justin Blackmon finally had a signature great game, catching 13 passes for 172 yards. Meanwhile counterpart Ryan Broyles had 14 catches for 171 yards in Oklahoma's win over Kansas State. He remains at #11, but may ultimately be the better candidate than Blackmon or his own teammate Landry Jones. Jones stays ahead of Broyles this week as he had a 500+ yard, 5 TD performance himself.

Blackmon's quarterback finally gets on our board, too. Last year Brandon Weeden looked like a system quarterback if there ever was one, and with Blackmon as a target, who wouldn't look good? But Weeden has spread the wealth this year and proved he's not completely reliant on Blackmon. The team is also undefeated and the reason for that is the Cowboy offense, specifically the passing game. Weeden deserves credit for that. He jumps in ahead of Clemson's Tajh Boyd, another quarterback who had his team undefeated—until last week when the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech.

Next week we'll add our final candidate, and the week after that the cuts begin. If LSU beats Alabama they'll be undefeated and really deserve to have their own candidate. Most people are touting Tyrann Matthieu for his forced fumbles and interceptions. But if I'm going to pick a defensive player, right now I'd go for Luke Kuechly of Boston College, who is on track to beat the all-time record for most tackles in a single season. BC is only 2-6, but let's face it, defensive players are mostly a token selection on Heisman lists. If LSU beat the Tide, Matthieu will probably join and could stick around a while; otherwise, Kuechly might get the #15 slot just for the recognition.

2011 Heisman Race, week 8: Most candidates fall flat

Everyone has a bad week now and then, including the majority of the Heisman Race cohort. Normally the contenders are attempting to out-do each other with stellar performances every week, and a dud is ruinous to your chances. But this week was full of fail for the larger part of our list. Russell Wilson's team lost, LaMichael James was out again with injury, Denard Robinson and Robert Griffin's teams were idle, Oklahoma (Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles) was upset, and Justin Blackmon was injured. Marcus Lattimore is of course out for the season, and Trent Richardson had fewer than 100 yards. That leaves three quarterbacks, and the top two didn't have their best games. Only Case Keenum had an unequivocal good game last weekend.

Andrew Luck had a relatively good outing. He didn't make mistakes and Stanford blew out ranked Washington 65-21. But his team ran the ball most of the time, and he finished with fewer than 200 passing yards. Kellen Moore had to fight off a pesky Air Force team that threatened Boise State at home. In the end, though, these two performances were among the best of the week for our group, and they remain #1 and #2. That's also because our #3 candidate, Russell Wilson, had a bad evening against Michigan State. He threw two interceptions, one on a very ill-advised attempt, and seemingly lost control of the game at times. He did throw two TD passes and run for another. He remains #3 for now but his candidacy is harmed by the loss.

LaMichael James' candidacy is in jeopardy as he misses his 2nd consecutive game for Oregon. Still the leading per-game rusher, he has only 5 or 6 more chances to impress voters and rack up yards. His shot at winning is probably past but he could still get to New York if he returns soon—very soon. Otherwise he'll probably dwindle down to somewhere in the top 10. He falls below idle Denard Robinson this week. Robinson is forgotten but not gone, and his performance over the next few weeks will determine whether he can stay in the top five.

2011 Heisman Race after week 8

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (7-0)
   145-202 72% 1888yd 20TD 3int; 16rsh 83yd 5.2av 1TD 0fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Luck only threw 21 passes (169 yards, 2 TDs) as Stanford ran all over the Huskies.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (7-0)
   174-228 76% 1998yd 24TD 5int; 8rsh -12yd -1.5av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore's numbers are nearly identical to Luck's. He was 26 of 30 last weekend.
3. Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (6-1)
   109-149 73% 1780yd 16TD 3int; 32rsh 212yd 6.6av 3TD 0fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   Wilson threw two interceptions in Wisconsin's loss to Michigan State.
4. ^ Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (6-1)
   76-141 54% 1253yd 11TD 10int; 120rsh 762yd 6.4av 9TD 0fmb
   Michigan did not play last weekend.
5. v LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (6-1)
   95rsh 852yd 9.0ave 8TD 0fmb; 11rec 159yd 1TD; 137ret yds 1TD
   James was out again, still no word on his exact return date.
6. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (7-0)
   194-266 73% 2685yd 23TD 2int; 26rsh 40yd 1.5av 0TD 1fmb
   Keenum completed 24 of 28 passes for 6 touchdowns against Marshall.
7. v Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (4-2)
   142-182 78% 1950yd 22TD 2int; 72rsh 295yd 4.1av 2TD 2fmb; 15 rec yds
   Baylor was idle last weekend.
   
8. Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (8-0)
   149rsh 989yd 6.6av 17TD 0fmb; 18rec 212yd 1TD; 43ret yds 0TD
   Richardson had 77 yards and 2 touchdowns against Tennessee.
9. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (6-0)
   61rec 662yd 8TD 1fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Blackmon had his lowest yardage total of the year (54) and was injured against Missouri.
   
10. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (6-1)
    201-308 65% 2589yd 21TD 7int; 14rsh 22yd 1.6ave 2TD 0fmb
    Oklahoma's upset loss to Texas Tech hurts Jones despite his 5 TD passes.
11. ^ Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma (6-1)
    67rec 899yd 9TD 1fmb; 161ret yds 0TDs 1fmb
    Broyles had 7 receptions for 84 yards against Texas Tech.
12. v Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (6-1)
    163rsh 818yd 5.0av 10TD 2fmb; 19rec 182yd 1TD
    Lattimore is out for the season with injury.
13. Tajh Boyd, QB-Clemson (8-0)
    172-278 62% 2379yd 24TD 3int; 81rsh 165yd 2.0av 4TD 0fmb
    Boyd's team is 8-0 after a second 50-point offensive effort in a row.
    

Case Keenum had the best weekend of any candidate on last week's chart certainly. He passed for 6 touchdowns and completed 24 of 28 passes in a Houston win. Their opponent was Marshall, which certainly lessens the accomplishment. But Keenum is starting to ring up the all-time NCAA records, and that's worth something. He passes Robert Griffin III, whose team was idle. Griffin could still make a push for the top five but Baylor has two losses and more could be on the way in the tough Big Twelve.

Trent Richardson had just 77 yards against Tennessee, not exactly a Heisman-like stat. For the year, though, he's passed just shy of 1,000 yards, and with Alabama undefeated he will almost certainly make the top 5 in the coming weeks. That is, unless they lose to LSU. If Alabama can't claim to be the best team—with Richardson as best player on the best team—then Richardson's numbers look less impressive. To win the Heisman without being on the best team you should have at least 150 yards per game, and Richardson is well short of that.

Justin Blackmon's candidacy falters further with a 54-yard effort against Missouri. He remains #9 only because #10 Landry Jones doesn't deserve to rise after Oklahoma's loss to Texas Tech. Teammate Ryan Broyles moves up as Marcus Lattimore falls to #12. And finally joining this week is Tajh Boyd, who threw for 5 touchdowns and rushed for another in Clemson's 59-38 win over North Carolina. Any loss by Clemson effectively ends his chances but it hasn't happened yet.

2011 Heisman Race week seven: Marcus Lattimore out for season

Marcus Lattimore's season started with a bang and ended with a whimper. The South Carolina running back looked like a viable candidate early on after back-to-back game-changing performances against Georgia (176 yards) and Navy (246 yards). At the time he was averaging 178 yards per game and we assumed that in short order he would ascend to the very top of our list. But a couple of sub-par games later, including 66 yards against Auburn in a loss, prevented him from advancing, and a season-ending injury against Mississippi State puts his campaign to rest. Even if he hadn't been injured late in that game, his 17 carry, 39 yard performances was yet another disappointing outing that would have kept him in the lower reaches of our rankings.

Lattimore wasn't the only running back whose luster was lost due to injury. LaMichael James had three consecutive 200 yard outings before being hurt against Cal, forcing him to miss the Arizona State game. Backup Kenyon Barner had 171 yards for the Ducks, begging the question: is there such a thing as a "system" running back? Obviously both James and Barner are great talents, but running backs need every chance they can get to load up on yardage, and if you're in the top three and miss a game, you can't expect to stay there.

Particularly when others are knocking on the door. Denard Robinson didn't have a good game Saturday and Michigan lost to Michigan State, but Russell Wilson of Wisconsin had another solid outing in their blowout of Indiana. He also had a "Heisman moment," catching a touchdown pass to one-up Andrew Luck's first down catch from a few weeks ago. Luck remains in first place, with Kellen Moore still #2. Those two are #3 and #4 in the NCAA in passing efficiency, with Wilson at #1.

2011 Heisman Race after week 7

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (6-0)
   129-181 71% 1719yd 18TD 3int; 13rsh 60yd 4.6av 1TD 0fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TD
   Against Washington State Luck's first pass was intercepted, but he followed with 4 TDs.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (6-0)
   151-199 76% 1729yd 21TD 4int; 7rsh -11yd -1.6av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore's numbers are nearly identical to Luck's. He was 26 of 30 last weekend.
3. ^ Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (6-0)
   95-128 74% 1557yd 14TD 1int; 24rsh 182yd 7.6av 2TD 0fmb; 1rec 25yds 1TD
   Only 166 yards passing, but Wilson also caught a TD toss and ran twice for 42 yards.
4. v LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (5-1)
   95rsh 852yd 9.0ave 8TD 0fmb; 11rec 159yd 1TD; 137ret yds 1TD
   James was out with an elbow injury last weekend; his return date is uncertain.
5. v Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (6-1)
   76-141 54% 1253yd 11TD 10int; 120rsh 762yd 6.4av 9TD 0fmb
   Robinson was 9 of 24 and threw a critical pick-6 in Michgan's first loss.
6. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (4-2)
   142-182 78% 1950yd 22TD 2int; 72rsh 295yd 4.1av 2TD 2fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin had a season-high 430 yards in a loss to Texas A&M.
   
7. Case Keenum, QB-Houston (6-0)
   170-238 71% 2309yd 17TD 2int; 24rsh 24yd 1.0av 0TD 1fmb
   Houston was idle last weekend.
8. ^ Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (7-0)
   132rsh 912yd 6.9av 15TD 0fmb; 15rec 179yd 1TD; 43ret yds 0TD
   Richardson exploded for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns against Ole Miss.
9. v Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (6-0)
   53rec 608yd 7TD 1fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Blackmon's numbers are far below last season's; he had 74 receiving yards Saturday.
   
