Six weeks into the college football season, the Heisman race is already heating up.
Four of the top five contenders are leading undefeated teams with hopes for a National Title.
1. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St.
91-135, 1,336 yards, 14 TD, 1 INT
Moore took the top spot in the last Heisman Watch and has done nothing to fall from his perch atop the list.
Moore is efficient and doesn’t make mistakes. The junior has completed 67 percent of his passes and has an outstanding touchdown-to-interception ratio.
There may not be much margin for error for Moore the rest of the way because of the schedule, but there is no reason to anticipate a slip up. This is the same quarterback we have seen the past two seasons. If Boise State stays in the National Championship race or even plays for the crown, Moore will be the leading candidate to win the Heisman.
2. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio St.
104-153, 1,349 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT, 57 carries, 354 yards, 3 TD
Pryor jumped up a spot on the list, mostly because of his performance last Saturday against Indiana.
After getting injured the week before, Pryor showed that he is just as dangerous as a pocket passer as he is with his feet, throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
Pryor will be on the national stage this week on the road against Wisconsin. A big performance could prove to be his Heisman moment and thrust him to the top of the watch.
Amongst the dual threat quarterbacks in contention for the Heisman, Pryor is the best passer and most experienced of the bunch. It doesn’t hurt his cause that OSU is the new top-ranked team in the nation.
Two games stand in OSU’s way of playing for the championship; this weekend at UW and at Iowa later on in the season. If the Buckeyes win both and Pryor leads the way, he will be the favorite.
3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
114 carries, 848 yards, 9 TD, 7.4 Avg
Since missing the opener, James has been the best running back in the nation.
Even playing in just five games this season, James leads the nation in rushing yards by a running back and has had two performances of over 220 yards rushing.
ASU is the only team that has been able to contain James and hold him under 100 yards. Like Moore and Pryor, James’ team is in serious contention to play for the National Championship. He is shifty, fast and can hit a home run on every play.
James is a serious Heisman candidate and playing in the Ducks’ potent offense will certainly help his cause if he continues at his current pace.
4. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
84-125, 1,223 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT, 119 carries, 991 yards rushing, 9 TD
Robinson drops on the list after struggling last week in a loss to Michigan St.
“Shoelace” faced his first ranked opponent in MSU, threw three interceptions and failed to rush for 100 yards for the first time all season.
One bad game certainly doesn’t take him out of the running, but it does raise some questions. Was Robinson a product of a weaker early season schedule?
MSU’s game plan was to force Robinson to throw the ball to beat them and he couldn’t.
Regardless, he still leads the NCAA in rushing yards, will more than likely top the 1,000 yard mark this weekend and is going to threaten the NCAA single season rushing record by a quarterback.
Now, Robinson is going to have to throw the ball with success in order to move back towards the top of the list.
The Wolverines host Iowa this weekend and close the season with Wisconsin and Ohio St. Big performances in those games will need to happen if Robinson wishes to win the trophy.
5. Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn
70-108, 1,138 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT, 104 carries, 672 yards, 9 TD
One of the main reasons why Auburn is undefeated in 2010 is the play of Newton. He can run with the best of them, but also has shown a good arm.
It is going to take quite a second half for Newton to jump to the top of the list, but he is still a viable candidate, especially if he can keep Auburn playing well in the SEC.
With Pryor and Robinson ahead of him as dual threat quarterbacks, Newton will need an incredible performance in a big game to really garner serious Heisman talk.
One of those opportunities is this Saturday when Newton will go head-to-head with quarterback Ryan Mallet and Arkansas on national television.
Other Candidates:
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
Mark Ingram, Alabama
Patrick Peterson, LSU
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
John Clay, Wisconsin
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
Andy Dalton, TCU
Reach the reporter at andrew.gruman@asu
