Week 10 Heisman Update

We're two-thirds of the way through, and my top five isn't even close to the same as it was week one. Only one man from my preseason top five is in the top five this week, preseason No. 5 Sam Bradford. Here was my preseason top five: 1. Tim Tebow, 2. Chris Wells, 3. Chase Daniel, 4. Michael Crabtree, 5. Sam Bradford.

All five of these guys still have a shot, but they have to really step it up in their last couple of games.

Here's my top five for this week

The List

(Last week's ranking in parentheses)

1. (1) Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) -- In a close win over Oklahoma State, McCoy kept his position atop the top five by completing 38 of 45 passes for 391 yards and 2 touchdowns. He threw one interception and lost a fumble in the game, but was still able to pull out the victory. He also ran for 41 yards and a touchdown and continues to lead the Longhorns in rushing. He'll need to have a much better game this week with Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and the Texas Tech Red Raiders getting prepared to knock both the Longhorns and McCoy out of first in both the team rankings and in the Heisman race.

2. (4) Graham Harrell (Sr. QB Texas Tech) -- Did anyone else see this offense in action against a good Kansas team? Harrell threw 5 TDs and ran for one too in the 63-21 route of the Jayhawks. Tech plays Texas Saturday. The Longhorns own the 112th ranked pass defense, and they have injuries in the secondary. UH-OH! Harrell might go even bigger this week than last, but will it be enough to take the top spot next week or to beat the No. 1 team in the Nation? My guess is yes.

3. (2) Sam Bradford (So. QB Oklahoma) -- It must feel great to have an off week that includes 255 yards passing and 3 touchdowns and another touchdown on the ground. But he only completed 40% of his passes, and Graham Harrell was unreal. Bradford has his chance to bounce back with a home game against Nebraska. Nebraska has the second best pass defense in the Big 12 (which isn't saying much because they are 75th in the nation).

4. (3) Shonn Greene (Jr. RB Iowa) -- Greene and Iowa had a bye week last week and should be rested and ready to go against Illinois who is coming off a 10 point loss to Wisconsin. Illinois is 9th in the Big Ten in rushing defense and 76th in the nation, giving up an average of 152 yards per contest. If Greene goes big, Iowa will be bowl eligible after this week. This game is also on ABC and it will get a lot more people looking at this guy as a potential Heisman candidate.

5. (NR) Knowshon Moreno (So. RB Georgia) -- Moreno is making his first appearance on my list in over a month. He fell off the map after the Alabama game, but is surging right now. Last week he ran for 163 yards and a score on what was one of the nation's best run defenses in LSU.

On the Outside Looking In

Chase Daniel (Sr. QB Mizzou) -- He's still putting up great numbers. Daniel threw for 302 yards and 5 touchdowns in Missouri's 58-0 shellacking of Colorado. He has the 5th highest QB rating in the nation.

David Johnson (Sr. QB Tulsa) -- Johnson had his worst game of the season in which he had 264 yards passing one touchdown and one interception. He also ran the ball in the end zone twice. He is currently the highest rated quarterback in the nation, by a long shot over No. 2 Colt McCoy, and he is leading the nation in touchdown passes with 32.

Zac Robinson (Jr. QB Oklahoma State) -- Robinson is the 4th highest rated quarterback in the nation and is leading the 9th ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys whose only loss is to the No. 1 team in the nation.

(5) Donald Brown (Jr. RB UConn) -- Brown is leading the nation in rushing yards per game this season, and is second in total yards. He is also 5th in the nation in scoring with 14 touchdowns. Brown had 150 yards and 2 scores last week against Cincinnati. This week he will go up against West Virginia who is only allowing 123 rushing yards per game.

Michael Crabtree (So. WR Texas Tech) -- He had 2 touchdowns in last week's win over Kansas and leads the nation in touchdown receptions with 14. He's going to have a big game Saturday mainly because of the defense that he is going up against. He should have a couple more touchdowns this week.

Top Performers for Week 9

ACC: Hakeem Nicks (Jr. WR North Carolina) -- After being overshadowed by standout teammate Brandon Tate, until his injury, Nicks used last weekend's game against Boston College to propel himself into the spotlight. Nicks had 8 catches for 139 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 31 yards rushing for another score.


Big 12: Graham Harrell (Sr. QB Texas Tech) -- Harrell completed 81 percent of his passes for 386 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also added one score on the ground in Tech's 63-21 beat down at Kansas.