10. ^ Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (6-0)
    171-253 68% 1814yd 16TD 6int; 12rsh 11yd 0.9ave 2TD 0fmb
    Jones had 363 passing yards and 3 touchdowns against Kansas.
11. v Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (6-1)
    163rsh 818yd 5.0av 10TD 2fmb; 19rec 182yd 1TD
    Lattimore had 39 yards and 1 touchdown before being lost for the season to injury.
12. Ryan Broyles, WR-Oklahoma (6-0)
    60rec 815yd 9TD 0fmb; 128ret yds 0TDs 1fmb
    Broyles caught 13 passes for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns against Kansas.
    

Robert Griffin had another great performance but he can't do it all; Baylor's defense wasn't up to the challenge of Texas A&M, so despite Griffin's 430 yards and three touchdowns they lost 55-28. Griffin is every bit as good as Wilson—probably better—but the Heisman goes to players from winning teams. Still, Griffin's stats are amazing and he holds at #6. Case Keenum's Houston Cougars are undefeated, but another Heisman edict is that players on major schools have an advantage. It's true that smaller schools generally play easier schedules. If Houston goes undefeated and Keenum sets the records he's expected to, he could finish in the top five.

Trent Richardson was the other big mover this week. As Lattimore fades from the race, Richardson is just hitting his stride, and his 183 yards against Mississippi puts him in striking distance of the leaders. Most of his big games this year have come against the weaker teams on the schedule, but he now has seven 100+ games in a row. Conversely Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon now has two games in a row below triple digits in receiving yards, compared to last year when he went over 100 in every game. He drops a spot as does Lattimore. Landry Jones moves into the top ten as Lattimore falls; unlike other polls/predictions that have Jones near the lead, we see his numbers as decent but unspectacular, his play not "inspiring" in Heisman terms—and receiver Ryan Broyles close to eclipsing him as the top player on the team.

So for the 2nd straight week we add a Sooner to the list. Broyles had a remarkable 217 receiving yards last week, his fourth straight game in triple digits. If their trajectories continue, Broyles will pass Blackmon as the top receiver on our list, and should move close to his quarterback too.

2011 Heisman Race Week 6: James' peak soured by injury

LaMichael James had three 200+ yard games last year, which is pretty astounding. Against Cal this year, he had his third consecutive 200+ yard game, which is bordering on Barry Sanders territory. But just when James was ready to cap it off with another touchdown run in the Bear red zone, he suffered an ugly-looking injury that could cost him several games and derail his Heisman hopes.

James suffered a dislocated elbow which he pushed back in himself while on the field, which could give him "toughness points" if that counts for anything. He was hilarious in the post-game interview, saying that "talking to the media" would be part of his recuperation process. James started slow this year with a bad performance against LSU, but his recent play has put him back in the running for a good finish even if his odds of winning the Heisman are slim. How he bounces back from this injury will determine a lot about where he ends up. This week we move him up to #3, one spot short of where he started the year.

Andrew Luck remains #1; he and #2 Kellen Moore both had their typical excellent games. Michigan's Denard Robinson slips to #4 this week. He had a Jekyll and Hyde game against Northwestern where his first half was awful and his 2nd half amazing. He ended with 117 rushing yards and 4 total TDs, but three more interceptions. Though he led a great comeback and Michigan is still undefeated, it was his first-half play that dug the hole against a team they were expected to beat. With 9 interceptions against 10 passing touchdowns, it's hard to justify his lofty rank. But his running game makes up for that and going forward, the longer he can keep Michigan undefeated against a tough schedule, the closer to the top he'll get.

2011 Heisman Race after week six

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (5-0)
   106-145 73% 1383 yd 14TD 2int; 12rsh 60yd 5.0av 1TD 0fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TDs
   Another near-perfect game against Colorado helps Luck hold the top spot.
   
2. Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (5-0)
   125-169 74% 1391yd 17TD 4int; 5rsh -6yd -1.2av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore kept pace with Luck with his own 3-touchdown blowout.
3. ^ LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (4-1)
   95rsh 852yd 9.0ave 8TD 0fmb; 11rec 159yd 1TD; 137ret yds 1TD
   James had his 3rd straight 200+ yard performance against Cal, but was injured late.
4. v Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (6-0)
   67-117 57% 1130yd 10TD 9int; 102rsh 720yd 7.1av 8TD 0fmb
   Robinson threw 3 interceptions in the first half, then led a comeback win with 117 rushing yards.
5. Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (5-0)
   83-111 75% 1391yd 13TD 1int; 22rsh 140yd 6.4av 2TD 0fmb
   Wisconsin was idle last weekend.
6. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (4-1)
   114-142 80% 1520yd 19TD 1int; 60rsh 280yd 4.7av 2TD 2fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin showed off his running skills with 107 yards against Iowa State.
   
7. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (6-0)
   170-238 71% 2309yds 17TD 2int; 24rsh 24yd 1.0av 0TD 1fmb
   Keenum added over 300 yards and 3 TDs in the Cougars' 56-3 romp.
8. v Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (5-0)
   46rec 534yd 6TD 1fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Blackmon had another uncharacteristic sub-100 yard game against Kansas.
   
9. Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (5-1)
   146rsh 779yd 5.3av 9TD 2fmb; 16rec 153yd 1TD
   Lattimore treaded water with 102 yards against Kentucky.
10. Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (6-0)
    115rsh 729yd 6.3av 11TD 0fmb; 13rec 149yd 1TD
    Richardson also had just over 100 yards in Alabama's win.
11. Landry Jones, QB-Oklahoma (5-0)
    142-205 69% 1814yds 13TD 5int; 10rsh 2yd 0.2ave 2TD 0fmb
    Jones was a pre-season favorite for many but just enters our rankings after week 6.
    

Russell Wilson was idle last week, and Robert Griffin made his case again as the best dual-threat quarterback in the country. He rushed for over 100 yards for the first time this year, and now sits at #2 in passing efficiency. #1? Russell Wilson.

Case Keenum rises another spot to #7 as he closes in on several NCAA records, something that could earn him a trip to New York. Winning the trophy is a longshot as the "system quarterback" tag is normally invoked for highly-productive quarterbacks from non-AQ conferences. He displaces Justin Blackmon, who had another sub-100 yard receiving effort and is far behind his stats from last year.

SEC running backs Marcus Lattimore and Trent Richardson both had just over 100 yards in winning performances. It will take more than that to win the trophy, though. With Alabama looking unstoppable and South Carolina already saddled with a loss, Richardson's long-term odds look better than Lattimore's, and he's ahead of Mark Ingram's pace in his 2009 Heisman season.

Added this week is Landry Jones. Oklahoma is undefeated and has been one of the top teams all year, and Jones led their blowout of Texas with three touchdown passes. For the year his numbers are strong but his interception count has been a limiting factor. If the Sooners stay undefeated he's got a chance, but if they lose a game it's doubtful he'll be a finalist.

2011 Heisman Race Week 5: Russell Wilson the new Robert Griffin?

A couple of candidates stumbled this week: Kellen Moore stumbled while winning big; Robert Griffin stumbled at the very end of a loss; and Marcus Lattimore had a generally poor performance in his team's loss. The best performance in a big game went to Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, while newcomer Trent Richardson had his best outing for Alabama.

Andrew Luck retakes our top spot. He was nearly perfect (23 of 27) against UCLA, and had a Heisman moment with a 1-handed sideline catch. It didn't win the game for the Cardinal but it will be replay many a time on YouTube. Meanwhile Kellen Moore had a subpar performance against Nevada. The Broncos won easily, 30-10, but Moore wasn't himself completing just 58% and throwing two interceptions. He falls to #2 as, due to Boise's easier schedule, he's held to a higher standard.

Michigan's Denard Robinson arguably had his first solid passing performance of the year, as he completed 15 of 19 throws for two touchdowns. Rushing is what his candidacy is built on and he added only 51 yards to that total. However, it's looking more and more like the team could keep winning, which is necessary for Robinson to remain a viable candidate. LaMichael James was idle this week but still leads the country in rushing yards per game and stays at #4.

Pushing his way into the top five is Russell Wilson, the Heisman's new man of the moment. Starring in Wisconsin's thrashing of Nebraska, Wilson put on quite a show (2 TDs in the air, 1 on the ground) and with the Badgers looking unstoppable in the Big Ten he can ride the tide of a winning team. Last week everyone was talking about Robert Griffin (and for good reason), but now it's seems clear that Wisconsin is going to win more games than Baylor and that always ends up being an important consideration to voters.

2011 Heisman Race after week five

1. ^ Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (4-0)
   80-112 71% 1013 yd 11TD 1int; 11rsh 58yd 5.3av 1TD 0fmb; 1rec 13yds 0TDs
   23 of 27, 3 TDs, and one incredible 1-handed catch puts Luck back on top.
   
2. v Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (4-0)
   102-138 74% 1137yd 14TD 4int; 5rsh -6yd -1.2av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore had his worst game of the year, throwing 2 interceptions in any easy win.
3. Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (5-0)
   50-91 55% 793yd 8TD 6int; 77rsh 603yd 7.8av 6TD 0fmb
   Just 51 yards rushing but Robinson had his best passing outing, hitting 15 of 19 in a 58-0 romp.
4. LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (3-1)
   65rsh 613yd 9.4ave 9TD 0fmb; 11rec 159yd 1TD; 135ret yds 1TD
   Oregon was idle last week.
5. ^ Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (5-0)
   83-111 75% 1391yd 13TD 1int; 22rsh 140yd 6.4av 2TD 0fmb
   Wilson was the star of the big win over Nebraska.
6. v Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (3-1)
   92-112 82% 1308yd 18TD 1int; 36rsh 173yd 4.8av 1TD 2fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin had an incredible day until the pick that lost the game against Kansas State.
   
7. Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (4-0)
   38rec 450yd 5TD 1fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Oklahoma State was idle last week.
   
8. ^ Case Keenum, QB-Houston (5-0)
   140-201 70% 14TD 2int; 22rsh 36yd 1.6av 0TD 1fmb
   Keenum led Houston to another narrow victory, the Cougars' 3rd this year.
9. v Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (4-1)
   124rsh 677yd 5.5av 9TD 2fmb; 12rec 139yd 1TD
   Lattimore had 66 yards and a fumble in South Carolina's loss to Auburn.
10. Trent Richardson, RB-Alabama (5-0)
    96rsh 622yd 6.5av 10TD 0fmb; 11rec 148yd 1TD
    Richardson rushed for 181 yards against Florida, his 4th straight 100+ performance
    

Last week it seemed inevitable that Robert Griffin would push his way into the top three if not to #1 in short order, but now the question remains: how many games is Baylor going to win? After losing to Kansas State, a 6-6 finish isn't out of the question, and that would kill his hopes the same way Michigan's 7-5 finish did Denard Robinson's last year. Griffin can hardly be blamed for his team's loss as the Bears' offense scored 35 points, all on Griffin touchdown passes. But late in the game he threw a crucial interception that gave the Wildcats the game. We don't downgrade him for the performance, but with Wilson pushing past him he falls to #6. With his stats, he's not out of it by a longshot, but he's going to have to perform miracles to keep his team winning week in and week out.

#7 Justin Blackmon was idle last week. Case Keenum rises a spot to #8 as Marcus Lattimore falls. Keenum passed for 471 yards in a winning effort as Lattimore rushed for just 66 while losing to Auburn.

Trent Richardson is added to the list this week. The top teams usually have a dog in the race and Richardson is showing that he should be Alabama's representative after rushing for 181 yards against Florida. He also had 126 in the Tide's win over Arkansas; that's two good performances against top 25 teams.

2011 Heisman Race Week 4 - Any more applicants?

Another week of good performances for the Heisman candidates leaves the field looking complete after just four weeks. We had trouble adding another candidate because it seems our top eight encompasses everyone who is actually deserving at this time.

Kellen Moore takes over the top spot after a 4 touchdown performances against Tulsa, which makes his stats after three games superior to Andrew Luck's, and against better competition, too. Boise State has faced Georgia and upstart Toledo in addition to the Golden Hurricane, while Stanford has beaten Arizona, San Jose State, and Duke.

At #3 we again find Denard Robinson, who had another poor passing outing (8 of 17, 0 TD, 2 int), but rushed for 200 yards. Treating him as a running back who happens to throw the ball, he stays ahead of LaMichael James, a running back who doesn't throw the ball. James had an outrageous 288 yards against Arizona to keep him in the thick of things despite his early stumbles.

Pushing everyone is Baylor's Robert Griffin, who is on a tear with an 85% completion rate. As you may have heard mentioned in, well, everything written about him in the last week, he has more touchdown passes (13) than incompletions (12), which is pretty astounding. He would have moved up this week but how can you downgrade a guy who rushes for 288 yards, or a quarterback who rushes for 200? Oregon is idle this week and if Griffin has a good game against Kansas State he'll move up, but he has to keep the Bears winning.

2011 Heisman Race after week four

1. ^ Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (3-0)
   83-105 79% 995yd 12TD 2int; 4rsh -4yd -1.0av 0TD 0fmb
   Moore threw four touchdown passes last week in just 2 1/2 quarters.
2. v Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (3-0)
   57-85 67% 833yd 8TD 1int; 8rsh 52yd 6.5av 1TD 0fmb
   Luck was idle last week and his stats are less gaudy than some of the other QBs in the race.
   
3. Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (4-0)
   35-72 49% 624yd 6TD 6int; 71rsh 552yd 7.8av 5TD 0fmb
   Robinson had 200 rushing yards to offset his 2 interceptions.
4. LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (3-1)
   65rsh 613yd 9.4ave 9TD 0fmb; 11rec 159yd 1TD; 135ret yds 1TD
   James needed a whopping 288 yards to hold off Griffin's surge.
5. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (3-0)
   70-82 85% 962yd 13TD 0int;24rsh 167yd 7.0av 1TD 2fmb; 15 rec yds
   Griffin went 29 of 33 with 5 TD passes, increasing his % from 84 to 85 this week.
   
6. ^ Russell Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (4-0)
   69-91 76% 1136yd 11TD 1int; 16rsh 125yd 7.8av 1TD 0fmb
   Wilson continues his efficient ways but for now is a shadow of Griffin.
7. v Justin Blackmon, WR-Oklahoma State (4-0)
   38rec 450yd 5TD 1fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Blackmon got back on track with 112 yards against A&M, but fumbled away a touchdown.
   
8. Marcus Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (4-0)
   107rsh 611yd 5.7av 8TD 1fmb; 12rec 139yd 1TD
   Lattimore cooled down with just 77 yards against Vandy, but added a TD reception.
9. Case Keenum, QB-Houston (4-0)
   110-155 71% 12TD 2int; 21rsh 18yd 0.9av 0TD 1fmb
   Good stats so far, but it's the Lousiana Tech comeback that's most impressive.
   

If it weren't for Griffin people would really be talking about Russell Wilson's stats. He's completing 76% of his passes and has an 11:1 TD/int ratio with 125 yards on the ground, all great numbers but all a few notches below Griffin's 3-game stats. He does push past Justin Blackmon as his team faces its first test of the year against Nebraska on Saturday. Blackmon got back into the triple-digit groove against Texas A&M and had a fantastic touchdown catch (1 of his 2) but he also carelessly fumbled away another certain touchdown that could have blown the game for the Cowboys, who ended up winning by a point. It's becoming increasingly clear that Blackmon isn't doing anything other than catching passes, and in that area he's not leading in receptions nor in the top 10 in yards per game. Incidentally he wasn't credited with the 39 yard loss at the end of the game where the Cowboys took a deliberate safety to run out the clock, so his rushing total remains at 6 yards.

Marcus Lattimore remains at #8 after a 77-yard performance against Vanderbilt. He also caught a 52-yard touchdown pass in addition to a 22-yard rushing TD. His rushing total after 4 games is very similar to James', and he's won a couple of games for the Gamecocks so in the long run he might come out on top, but he needs to get over 100 yards per game.

Now the hard part: Who else is worthy? Adding a player to the list was difficult this week. There were some good individual game performances but four games in we have to look at the season so far. For example, Hawaii's Brian Moniz had 7 touchdown passes in the first half, but that was against UC Davis and Hawaii is just 2-2.

Among running backs, Ronnie Hillman of San Diego State is the only other one averaging above 150 yards, and he's had 100+ each game. For quarterbacks, Seth Doege of Texas Tech has the most impressive stats: 77% completion rate and a 12:0 TD/int ratio. But Hillman hasn't faced much staunch opposition and Doege has played just three games; I'm inclined to make both prove themselves a bit further.

Among other popular candidates we don't list, Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State and Taylor Martinez of Nebraska are mentioned a lot. Weeden has been productive but has 6 interceptions already, and Martinez has just 4 TD passes. Martinez faces Wisconsin this weekend and a win there could raise his stock, while Weeden just needs to keep the Cowboys winning and he might become to be seen as the force behind the offense (rather than Blackmon).

Two candidates come from the top-ranked teams in the polls, Oklahoma and Alabama. But Landry Jones hasn't put up Heisman-like numbers in guiding his team so far, with just 5 TDs and 4 interceptions. Trent Richardson is finding his groove lately but his first game for the Tide—37 yards against Kent State on 13 carries—was luckluster.

Houston's Case Keenum has proven in past years that he's a serious candidate, and so far this year he's guided his team to a 4-0 record. #2 in yards per game and completing 71%, he has 12 TDs against just 2 interceptions, and moreover he led the Cougars on one of the great comebacks in college football history against Louisiana Tech two weekends ago. Down 34-7 late in the third, Houston scored 28 points and won 35-34. Coming back after knee surgery last year, Keenum may be on his way to being the NCAA's all-time leading passer, so he deserves consideration.

2011 Heisman Race Week 3 - A great week for (almost) everyone as Blackmon's streak end

From Kellen Moore on Friday night through Andrew Luck late Saturday night, every major Heisman candidate had a good game this weekend—until the early Sunday morning Oklahoma State-Tulsa game, where Justin Blackmon's 14-game streak of 100+ receiving yards per game came to an end.

Blackmon had over 100 receiving yards in every game he played last year (he missed one game due to a DUI-related suspension). He had 144 and 128 in Oklahoma State's first two games, but managed just 57 yards on seven receptions against Tulsa. They didn't need a big game from him as they scored 59 points, but as a receiver Blackmon needs to have incredible stats to stay in the race. To win he'd probably need 2,000 yards, but exceeding last year's total of 1,782 isn't looking likely.

Andrew Luck started slow but finished with a strong performance against Arizona, enough to keep him at the top spot. Kellen Moore had a career-tying 5 TD passes against Toledo but he was picked off once, his 2nd of the year (he had just 6 all last season and 3 the year before). Denard Robinson isn't going to challenge those two based on his passing if Saturday is any indication, as Shoelace went 7 of 18 for the day, leaving him at 49% for the year in completions. He held at #3 because of his rushing—he ran for 198 yards against Eastern Michigan.

2011 Heisman Race after week three

1. A. Luck, QB-Stanford (3-0): 57-85 67% 833yd 8TD 1int; 8rsh 52yd 6.5av 1TD 0fmb
   Andrew Luck did well enough against Arizona on the road to hold the top spot.
   
2. K. Moore, QB-Boise State (2-0): 60-76 79% 716yd 8TD 2int; 2rsh 2yd 1.0av 0TD 0fmb
   5 TDs and 455 yards against Toledo, but has 2nd INT in 2 games keeps Kellen Moore at #2.
3. D. Robinson, QB-Michigan (3-0): 27-55 49% 531yd 6TD 4int; 50rsh 352yd 7.0av 2TD 0fmb
   Denard Robinson was just 7 of 18 against E. Mich but ran for 198 yards.
4. ^ L. James, RB-Oregon (2-1): 42rsh 325yd 7.7ave 5TD 0fmb; 9rec 144yd 1TD; 75rty 1TD
   LaMichael James finally came alive for 204 yards in just 12 carries against Missouri St.
5. ^ R. Griffin III, QB-Baylor (2-0): 41-49 84% 624yd 8TD 0int;18rsh 116yd 6.4av 0TD 1fmb;15rcY
   Griffin now leads the nation in passing efficiency after a 20-of-22 performance.
   
6. v J. Blackmon, WR-OK St. (3-0): 27rec 329 yd 3TD 0fmb; 2rsh 6yds 3.0 ave 0TD
   Justin Blackmon's 14-game string of triple-digit yardage comes to an end.
   
7. R. Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (3-0): 50-66 76% 791yd 8TD 1int; 11rsh 110yd 10.0av 1TD 0fmb
   Russell Wilson is #2 in passing efficiency behind Griffin.
8. M. Lattimore, RB-South Carolina (3-0): 87rsh 534yd 6.1av 7TD 1fmb; 9rec 66yd 0TD
   Marcus Lattimore's 2nd consecutive huge game—this one 246 yards—is impossible to ignore.
   

Blackmon falls to #6. Taking advantage of his decline are LaMichael James and Robert Griffin III. James had 204 yards in just 12 carries, boosting his rushing numbers from poor to very good in just one game. But that was against Missouri State; he'll have to do similar things against Pac-12 opponents to stay in the race. Griffin completed 20 of 22 passes against Stephen F. Austin in a 48-0 win, putting him atop the NCAA's passing efficiency chart and moving him from #6 to #5. Wisconsin's Russell Wilson is #2 on the passing efficiency chart and holds at #7. So far the Badgers have beaten up on lesser opponents; how he and his team fare against better defenses will determine how far up he moves.