Big East: Mike Teel (Sr. QB Rutgers) -- After being booed by his own fans several times this season, the senior quarterback threw for 361 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns as the underachieving Scarlet Knights upset No. 17 Pittsburgh 54-34.
Big Ten: Brian Hoyer (Sr. QB Mich St) -- Hoyer had his best game of the season in the Spartans' biggest rivalry. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns.



Pac 10: Jahvid Best (So. RB Cal) -- Best had 17 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown in Cal's 41-20 win over UCLA. He showed that he can be one of the most explosive backs in the country.




SEC: Tim Tebow (Jr. QB Florida) -- Tebow completed 11 of 15 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 48 yards rushing and 2 more touchdowns on the ground. With those 2 rushing scores, Tebow tied the school record for most rushing touchdowns in his career with a guy you may have heard of... Emmitt Smith.

Independents/Non-BCS: Ricky Dobbs (So. QB Navy) -- Subbing in at quarterback this week due to injury, he had 224 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns.

Jimmy Young (So. WR TCU) -- He set the school record with 226 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns in TCU's 54-7 win over Wyoming.

Two New Faces in The Top 5

The best part about the Heisman race is that you can make a case for so many players from so many different teams. And every week you can make a case for someone new. Here is the top 5 so far this season.



The List


(Last week's ranking in parentheses)


1. (1) Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) -- The Texas gunslinger is on pace to set the NCAA single season completion percentage. He completed over 90 percent (29-32) of his passes last week against Mizzou. Apparently, we'll have one more year to see him perform too. McCoy told the Sporting News that he is coming back for his senior season. It'll be interesting to see if he can improve from this potential record book season.




2. (2) Sam Bradford (So. QB Oklahoma) -- Another week, another record. That's the way this season seems to be going for the Sooners' signal caller. Last week, Bradford set the single game record at Oklahoma with 468 passing yards. He also had 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. This week Bradford and Oklahoma will square off against Kansas State and the 94th ranked pass defense in the nation. Uh-oh. Watchout Manhattan. We could have another record.




3. (NR) Shonn Greene (Jr. RB Iowa) -- Greene is 3rd in the nation in rushing yards per game with 144 and in total rushing yards with 1,154 (just 25 yards shy of Javon Ringer for first). Greene is getting better as the season goes on. Through August and September, Greene was averaging 133 yards per, but in October he has averaged 163 yards per. Ringer has only averaged 94 yards per game in October. Greene is also the only back to rush for over 100 yards in his first 8 games this season (UConn's Donald Brown can match him this weekend against Cincinatti). Greene has the weekend off, but Iowa travels to Illinois on the 1st of November.



4. (4) Graham Harrell (Sr. QB Texas Tech) -- Harrell had his third game with at least 450 passing yards last weekend when Tech beat Texas A&M. He is leading the nation in passing yards and is third in touchdown passes. He also has 5 rushing touchdowns. Tech travels to Lawrence, Kansas Saturday to take on the No. 23 Jayhawks who are coming off a 14 point loss to Oklahoma.




5. (NR) Dez Bryant (So. WR OK St) -- He is coming off an 11 catch 212 yard performance against Baylor. Two of those catches went for touchdowns. Bryant is now fourth in the nation in receiving yards with 809 and third in receiving touchdowns with 11. Bryant and the Cowboys travel to Austin, TX this weekend. Bryant and quarterback Zac Robinson should put up huge numbers against Texas' 112th ranked pass defense.



On the Outside Looking In


Knowshon Moreno (So. RB Georgia) -- Moreno had a breakout game last week against Vandy, and reminded everyone of why he was in this conversation at the beginning of the season. This is the week he needs to prove himself, as Georgia visits Death Valley and the 16th ranked rush defense in the nation of LSU.



David Johnson (Sr. QB Tulsa) -- Most people still haven't heard of this guy, but he is the main reason that Tulsa checks in the first BCS rankings at No. 19. He has thrown for at least 3 touchdowns in every game this year. Johnson is leading the nation in touchdowns and quarterback rating. He is on pace to have 53 passing touchdowns this year.




Daryll Clark (Jr. QB Penn State) -- He is the leader of one of the best teams in college football. Last week, he threw for 171 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 45 yards and two scores. Clark led Penn State to their first win over Michigan since Clinton was in office.




Chase Daniel (Sr. QB Mizzou) -- This is the first week Daniel has not been in the top 5 this season. He played well last week, but couldn't deliver a victory. He was also completely outplayed by Colt McCoy on the otherside of the field. Daniel completed 75 percent of his for 318 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for another score, but it wasn't enough.