South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore had 176 critical yards against Georgia on a 45-42 road win, and he topped that with 246 yards in a 24-21 win over Navy. It's pretty safe to say that without him the Gamecocks would be 1-2 right now. That's the mark of a valuable player, and Lattimore debuts at #8 this week poised to move up quickly.

2011 Heisman Race week 2: Does Robinson's incomplete game hurt him?

Denard Robinson pulled off a classic win against Notre Dame, something that often propels candidates toward a win in the Heisman race (it worked for Desmond Howard in 1991). But the week before, Michigan's game against Western Michigan was called with minutes left in the 3rd quarter. This affected Robinson for two reasons.

One, he had another quarter to rack up stats. Granted, he probably wouldn't have played much or any of the 4th quarter, but it just takes one pass play or big run to tally another touchdown, and stats are important in the Heisman Race.

Second, the NCAA doesn't officially count stats for games that don't reach the 4th quarter. So according to them, Robinson doesn't have statistics for the first week of the season. Anywhere Robinson's 2011 season statistics are listed using the NCAA's numbers, Robinson will be short 98 passing yards and 46 rushing yards. Not huge numbers, but if the race is really tight, 150 total yards here and there could sway just a few voters. It would be a shame if bad accounting lost the race for Shoelace; after all, he did gain those yards, and Michigan did win that game.

It's possible, however, that Robinson's per-game figures will look better when quoted without the Western Michigan game, so it all could even out in the end.

2011 Heisman Race after week two

1. A. Luck, QB-Stanford (2-0): 37-54 69% 461yd 6TD 1int; 5rsh 11yd 2.2av 1TD 0fmb
   Luck threw four touchdown passes but did have a pick-six interception against Duke.
   
2. K. Moore, QB-Boise State (1-0): 28-34 82% 261yd 3TD 1int; 0rsh 0yd 0TD 0fmb
   Moore was idle last week.
3. ^ D. Robinson, QB-Michigan (2-0): 20-37 54% 436yd 4TD 3int; 24rsh 154yd 6.4av 1TD 0fmb
   Robinson came up big late in the game in a classic win over Notre Dame.
4. J. Blackmon, WR-OK St. (2-0): 20rec 272 yd 2TD 0fmb; 1rsh 6yds 6.0 ave 0TD
   Another game, another 100+ yards for Blackmon, with two TDs against Arizona
   
5. v L. James, RB-Oregon (1-1): 30rsh 121yd 4.0ave 2TD 0fmb; 8rec 117yd 1TD; 65rty 1TD
   Low rushing numbers again, but James scored on a run, a reception, and punt return.
6. R. Griffin III, QB-Baylor (1-0): 21-27 78% 359yd 5TD 0int;10rsh 38yd 3.8av 0TD 1fmb;15rcY
   Griffin was idle last week.
   
7. R. Wilson, QB-Wisconsin (2-0): 27-34 79% 444yd 5TD 0int; 6rsh 73yd 12.2av 1TD 0fmb
   Wisconsin's QB joins the race after another near-perfect game.
   

Despite Robinsin's heroics his stats for the Notre Dame game as a whole were fairly poor—he suffered three interceptions and completed only 11 of 24 attempts. He had a bad first half as Michigan fell behind. But what will people take away from the game, that, or the last second touchdown pass?

LaMichael James rushed for fewer than 100 yards for the 2nd straight week, putting his candidacy in jeopardy. He could remain in contention as an all-purpose threat if he keeps up his receiving and kick return performances.

Andrew Luck remained on top of the heap for now, and Justin Blackmon held steady with another patented 100+ yard performance. People are so used to that that he'll need to do even more to break into the top tier.

Russell Wilson is added to the list. In two outings with Wisconsin he's done everything that could be expected of him and the Badgers are a legitimate national title contender.

2011 Heisman Race week 1 - RG3 is Player of the Week

We handle the Heisman Trophy differently every year, mostly because I'm never sure how much interest I and others will have in the race. This year we've started with last year's top vote getters on a five-man shortlist.

Of last year's top ten finishers, five are back for 2011:

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
3. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
4. Justin Blackmon, WR, OK State
5. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan

So that's where we start. Every week we'll move them up or down a notch based on performance that week and for the full season to date, and each week we'll add a new player. At week 10 we'll have 15 and will eliminate three players each week until we have the final three in order.

2011 Heisman Race after week one

1. Andrew Luck, QB-Stanford (1-0): 17-26 65% 171yd 2TD 0int; 2rsh 9yd 4.5av 1TD 0fmb
   Luck did all that was needed in a 57-3 win over San Jose State
2. ^ Kellen Moore, QB-Boise State (1-0): 28-34 82% 261yd 3TD 1int; 0rsh 0yd 0TD 0fmb
   Moore led Boise to a big win over Georgia, 35-21, on a national stage. Now has 102 career TDs.
3. v LaMichael James, RB-Oregon (0-1): 18rsh 54yd 3.0ave 1TD 0fmb; 6rec 61yd 0TD; 17 ret yds
   Conversely, James  was held up by LSU's defense in Oregon's 40-27 loss on national tv.
4. Justin Blackmon, WR-OK St. (1-0): 8rec 144yd 0TD 0fmb
   Another game, another 100+ yards for JB. No TDs, though, as the Cowboys beat ULL 61-34
5. Denard Robinson, QB-Michigan (1-0): 9-13 69% 98yd 0TD 0int; 8rsh 46yd 5.8av 0TD 0fmb
   Shoelace efficient in Michigan's new offense; stats are for <45 min. in 34-10 win over W. Mich.
6. Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor (1-0): 21-27 78% 359yd 5TD 0int;10rsh 38yd 3.8av 0TD 1fmb;15 rcY
   Griffin leads Baylor to shootout win over TCU, 50-48, and joins the Heisman Race

The only stories this week were Robert Griffin, the obvious Player of the Week for his virtuoso performance against TCU's vaunted defense, and the disparity in performance between front-runners Moore and James. Oregon's loss doesn't hurt James as much as a Boise loss would have hurt Moore, but he loses momentum and needs a big game to remind people he's in the hunt.

Extra, Extra: Cam Newton wins 2010 Heisman Trophy; Stats Compared to Tim Tebow's

I hope I'm not jumping the gun on this story. It's supposed to be embargoed for a few more weeks, and the votes for the award aren't due until Monday, but let's just get this out of the way: Cam Newton will win the 2010 Heisman Award.

It might be the biggest margin in history. Probably not, due to both the pay-for-play scandal and some other strong candidates that will have some #1 votes. But overall, a rout. Unlike last year, this season's votes will be very uniform.

Newton finished with his best game yet, a four TD pass, 2 TD run performance in Auburn's 65-17 thrashing of South Carolina which made the Tigers SEC champs and put them in the national title game. His final stats: 28 passing TDs, 20 rushing TDs, 1 TD reception (for comparison Tim Tebow had 29 passing TDs and 22 rushing TDs in his 2007 Heisman year, pre-bowl season).

LaMichael James had a strong game in Oregon's win over Oregon State, rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns; he is our runner-up, and will probably finish #2 in the actual vote. Kellen Moore had a good performance in Boise State's season-ender against Utah State, throwing for three TDs and rushing for another, good enough to pass Andrew Luck overall and get my #3 vote. The two players stats are incredibly close—adding rushing and passing yards, Moore wins by 2 yards—but Moore had three more TDs and four fewer turnovers. I think both deserve an invite to New York, and maybe even Justin Blackmon, but probably only the top trio travels to the Big Apple.

The final list for the 2010 season:

1. Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (13-0) [added week six; won our top vote]
   165-246(67.1%) 2588yd 28TD 6int; 242rsh 1409yd (5.8av) 20TD 1fmb; 1TD rec
2. LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (12-0) [added week 5, removed week 14]
   280rsh 1679yd (6.0av) 21TD 4fmb; 13rec 169yd 1TD
3. Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise St (11-1) [added week 2, removed week 13]
   245-345(71.0%) 3507yd 33TD 5int; 16rsh -21yd (-1.3 av) 1TD 2fmb

    Others considered throughout the season:

• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (11-1) [added week 8, removed week 14]
  245-349(70.2%) 3051yd 28TD 7int; 51rsh 438yd (8.6av) 3TD 4fmb
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR OK St (10-2) [added week 7, removed week 13]
  102rec 1665yd 18TD 0fmb; 4rsh 77yds (19av) 1TD; 1 block return TD
  
• Terrelle Pryor, Jr, QB Ohio State [added week 3, removed week 12]
  
• Colin Kaepernick, Sr, QB Nevada [added week 4, removed week 12]
  
• Andy Dalton, Senior, QB TCU [added week 9, removed week 11]
  
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan [added week 1, removed week 11]
  
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season, removed week 10]

Total-TD-to-turnover (TTT) table

Using the top four candidates, here are each player's total TDs (rushing, passing, receiving, returning) vs. total turnovers (interceptions, fumbles) ranked by the formula TD/(TO+1)

Player            TDs  TOs    TTT   
Cam Newton        49    7     6.13
LaMichael James   22    4     4.40
Kellen Moore      34    7     4.25
Andrew Luck       31   11     2.58

Cam's numbers are pretty similar to Tim Tebow's from 2007. Tebow had 51 TDs (29 pass, 22 rush) with 6 interceptions and 1 fumble—just one extra TD pass and two extra TD runs (but no TD catch). His TTT score was therefore 6.38.

Tebow:  217-317 68.5% 3132yd 29TD 6int;194rsh  838yd 4.3av 22TD 1fmb

Newton: 165-246 67.1% 2588yd 28TD 6int;242rsh 1409yd 5.8av 20TD 1fmb; 1TD rec

Even more remarkable, Newton's total passing and rushing yardage is 3997, just 27 more than Tebow's. Newton had 13 games to accomplish his stats, one more than Tebow had in his season. But then again Newton's team went 13-0 to Tebow's 9-3. Overall it's hard to argue convincingly that one season was better than the other; they were both great.

Heisman Trophy Week 13: Just Give It to Cam

Now that the NCAA has declared Cameron Newton eligible, all but ending any talk of him having to give up the award some time in the future, the rout is on: Cam Newton will be a near-unanimous choice for the 2010 Heisman Award.

It gets closer if Auburn loses to South Carolina on Saturday, but even that won't be enough for anyone to pass him. After the Tigers' comeback win over Alabama last weekend the only question was Newton's eligibility.

LaMichael James has one more game, against Oregon State, but nothing he does can really impact the race. Boise State's Kellen Moore might finish second, too, but with the Broncos' loss we've made the tough decision to axe him from our final three along with Justin Blackmon, who also excelled though his team lost. And Andrew Luck was splendid in Stanford's final game, but it was their final game so he has nothing more to add.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (12-0) [added week six]
  148-218(67.9%) 2254yd 24TD 6int; 228rsh 1336yd (5.9av) 18TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (11-0) [added week five]
  253rsh 1548yd (6.1av) 19TD 4fmb; 13rec 169yd 1TD
• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (11-1) [added week eight]
  245-349(70.2%) 3051yd 28TD 7int; 51rsh 438yd (8.6av) 3TD 4fmb
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise St (10-1) [added week 2, removed week 13]
  221-311(71.1%) 3269yd 30TD 5int; 14rsh -34yd (-2.4 av) 0TD 2fmb
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR OK St (10-2) [added week 7, removed week 13]
  102rec 1665yd 18TD 0fmb; 4rsh 77yds (19av) 1TD; 1 block return TD
  
• Terrelle Pryor, Jr, QB Ohio State [added week 3, removed week 12]
  
• Colin Kaepernick, Sr, QB Nevada [added week 4, removed week 12]
  
• Andy Dalton, Senior, QB TCU [added week 9, removed week 11]
  
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan [added week 1, removed week 11]
  
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season, removed week 10]

Total-TD-to-turnover (TTT) table

Using the seven active candidates from last week, here are each player's total TDs (rushing, passing, receiving, returning) vs. total turnovers (interceptions, fumbles) ranked by the formula TD/(TO+1)

Player            TDs  TOs    TTT 
Justin Blackmon   20    0     20.0
Cam Newton        43    6     6.14
LaMichael James   20    4     4.00
Kellen Moore      30    7     3.75
Andrew Luck       31   11     2.58

Cam's numbers are pretty amazing for a non-receiver, close to Tim Tebow's from 2007.

Heisman Trophy Week 12: A Consensus Top Five?

A few weeks to go and it looks like there is a consensus top five in the Heisman race.  After eliminating two players this week, my list is in line with the various Heisman polls, usually down to the very order. That's not my goal, but it validates my unusual "Survivor"-like method of selection (add a player a week for the first 10 weeks, then eliminate two per week).

Cam Newton and LaMichael James didn't play last weekend, but they were safe from getting the axe. Kellen Moore threw four touchdown passes in a 51-0 win so he was safe. After that, there were four players, two of whom were cut.

All four played and each player's team won. Terrelle Pryor led Ohio State's 20-17 comeback win over Iowa; Andrew Luck led Stanford to a 48-14 crushing of Cal, while Justin Blackmon's Oklahoma State Cowboys drubbed Kansas by the same score; and Colin Kaepernick's Nevada Wolf Pack ran all over New Mexico State 52-6.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (11-0) [added week six]
  135-198(68.2%) 2038yd 21TD 6int; 206rsh 1297yd (6.3av) 17TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State (10-0) [added week two]
  201-280(71.8%) 2921yd 28TD 5int; 12rsh -23yd (-2.0 av) 0TD 2fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (10-0) [added week five]
  225rsh 1422yd (6.3av) 17TD 4fmb; 10rec 149yd 1TD
• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (10-1) [added week eight]
  224-319(70.2%) 2746yd 24TD 7int; 49rsh 445yd (9.1av) 3TD 4fmb
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR Oklahoma St (10-1) [added week seven]
  94rec 1560yd 17TD 0fmb; 4rsh 77yds (19av) 1TD; 1 block return TD
  
• Terrelle Pryor, Jr, QB Ohio State (10-1) [added week 3, removed week 12]
  178-271(65.7%) 2331yd 23TD 10int;108rsh 590yd (5.5av) 4TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Colin Kaepernick, Sr, QB Nevada (10-1) [added week 4, removed week 12]
  181-274(66.1%) 2412yd 19TD 6int;134rsh 984yd (7.3av) 16TD 3fmb
  
• Andy Dalton, Senior, QB TCU [added week 9, removed week 11]
  
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan [added week 1, removed week 11]
  
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season, removed week 10]

Terrelle Pryor got a lot of press for his 14-yard run on 4th and 10 near the end of the Iowa game, but that was his best moment in a game where he threw two interceptions, including one where the receiver was wide open. Had he done his job there the Buckeyes wouldn't have needed last-minute heroics.

Comparing his stats to Andrew Luck's, Pryor has clearly fallen behind (they had nearly identical stats at one time). Luck has a much better completion percentage now, more yards, more TDs, and fewer interceptions, and even slightly more yards per attempt (by .01). Pryor has more rushing yards but Luck's per-carry average is far better (an amazing 9.1 yards), and his 58-yard run against Cal was a far better "Heisman moment" than Pryor's 14-yarder, particularly when Luck bowled over the safety. Choosing from the final two "mainstream" candidates in the race, I choose Luck.

That leaves my two longshot candidates, one of whom has become mainstream recently, climbing into the top five in the various Heisman polls. It's Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, who is also my pick to stay in the race. He had his typical outing: 10 catches, 130 yards. He's the wide receiver equivalent of LaMichael James; both lead the nation in total yards as well as yards per game, and both do this despite missing a game (James missed game one due to assault charges, Blackmon missed a game due to a DUI). The difference? James has had a few sub-100 yard games while Blackmon has had over 100 receiving yards in every outing (and at least one touchdown).

So even though Nevada's Colin Kaepernick has his chance to shine against Boise State, he didn't make it that far on my list. Though he threw well and had two TD passes, he had just 35 rushing yards last weekend, and needed to have big games to stay in contention. His numbers are very similar to Newton's, though the latter has clearly faced stronger competition.

Total-TD-to-turnover (TTT) table

Using the seven active candidates from last week, here are each player's total TDs (rushing, passing, receiving, returning) vs. total turnovers (interceptions, fumbles) ranked by the formula TD/(TO+1)

Player            TDs  TOs    TTT 
Justin Blackmon   19    0     19.0
Cam Newton        39    6     5.57
LaMichael James   18    4     3.60
Kellen Moore      28    7     3.50
Colin Kaepernick  35    9     3.50
Terrelle Pryor    28   10     2.55
Andrew Luck       27   11     2.25
 

Blackmon still dominates due to being a receiver. Kellen Moore's numbers fall a bit due to a fumble and an interception, and Andrew Luck's position at the bottom of the chart doesn't bode well for him.

After next weekend two more will be cut, leaving the final three. Luck and Blackmon have their work cut out for them as their is a clear top three in the race, but if Boise State is upset by Nevada Moore is probably out. Newton and James could survive a loss with a solid personal performance, but since Stanford and Oklahoma State already have a loss each, a second would sink their candidates. Both will need strong, multiple-touchdown performances to remain in the race.

Heisman Trophy Week 11: Cam Still #1 (until further notice)

Cam Newton continues to dominate the Heisman field, with looming allegations the only thing that can stand in his way. There are enough other strong candidates that if Auburn loses to Alabama or South Carolina (or both) someone else might be more deserving regardless. But with Auburn on a bye week Cam with retain his #1 ranking next week unless the hammer comes down.

Kellen Moore has a good chance to impress voters this week as he's the only one active of the top three. Of course that's a double-edged sword. LaMichael James didn't help his chances by tallying fewer than 100 yards last weekend, but he remains the nation's #1 rusher (per game and overall) and the only running back in the race.

After that were five other players, two of whom had to be cut. It was a close call for all.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (11-0) [added week six]
  135-198(68.2%) 2038yd 21TD 6int; 206rsh 1297yd (6.3av) 17TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State (9-0) [added week two]
  174-242(71.9%) 2588yd 24TD 4int; 10rsh -23yd (-2.3 av) 0TD 1fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (10-0) [added week five]
  225rsh 1422yd (6.3av) 17TD 4fmb; 10rec 149yd 1TD
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State (9-1) [added week three]
  160-238(67.2%) 2136yd 22TD 8int; 93rsh 512yd (5.5av) 4TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (9-1) [added week eight]
  208-299(69.6%) 2511yd 22TD 7int; 46rsh 373yd (8.1av) 3TD 4fmb
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada (9-1) [added week four]
  166-247(67.2%) 2161yd 17TD 6int;129rsh 946yd (7.3av) 15TD 3fmb
  
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR Oklahoma St (9-1) [added week seven]
  84rec 1430yd 16TD 0fmb; 4rsh 77yds (19av) 1TD; 1 block return TD
  
• Andy Dalton, Senior, QB TCU (11-0) [added week nine, removed week 11]
  185-279(66.3%) 2482yd 23TD 6int; 76rsh 415yd (5.5av) 5TD 1fmb
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan (7-3) [added week 1, removed week 11]
  131-207 (63.3%) 1990yd 14TD 9int; 205rsh 1417yd (6.9av) 12TD 3fmb
  
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season, removed week 10]

Colin Kaepernick and Justin Blackmon are the darkhorses in the race but we keep both of them. Kaepernick is most like Newton and Robinson, a quarterback for whom running is often their main threat. His passing numbers dwarf Robinson's and he's nearing 1,000 rushing yards; he also has a big game coming up against Boise State which could propel him into the national spotlight. We'll try to hold on to him until then, but he needs to do well next week. Last weekend he rushed for 156 yards and 2 TDs in a 35-34 win.

Justin Blackmon is the only receiver on board and he had another 100+ yard game. His only flaw was missing a game, but like LaMichael James does in rushing, he still leads the nation in total yards as well as yards per game, and like James is averaging over 150 yards per game. He needs to keep getting 100+ yards per game; one miss there and I'll let him go. To guarantee he stays next week he needs 200+ yards and several TDs, or another big rushing TD, the kind of things that allow receivers to compete for the Heisman.

Three quarterbacks on the list have similar stats: Stanford's Andrew Luck, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, and TCU's Andy Dalton. Andrew Luck had a good game but no TD passes, an interception and a fumble against Arizona State in a close call. Terrelle Pryor had fewer than 150 passing yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception in a good win over Penn State. Andy Dalton had four touchdown passes but a late interception cost them a touchdown and spurred San Diego State's near-comeback.

All three have led their teams to great records, with Dalton's the best but Luck's just as impressive if you consider they had to play Oregon. The three are very even but Dalton's had 11 games, has just New Mexico State left to play, and has the weekend off coming up, so there's not a lot of chance for him to add more to his Heisman résumé. The other two will fight it out and at least one if not both will be struck from the list next week. But Dalton unfortunately has to go now.

 Denard Robinson had a great first half of the season but it's been in decline since. He could finish strong and end up in New York after all (he plays ranked Wisconsin and Ohio State) but with his last game his TD to Turnover ratio went south. Also he's the only one on the last whose team has more than two losses, or even one loss actually. I wouldn't have thought it would happen this early, but I'm cutting him too.