Shonn Greene is the Best Back in the Country. Period.

I've been thinking this for several weeks now, but I haven't had enough evidence until after this weekend. But...

Shonn Greene is the Best Back in the Country



There has been so much hype about Javon Ringer that I have wanted to puke. I even blogged after the Iowa/Michigan State game earlier this year that Greene was the better back. Ringer hasn't even sniffed my top 5 since that game (if only I actually had a vote).

At 5'11 235 pounds, Greene has the size and strength to pound out the tough yards. He showed his speed last week as he had runs of 12, 34, 52 and another 34 yards all for touchdowns.

The only thing he is missing is catches. He needs to become a weapon out of the backfield to become a complete back (he only has 6 catches through 8 games).

After Greene's 217 yard 4 touchdown performance Saturday against Wisconsin the national media better start paying more attention to him.

As for his Heisman hopes. He's definitely on the rise. He needs to finish the season very strong and have a huge game against Penn State on November 8th if he's going to get an invite to New York.

Football is a quarterback driven sport, though. Greene has a long way to go if he wants to beat out Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford or one of the many in the Big 12.

Right now Greene is on pace for 1731 yards and 15 touchdowns. Impressive, but not Heisman worthy.

Last year Darren McFadden ran for 1830 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had 21 catches and 1 touchdown, and he threw for 4 more touchdowns. In case you don't remember, he finished 2nd to Tim Tebow in Heisman voting.

Tebow had 55 combined touchdowns through the air and on the ground last year. This year, David Johnson of Tulsa (No. 19 in the BCS) is almost on pace to throw for that many scores. Bradford should get close to 50 total touchdowns. And who knows who else from the Big 12 is going to explode this season.

Top Performers Week 8

Here they are. The best of each conference from week 8.

ACC: Chris Turner (Jr. QB Maryland) -- Turner led the Terps to a 26-0 shutout of Wake Forest Saturday with a career high 321 yards and 1 touchdown through the air. Turner is now 5-0 against ranked teams in his career, with 1,135 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and no interceptions in those games. In his other 13 games of his career, Turner has 7 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and a 5-8 record. Go figure.

Big 12: Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) -- Set a school record 90.6 completion percentage as he completed 29 of 32 passes for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran for 23 yards and 2 scores in the Longhorns victory over Missouri.

Big East: LeSean McCoy (So. RB Pitt) -- He carried the ball 18 times for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns against Navy with a chest cold that made it hard for him to catch his breath.

Big Ten: Shonn Greene (Jr. RB Iowa) -- I think everyone saw this one coming. Greene ran for a career high 217 yards and tied a school record with 4 touchdowns against Wisconsin Saturday. It only took him 25 carries to reach this total. I might have some additional comments about this back in the next day or two...

Pac 10: Keola Antolin (Fr. RB Arizona) -- He came off the bench and led the comeback in the second half against No. 25 Cal. He ran the ball 21 times for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Wildcats 42-27 upset victory.

SEC: Michael Smith (Jr. RB Arkansas) -- In a one point loss to Kentucky, Smith carried the ball 35 times for 192 yards and 1 touchdown. He also caught 3 passes for 33 yards and another touchdown.

Independents/Non-BCS: David Johnson (Sr. QB Tulsa) -- Johnson is the highest rated quarterback in the nation this year. He improved his rating this weekend after completed 21 of 27 passes for 434 yards, 5 touchdowns and one interception against UTEP. His team won 77-35 and is ranked for the first time this year. They are No. 19 in the BCS standings.

Dennis Kennedy (Sr. RB Akron) -- Kennedy ran for 277 yards on 25 carries for 3 touchdowns including the game winner in the Zips 42-35 win over Eastern Michigan.

Change At The Top!

For the first time in 5 weeks, someone other than Chase Daniel is leading the Race. This week it could be one of many Big 12 quarterback's. Things are really starting to heat up. We're basically halfway through the season, and here's where they stand:



The List

(Last week's ranking in parentheses)



1. (3) Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) -- He is the field general for the No. 1 team in the nation right now, after beating Sam Bradford and the previously ranked No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners last weekend. He didn't put up the best numbers in the game (28-35 277 yards and 1 TD), but he got the W. McCoy plays the previous No. 1 Heisman contender this weekend as the Longhorns take on the Missouri Tigers and Chase Daniel.