Total-TD-to-turnover (TTT) table

Using the nine still-active candidates, here are each player's total TDs (rushing, passing, receiving, returning) vs. total turnovers (interceptions, fumbles) ranked by the formula TD/(TO+1)

Player            TDs  TOs    TTT 
Justin Blackmon   18    0     18.0
Cam Newton        39    6     5.57
Andy Dalton       29    6     4.14
Kellen Moore      24    5     4.00
LaMichael James   18    4     3.60
Colin Kaepernick  32    9     3.20
Terrelle Pryor    27    8     3.00
Andrew Luck       25   11     2.08
Denard Robinson   26   12     2.00
 

Like the last two weeks, Blackmon dominates due to being a receiver. Newton's numbers are pretty strong and Moore's would be equal to Dalton's if he'd played 11 games too.

Next week two of Pryor, Luck, Kaepernick, and Blackmon will be cut, unless Boise State is upset, in which case Moore might be gone. Newton and James are safe for their numbers and the fact that they don't play.

Heisman Trophy Week 10: Leaders unchanged, Ingram the first cut

This weekend was a good one for almost every one of our ten final candidates, as nine of their teams won. The noteable exception was Mark Ingram's Alabama.

Ingram was last year's winner and as such was the only player on our short list at the beginning of the season, immune to having to "prove" himself for consideration. But soon after that his Heisman candidacy took one hit after another.

First he had a fall camp injury and missed the first two weeks of the season, leaving no leeway if he was to be a real contender. His next two games were dynamite: 150+ yards in each and a big win over Arkansas. But he had fewer than 50 yards in each of the next to contests, including a loss to South Carolina. After that he continued to split carries with Trent Richardson and hasn't had a 100 yard game since. He came close against LSU, but the Tide lost again and Ingram has just 641 yards with three games to go; he may not reach 1,000 yards, let alone last year's 1,600+.

So Mark Ingram is our first cut. There will be many more, two per week until only one is left, as we reach do or die time in college football.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (10-0) [added week six]
  123-183(67.2%) 1573yd 19TD 5int; 176rsh 1146yd (6.5av) 15TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State (8-0) [added week two]
  155-216(71.8%) 2372yd 21TD 4int;  9rsh -24yd (-2.7 av) 0TD 1fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (9-0) [added week five]
  196rsh 1402yd (7.2av) 17TD 4fmb; 8rec 138yd 1TD
• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (8-1) [added week eight]
  176-258(68.2%) 2219yd 22TD 6int; 43rsh 370yd (8.6av) 3TD 3fmb
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State (8-1) [added week three]
  152-225(67.6%) 1997yd 20TD 7int; 84rsh 463yd (5.5av) 4TD 0fmb; 1TD rec 
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan (6-3) [added week one]
  118-186 (63.4%) 1814yd 13TD 7int; 183rsh 1349yd (7.4av) 12TD 1fmb
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada (8-1) [added week four]
  150-221(67.9%) 1990yd 17TD 5int;113rsh 793yd (7.0av) 13TD 3fmb
  
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR Oklahoma St (8-1) [added week seven]
  75rec 1285yd 15TD 0fmb; 4rsh 77yds (19av) 1TD; 1 block return TD
  
• Andy Dalton, Senior, QB TCU (10-0) [added week nine]
  164-243(67.5%) 2242yd 19TD 5int; 70rsh 418yd (6.0av) 5TD 0fmb
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama (7-2) [added pre-season, removed week 10]
  106rsh 641yd (6.0av) 9TD 0fmb; 13rec 68yd 0TD

Cam Newton had just 24 rushing yards but threw four TD passes against I-AA Chattanooga. This put him at #2 in passing efficiency behind Kellen Moore, who gave pass-happy Hawaii a taste of its own medicine with an astounding 507 yards through the air and three TDs. He was 30 of 37 for the day and now has 21 TDs and 4 interceptions (he was picked twice Saturday).

LaMichael James had 121 yards against Washington, staying on top in per-game rushing yards and a close 2nd to Denard Robinson in overall rushing yards. James had three touchdowns as well, which is good, but fumbled three times, which is bad. Luckily for him, he recovered all but one of the fumbles. Robinson was injured against Illinois and Tate Forcier led the team down the stretch of their 67-65 win. Either way it doesn't help his dwindling Heisman hopes. He did throw for 305 yards and three touchdown passes but threw two interceptions and ran for "only" 62 yards. If he'd played the entire game his numbers would have been higher—he had 262 passing yards in the first half—and his legend would have grown if he helped out in the home stretch, but he didn't. He may have sustained a concussion in the 3rd quarter which clouds his near future, but he's still on track to pass for over 2,000 and rush for over 1,500 yards, something no one has done, but Cam Newton and Robinson might both accomplish.

Terrelle Pryor and Andrew Luck are two players who can be compared stat by stat. Last week their stat lines were nearly identical, and now both their teams are 8-1. Ohio State was idle last week, and now that both have played nine games, Luck pulls ahead in most statistics. He leads in touchdown passes 22 to 2, and has 6 interceptions to Pryor's 7. He leads in completion percentage and yardage, and on the ground he has a much better average. Pryor has more rushing yards, one extra rushing TD, and a TD catch to his credit. He also hasn't fumbled while Luck has three.

Colin Kaepernick had a great weekend, throwing for 5 touchdown passes. If he can hang on until the Boise State game then he has a chance to make himself known among casual football fans. His numbers aren't that far off from Newton and Robinson's.

Justin Blackmon did very well in his return to action, saving himself from the chopping block for at least another week. The missed game the week before probably removed all possibility of his being a top three candidate but if he scores on more reverses (he had a 69 yard touchdown run to go with his 173 receiving yards) he might end up in New York, particularly if Oklahoma State runs the table.

We added Andy Dalton last weekend prior to the showdown with Utah and it looks like we made the right choice. Dalton had a career day against the Utes, going 21 of 26 for 355 yards and three touchdowns. His stats are now on par with Luck and Pryor and with his team undefeated, if others stumble he could be among the top five or so. He only has two low-profile games left, however.

Total-TD-to-turnover (TTT) table

Using the nine still-active candidates, here are each player's total TDs (rushing, passing, receiving, returning) vs. total turnovers (interceptions, fumbles) ranked by the formula TD/(TO+1)

Player            TDs  TOs    TTT 
Justin Blackmon   17    0     17.0
Cam Newton        35    5     5.83
Andy Dalton       24    5     4.00
LaMichael James   18    4     3.60
Kellen Moore      21    5     3.50
Colin Kaepernick  30    8     3.33
Terrelle Pryor    25    7     3.13
Denard Robinson   25    8     2.78
Andrew Luck       25    9     2.50

Once again Blackmon dominates due mainly to being a receiver. Among the players who handle the ball more often, Newton's ratio is pretty spectacular, with 19 passing and 15 rushing TDs, Kaepernick also has 30 total touchdowns.

Next week we remove two more players and, outside maybe the top three, just about anyone could go. And even they aren't completely safe; Cam Newton's NCAA scandal hasn't fully blown over yet, and if Boise State is upset that's it for Moore. But it's definitely incumbent upon the lower-ranked candidates to have big games to avoid slipping off the list.

Heisman Trophy post-Week 9: Cam, Cam, Don't Give a Damn...

Just when you think you've got the Heisman locked up, BAM! something happens. Your team loses several games. You tear an ACL. You throw five interceptions. Or, in the case of Cameron Newton, you get accused of selling your recruitment for $200K.

Or something like that. I haven't read the specifics because frankly, I don't care. If he gets kicked out this season, he gets kicked out. Otherwise, I'm not going to lower his Heisman ranking because of something that may have happened. I still consider Reggie Bush the legit Heisman winner in 2005, just as I consider Memphis the runner-up in the 2008 NCAA basketball tournament. They played, there were results, and those results were judged at the time. Cheating is cheating, but there's a difference between on-field cheating and recruiting cheating. I can't take the time to evaluate who may and may not have had shady recruiting and who just got unlucky enough to get caught. Cam Newton will stay #1 unless he doesn't deserve it on the field—or unless he's removed from the field by NCAA action. But that doesn't seem to be on the table just yet.

And on the field, he's still doing just fine. An off-night rushing (45 yards), but he completed 18 of 24 and caught a touchdown pass, which is a Heisman-like thing for a quarterback to do. Kellen Moore also did it against Louisiana Tech last week, and Terrelle Pryor had a TD catch against Eastern Michigan earlier in the year.

But it was running back LaMichael James who had the biggest weekend, rushing for 239 yards and 3 TDs against USC. Should he be penalized for missing game one due to his law trouble? Or Justin Blackmon for his DUI-related suspension? Who knows. Both of those incidents took a game away, and that's one game worth of stats, which is what we're looking at here. If the charges were serious enough, neither would be playing. Or so we'd like to think. In any case, there's a roughly even playing field, whether it's too lenient or not. Again, the Heisman isn't a morality award; O.J. Simpson wasn't stripped of his award by the Heisman Trust (though he sold the actual trophy).

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (9-0) [added week six]
  108-162(66.7%) 1573yd 15TD 5int; 168rsh 1122yd (6.7av) 14TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State (7-0) [added week two]
  125-179(69.8%) 1865yd 18TD 2int;  9rsh -24yd (-2.7 av) 0TD 1fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (8-0) [added week five]
  170rsh 1279yd (7.5av) 14TD 3fmb; 5rec 119yd 1TD
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan (5-3) [added week one]
  108-166 (65.1%) 1509yd 10TD 5int; 164rsh 1326yd (8.1av) 12TD 1fmb
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State (8-1) [added week three]
  152-225(67.6%) 1997yd 20TD 7int; 84rsh 463yd (5.5av) 4TD 0fmb; 1TD rec  
• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (7-1) [added week eight]
  152-226(67.3%) 1920yd 20TD 6int; 40rsh 345yd (8.6av) 3TD 3fmb 
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada (7-1) [added week four]
  130-191(68.1%) 1670yd 12TD 5int;105rsh 771yd (7.3av) 13TD 3fmb
  
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR Oklahoma St (7-1) [added week seven]
  62rec 1112yd 14TD 0fmb; 3rsh 8yds (2.3av) 0TD; 1 TD block retrun
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama (8-1) [added pre-season]
  85rsh 544yd (6.4av) 8TD 0fmb; 13rec 68yd 0TD
• Andy Dalton, Senior, QB TCU (9-0) [added week nine]
  143-217(65.9%) 1887yd 16TD 5int; 65rsh 404yd (6.2av) 5TD 0fmb
  

Denard Robinson had another incredible performance, rushing for 191 yards and three touchdowns, and passing for 190 yards and another TD. But Michigan lost to Penn State, 41-31, despite his efforts.

Terrelle Pryor and Andrew Luck have amazingly similar passing numbers at this point, and their rushing numbers aren't all that different either. Luck had a 51-yard rushing TD against Washington in the 41-0 blowout. Colin Kaepernick's passing numbers are most similar to Robinson's, and he has about half as many rushing yards which is still very good.

Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon missed last week due to the aforementioned DUI, and to his credit his offense struggled without him. But if he doesn't bounce back he could be replaced next week by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles as top receiver, or perhaps teammate Kendall Hunter would be a good substitution. Either way, one player (or two) must go next week. We have 10 right now, and next week there will be 9, either by adding one and cutting two, or just chopping one. One of the two is almost certain to be Mark Ingram, who got grandfathered into this year's race but hasn't had a Heisman-like year in 2010.

This week was another without a clear-cut candidate to add. Taylor Martinez was shown up by teammate Roy Helu. Baylor's Robert Griffin (27 total TDs) is starting to make some noise, as is Iowa's Ricky Stanzi (19:2 TD:int ratio), but both those teams have 2 losses and there are still undefeated teams without a candidate. Such as TCU and Andy Dalton. I thought of waiting on Dalton and seeing whether TCU or Utah won their showdown, but Utah doesn't have any real candidates anyway and any of the 1-loss teams could lose, making their candidates even more questionable. Dalton gets in as the (probable) final candidate. Unless we add one next week.

Total-TD-to-turnover (TTT) table

Now that there are 10 candidates and enough weeks for this chart to mean something, here are each player's total TDs (rushing, passing, receiving, returning) vs. total turnovers (interceptions, fumbles) ranked by the formula TD/(TO+1)

Player            TDs  TOs    TTT 
Justin Blackmon   15    0    15.00
Mark Ingram        8    0     8.00
Cam Newton        30    5     5.00
Kellen Moore      18    3     4.50
LaMichael James   15    3     3.75
Andy Dalton       21    5     3.50
Denard Robinson   22    6     3.14
Terrelle Pryor    25    7     3.13
Colin Kaepernick  25    8     2.78
Andrew Luck       23    9     2.30

Clearly receivers have an unfair advantage in this stat, as do players who never fumble like Ingram. For the rest it's an interesting comparison.

Heisman Trophy week 8: Cam Newton steps in front of Shoelace

The Heisman race has turned around in a 3-week span from Denard Robinson being an overwhelming favorite to Cameron Newton holding the same status. It's now Newton's award "to lose" just like it was for Shoelace just a short while ago.

Cameron Newton just keeps getting better and better, and his 217 yard rushing performance in a marquee game against LSU—including a dazzling, constantly-replayed touchdown run—is what has pushed him to the top of everyone's list. He now accounts for 27 total touchdowns and is in the top six in both rushing yards and passing efficiency.

Kellen Moore didn't play last weekend; his numbers reflect those prior to Boise State's tuesday night win. He's basically in it to the end, hoping everyone else falters. Denard Robinson was idle, too, and has dropped precipitously on other lists I've seen, but I'm not going to project a Michigan collapse. If it happens, then I'll consider moving Robinson farther down, but right now, who has had half the season he's having? Other than Newton, no one has been more impressive, and given Michigan's poorer surrounding cast he's done a remarkable job. Out of sight, out of mind is in play here, and I think once Robinson has another great game he'll be remembered, and with closing contests against Wisconsin and Ohio State he's still got a shot. At this point he's still a lock for a trip to New York in my mind.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn (8-0) [added week six]
  90-138 (65.2%) 1364yd 13TD 5int; 157rsh 1077yd (6.9av) 14TD 0fmb
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State (6-0) [added week two]
  105-151 (69.5%) 1567yd 16TD 1int;  8rsh -11yd (-1 av) 0TD 1fmb
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan (5-2) [added week one]
  97-143  (67.8%) 1319yd  9TD 5int; 137rsh 1096yd (8.0av) 9TD 1fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon (7-0) [added week five]
  134rsh 971yd (7.3av) 11TD 3fmb; 4rec 121yd 1TD
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State (7-1) [added week three]
  134-203 (66.0%) 1775yd 18TD 6int; 79rsh 408yd (5.2av) 3TD 0fmb; 1TD rec  
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR Oklahoma St (6-1) [added week seven]
  62rec 1112yd 14TD 0fmb; 3rsh 8yds (2.3av) 0TD; 1 TD block return
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada (6-1) [added week four]
  120-176 (68.2%) 1480yd 10TD 5int; 97rsh 669yd (6.9av) 12TD 3fmb 
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama (7-1) [added pre-season]
  85rsh 544yd (6.4av) 8TD 0fmb; 13rec 68yd 0TD
• Andrew Luck, Soph, QB Stanford (6-1) [added week eight]
  133-200 (66.5%) 1728yd 19TD 5int; 35rsh 253yd (7.2av) 2TD 3fmb
  

LaMichael James continues to lead the nation in per-game rushing yardage. That fact plus the Ducks' undefeated and #1 status will keep James in the mix. This week's game against USC is a high-profile opportunity for James, who has an uphill battle against the two running quarterbacks.

Terrelle Pryor had a good game against Purdue, and has an even easier opponent coming up at Minnesota. But as if to underscore his inconsistency he had two interceptions to go with his three touchdown passes. Though he may—most of the time—be a better passer than Newton or Robinson, his running isn't nearly as dynamic and without leading his team to a BCS title game there's not much that can kick-start his candidacy.

Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon had such a strong game against Nebraska that he raised his stock even as his team lost. Then he went out and got a DUI and got himself suspended for this weekend's Kansas State game. Bummer. There goes his (long) shot at a 2,000 yard season, and possibly with it his chances for a high Heisman finish.

Nevada was idle; Colin Kaepernick is beyond a darkhorse to even go to New York, but he deserves some consideration and the game against Boise State will be his center-stage performance. Last year's winner Mark Ingram had another pedestrian game and is firmly the team's #2 rusher (although per-game he still leads Trent Richardson). He's finally fallen out of the top five in ESPN's Heisman Predictor, and when we start making cuts he'll undoubtedly be the first to go.

Nebraska's Taylor Martinez was the best player of the week other than Newton, and his team knocked off an unbeaten foe, too. But even Martinez's five touchdown passes couldn't convince us to list him this round; although his sudden passing prowess makes him a double threat on the level of Newton, Robinson, Pryor, or Kaepernick (he rushed for 112 yards, too), he's burned out twice already, including just last week when he was benched against Texas. We'll make him prove himself one more time—against undefeated Missouri, who also has a potential candidate in Blaine Gabbert.

So Andrew Luck joins the list this week after being on the radar all season. He could make the top five but he's got a major uphill battle in terms of winning the award which already seems out of reach. As we've seen recently, though, the race can turn on a dime.

Heisman Trophy week 7: Many candidates harmed last weekend

It was a bad weekend for Heisman candidates. Two of the very top contenders suffered losses and two lesser contenders had poor games, while another two hoping to become contenders can probably be written off from making our short-list. Three of the four didn't finish the game they started.

Denard Robinson has led our list since the first week but as his team's losses mount and he continues to suffer minor injuries he may no longer be "the man." There's a lot of season left and he has as good of a chance as anyone, but the race is pretty wide open now. He played pretty well against Iowa, rushing for 105 yards and completing 13 of 18 passes, but he missed most of the second half with injury.

Tyrelle Pryor was hot and cold as Ohio State lost to Wisconsin. At times he ran well and made good throws and showed leadership; at other times he seemed half-hearted and completed only 14 of 28 passes. Bottom line: he couldn't lead his team to victory, and with the loss he's no longer the "best player on the best team" candidate.

It was even a worse week for Taylor Martinez and Ryan Mallet, two quarterbacks who were moving up in perception. Martinez followed his 241 yard rushing performance against Kansas State with a 21-yard total and 4 of 12 passing against Texas, and he was replaced in the second half. Arkansas' Mallet did well early against Auburn but was hurt, and his replacement threw four touchdown passes in a losing effort. Both are probably out of the race for good. Trophy winners rarely get pulled, and if your backup plays as well as you that leads to the "system" tag.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State [added week two]
  105-151 (69.5%) 1567yd 16TD 1int;  8rsh -11yd (-1 av) 0TD 1fmb
• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan [added week one]
  97-143  (67.8%) 1319yd  9TD 5int; 137rsh 1096yd (8.0av) 9TD 1fmb
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State [added week three]
  118-181 (65.2%) 1505yd 15TD 4int; 75rsh 410yd (5.5av) 3TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon [added week five]
  114rsh 848yd (8.3av) 9TD 3fmb; 3rec 96yd 1TD
• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn [added week six]
  80-122 (65.6%) 1278yd 13TD 5int; 129rsh 860yd (6.7av) 12TD 0fmb
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada [added week four]
  120-176 (68.2%) 1480yd  10TD 5int; 97rsh 669yd (6.9av) 12TD 3fmb 
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season]
  71rsh 456yd (6.4av) 6TD 0fmb; 12rec 69yd 0TD
• Justin Blackmon, Soph, WR Oklahoma State [added week seven]
  57rec 955yd 12TD 0fmb; 3rsh 8yds (2.3av) 0TD; 1 TD block return
  

Our longshot candidate, Colin Kaepernick, had a terrible game, too, with just 30 yards rushing, two interceptions, and two fumbles as Nevada lost to Hawaii. Alabama beat Mississippi but Mark Ingram had another ho-hum game with just 60 yards. Oregon's LaMichael James is probably lucky the Ducks had an idle week.

The only players who had great games were Boise State's Kellen Moore and, particularly, Auburn's Cameron Newton. Moore completed 14 of 16 passes for two touchdowns and is now as much of a front-runner as anyone. Newton put on a show against Arkansas, rushing for 188 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for another. A strong performance in a win against undefeated LSU next week would seal his status as a front-runner, if he's not there already.

Who to add this week? Andrew Luck of Stanford has been hanging around a long time, waiting to be added. Stanford was idle this week so I'm going to wait a bit. Also, the Cardinal have a loss and there are candidates on undefeated teams to look at. Oklahoma has Landry Jones, DeMarco Murray, and Ryan Broyles, but none is quite the most dynamic at their position yet. TCU's Andy Dalton has been a bit erratic but a strong performance against Utah could boost him. LSU's Patrick Peterson is fading as a possible longshot defensive/return candidate. Michigan State doesn't really have any standouts, though QB Kirk Cousins would probably be the one, unless linebacker Greg Jones becomes this year's pet defensive star. Utah has two decent quarterbacks, neither of whom will get consideration. Missouri's Blaine Gabbert is a possibility but isn't ahead of Stanford's Luck unless they beat Oklahoma next week.

That leaves Oklahoma State. Quarterback Brandon Weeden has shined at times but already has 8 interceptions. Running back Kendall Hunter is among the nation's leading rushers. But it's receiver Justin Blackmon that's dominating at his position. Blackmon has over 100 receiving yards in every game so far this year, and had 190 and 207 in his last two games. He's averaging a whopping 159 yards per game, and has 12 touchdown receptions. We don't have a receiver on the list yet, either, and he's shown he's certainly among the best in the country. He also returned a teammate's blocked punt for a touchdown.

Heisman Trophy Week 6: Robinson leaves the door open

Denard Robinson threw three interceptions in a losing effort, had fewer than 100 rushing yards for the first time, and fell to second in the nation in rushing yards per game, yet he is still the Heisman front-runner.

"Shoelace" did leave the door open, of course. But if each player gets three "strikes" before he's out of the race, Robinson's poor performance is just his first strike. Several other players being considered have had bad games, and those are forgotten after their next productive game. Witness Taylor Martinez, who is getting Heisman attention for his 241 yard explosion against Kansas State—just a week after he threw two interceptions against I-AA South Dakota State.

Robinson did reveal another way he can lose the award. Previously the speculation was that as a runner, a loss would hurt him far less than it would a traditional quarterback; that and the fact that he was carrying the team seemed to make his candidacy seemingly immune to Wolverine losses. But when he throws interceptions, he becomes a "regular" quarterback and has to shoulder the burden of defeat.

Still, no one else has accomplished what Robinson did his first five games. He remains in front—with one strike against him and a strong coterie of candidates breathing down his neck.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan [added week one]
  84-125  (67.2%) 1223yd  8TD 4int; 119rsh 991yd (8.3av) 9TD 1fmb 
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State [added week two]
  91-135 (67.4%) 1336yd 14TD 1int;  7rsh -15yd (-2 av) 0TD 1fmb
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State [added week three]
  104-153 (68.0%) 1349yd 15TD 3int; 57rsh 354yd (6.2av) 3TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada [added week four]
  106-150 (70.7%) 1321yd  8TD 3int; 86rsh 639yd (7.4av) 11TD 1fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon [added week five]
  114rsh 848yd (8.3av) 9TD 3fmb; 3rec 96yd 1TD
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season]
  56rsh 396yd (7.1av) 6TD 0fmb; 9rec 62yd 0TD
• Cam Newton, Junior, QB Auburn [added week six]
  70-108 (64.8%) 1138yd 12TD 5int; 104rsh 672yd (6.5av) 9TD 0fmb
  

Speaking of strikes, Mark Ingram has to have at least two by now if not more. For the second straight game he rushed for fewer than 50 yards, most recently in a losing effort. Add to this the fact that he missed the first two games of the season and his candidacy seems dead in the water; last year's winner is looking like the first cut when that time comes.

Kellen Moore and Tyrelle Pryor both threw three TD passes last weekend, both against inferior competition in blowout wins. Moore is far more consistent by Pryor adds the running game and has more high-profile games in the future. How he does against teams like Wisconsin and Iowa will determine his candidacy. Meanwhile, Moore's hopes die if Boise loses even once.

Colin Kaepernick had a decent but unspectacular game considering the competition (San Jose State). If he's going to get any real national attention he'll have to explode in games like these while he waits for the Boise State game as his potential turning point. LaMichael James had a good game against lowly Washington State; he scored twice on the ground and on an 84-yard pass play, too. But he also lost two fumbles, which I consider very important but which no one else seems to track or care about.

Cam Newton of Auburn is leading some people's lists though I don't see why. He already has thrown five interceptions, and his passing/rushing numbers aren't equal to Robinson's or Kaepernick's. The "what have you done for me lately" effect explains some of it, as he ran for 198 yards and four touchdowns against Kentucky in a close win.

And that's what gets him on our list ahead of the likes of Taylor Martinez and Andrew Luck. Unlike Nebraska without Martinez, without Newton Auburn would be staring at a losing record rather than 6-0. Luck brought Stanford their latest win and he'll probably make the list soon, but for now players on undefeated teams get the nod. Newton also accounts for 21 total touchdowns, which ain't shabby. The Tigers face Arkansas and Ryan Mallet, another potential candidate, this weekend.

Heisman Trophy week 5: LaMichael James makes his case...for runner-up

LaMichael James exploded for 257 yards and three touchdowns in Oregon's defining win over Stanford and puts himself firmly in the race for 2nd place for the Heisman Trophy.

First place, of course, is locked in Denard Robinson's hands for the time being. Robinson was arguably player of the week for third time this year as he rushed for 217 yards and 2 TDs and passed for another 277 and three TDs, leading his team to another narrow victory, this time over Indiana 42-35.

Over the years there have been many Heisman Trophy candidates who have taken a seemingly insurmountable early lead (Kyle Orton, anyone?) but Robinson's exploits are looking closer to Barry Sanders' when you consider both Robinson's rushing and passing. Injury seems to be the only thing that can stop Robinson now; at 5-0 Michigan would have to lose 4 of their final seven games to be impacted by his team's deficiencies, and even that might not matter if he does all he can to make the team win (i.e., no Ryan Mallet-style interception fests). Right now Robinson is passing as well as anyone on the list and running circles around everyone, too.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Denard Robinson, Soph, QB Michigan [added week one]
  67-96  (69.9%) 1008yd  7TD 1int; 98rsh 930yd (9.5av) 8TD 1fmb 
• Kellen Moore, Junior, QB Boise State [added week two]
  75-113 (66.4%) 1069yd 11TD 1int;  6rsh -21yd (-4 av) 0TD 1fmb
• Mark Ingram, Junior, RB Alabama [added pre-season]
  45rsh 355yd (7.9av) 6TD 0fmb; 5rec 46yd 0TD
  
• Terrelle Pryor, Junior, QB Ohio State [added week three]
  80-123 (65.0%) 1015yd 12TD 3int; 54rsh 373yd (6.9av) 3TD 0fmb; 1TD rec
  
• Colin Kaepernick, Senior, QB Nevada [added week four]
  86-123 (69.9%) 1048yd  8TD 2int; 69rsh 548yd (7.9av) 9TD 1fmb
• LaMichael James, Soph, RB Oregon [added week five]
  89rsh 712yd (8.0av) 7TD 1fmb; 1rec 9yd 0TD
  

Kellen Moore's passing stats are only slightly better than Robinson's, if at all; he doesn't so much move up as Mark Ingram slides down. After missing two games Ingram needed to continue to have 150+ yard games like he did against Duke and Arkansas if he wanted to have a real chance to win the trophy again. Instead he managed just 47 yards against Florida.

Terrelle Pryor had a great game against Eastern Michigan (who was winless last year) including a touchdown catch but struggled against Illinois. He's just not lighting up the field with his performances week to week. With the Buckeyes undefeated he'll be in the mix, but then again everyone on this list comes from a currently undefeated team.

That includes Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, who is doing a better job of being a reliable hybrid quarterback than Pryor. His numbers are closer to Robinson's than anyone on this list, actually; his 17 total touchdowns are 2 more than Robinson. Nevada would have to win out to get Kaepernick any real consideration, and since they play Boise State he's a legitimate long shot. But most likely he's the prototypical "lesser known" player who finishes around 7th, right next to the token defensive player (who is probably Patrick Peterson of LSU this season).

James joins the list this week and with Oregon gaining in the national polls (including moving to #1 in the SportsRatings Top 25) he'll have plenty of spotlight on him if he keeps having huge games, so he's definitely in the running for the top three by December. Others with good opportunities to make the list next week include Cameron Newton of undefeated Auburn, and Daniel Thomas of Kansas State if he has a great showing against Nebraska. Stanford's Andrew Luck is probably the highest-touted candidate right now from any team that already has a loss, and a big game against USC would give him a boost.

Heisman Trophy 2010 - week 3: Ingram not out of it yet

Last year's Heisman winner Mark Ingram has been all but forgotten as the season started since his missed the first two games. With Denard Robinson running all over the place from the Michigan quarterback slot and Alabama backup RB Trent Richardson making some Heisman noise of his own, Ingram looked unlikely to even match the #3 placing that Jason White, Matt Leinart, and Tim Tebow did the year following their wins.

But last week Ingram came roaring back from his knee injury, going 48 yards on his first carry of the season and finishing with 151 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 9 carries. True it was against Duke, but the message was clear: Ingram will remain a force to contend with in the Heisman race, and if he keeps playing like he did last Saturday he might not have to settle for the #3 spot.

This week's list, in rough order (click here for the most recent update):

• Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan [added week one]
  53-76 (69.7%) 671 yd 4 TD 1 int; 76 rsh 559 yd (7.4 ave) 0 fmb 
• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama [added pre-season]
  9 rsh 151 yd (16.8 ave) 2 TD 0 fmb
  
• Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State [added week two]
  43-68 (63.2%) 585 yd 5 TD 1 int;  4 rsh -20 yd ( -5 ave) 1 fmb
• Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State [added week three]
  51-81 (62.9%) 715 yd 6 TD 2 int; 36 rsh 165 yd (4.6 ave) 0 fmb
  

Denard Robinson continues to fly solo at #1, well ahead of the rest of the pack, as for the third straight week he caused his team to win. His only drawbacks are his higher chance of injury due to his team's reliance on him, and the question of how good Michigan really is if they can't easily put away a I-AA foe like UMass. Michigan plays Bowling Green this weekend.

Ingram has a big game coming up against Arkansas, and it could get him back in the race if he has another superb outing. Kellen Moore's Boise State team handled Wyoming easily and Moore did well but had an uncharacteristic interception. They face Oregon State in a game that's crucial for Boise and Moore's hopes this year.

We've added Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor this week in favor over Arkansas' Ryan Mallet and Stanford's Andrew Luck. Pryor has had two solid passing games (3 TDs against Marshall, 16 straight completions last week against Ohio) and one great rushing performance (113 yards against Miami), even as his overall stats aren't astounding. As long as Ohio State keeps winning Pryor is going to be a key contender even if his stats don't jump off the page.

The win Pryor led over Miami was a big-time win, at least on par with Mallet's win over Georgia though the latter had the "comeback" intangible to it. Mallet has over 1,000 passing yards already and Luck has 10 TDs against 0 interceptions, but both have to prove themselves. Mallet's Arkansas squad hosts Alabama, and he'll be in the race for sure if they win. If not, Luck can dazzle the nation against Notre Dame, which is always a high-profile foe. Waiting in the wings should both fail are Kansas State's Daniel Thomas (#2 in the nation in rushing) and Nevada's Colin Kaepernick, who does have stats that jump off the page (13 total touchdowns). Even Nebraska freshman Taylor Martinez could be in the mix this year as there are a lot of great candidates.