2. (2) Sam Bradford (So. QB Oklahoma) -- Bradford did put up numbers last weekend. He was 28-39 for 387 yards (most passing yards ever in an Oklahoma-Texas game) 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Because of his play, even though his team lost, Bradford doesn't lose any ground. He's still the 2nd highest rated quarterback in the nation.



3. (1) Chase Daniel (Sr. QB Mizzou) -- After losing to Oklahoma State at home, and in a game in which he threw 3 interceptions, many people have dropped him out of their top five. Daniel still has the 5th highest quarterback rating in the nation. While he did have 3 costly interceptions, he also completed 75 percent of his passes for 390 yards and 1 touchdown, and he ran for 46 yards. Daniel has his chance for redemption Saturday against Colt McCoy and No. 1 Texas. Texas has the 110th ranked pass defense in the nation. Daniel is going to have a huge game Saturday, and I wouldn't be surprised if Missouri rides the right arm of Daniel to a victory.



4. (4) Graham Harrell (Sr. QB Texas Tech) -- Harrell has led the Red Raiders to a perfect 6-0 record so far this season. With a weak Texas A&M team on the schedule this weekend, Tech should improve to 7-0. Harrell has thrown 263 passes this year and completed 68 percent of them for 20 touchdowns. Impressively out of all of those passes, he has only thrown 3 interceptions.



5. (5) Donald Brown (Jr. RB UConn) -- He had the week off last week, but I decided to keep him in the top five. He is one of only 2 players in the nation to run for over 100 yards in every single game this season. The other is Shonn Greene of Iowa. The lowest total Brown has put up in a singe game is 146 yards in the season opener. UConn travels to New Jersey to take on Rutgers Saturday. Rutgers has given up 156 yards per game on the ground this season, 79th in the nation.



On the Outside Looking In



Josh Freeman (Jr. QB Kansas State) -- Not only has he been beating people with his arm, but last week he ran for 95 yards and 4 touchdowns. That gives him 12 on the year which ties him for 3rd in the nation with previously mentioned Donald Brown. He also has 12 touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions on the year. He is also 9th in the nation in passer rating.



Daryll Clark (Jr. QB Penn State) -- Clark and Penn State opened up a can on a Wisconsin team that was ranked in the top 10 earlier in the season at Camp Randall. Clark completed 16 of 25 passes for 244 yards 1 touchdown and one pick. He also ran it in the end zone twice in the 48-7 beat down. This Saturday Penn State hosts a Michigan team coming off of a terrible loss to Toledo. Penn State is 3-10 all-time against Michigan, and has lost their last 9 games to the Wolverines.



Tim Hiller (Jr. QB Western Michigan) -- Hawkeye fans should remember this guy. His 276 yards and a touchdown is what kept Iowa from going to a bowl last season. This season he has thrown more touchdown through 7 games than he did all of last year (23 this year, 20 last). Last week he showed his leadership and skills, as his team was trailing by 14 with 5 minutes left. Hiller had 2 touchdown passes in regulation, and then threw the game winner in overtime to escape with a 34-28 win over Buffalo.



Robert Griffin (Fr. QB Baylor) -- Griffin is the last starting quarterback in the nation to not have a turnover. He has only thrown 9 touchdowns and ran for 6 more, and his team is 3-3, so I wouldn't expect Heisman voters to start talking this guy up. But 0 turnovers is extremely impressive this far into the season.



Eric Decker (Jr. WR Minnesota) -- Decker is leading the nation with 59 receptions, and is on pace to have 101 grabs this year. After last weekend's upset win at Illinois, Decker was also leading the nation in receiving yards with 782. He only has 5 touchdown receptions this year, but he has run for a score, as well.

Is There an Anti-West Coast Bias in Heisman Voting?

The answer to this question is simply no.


Think back to the last handful of years. What school has won 3 of the last 6 Heisman Trophies? USC with Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer carrying away the hardware.


If anything, when it comes to Heisman voting, the question should be, "Is there a USC bias?"


Not taking anything away from these talented players, of course, but I think I might be onto something with the USC bias question when I stop and think about it.


In 2005, Vince Young was the best player in America.


He ran for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw 26 touchdowns to 10 interceptions with over 3,000 yards through the air. He essentially was the team.


Reggie Bush was a great player, one of many, for the Trojans that year. He had amazing numbers as he averaged 8.7 yards per carry and ran for 16 scores and caught 2 touchdowns, too. But he was one of so many weapons that it made it even harder to defend him because teams couldn't key just on him. If they did someone else would burn them.


In 2002, Brad Banks was the best player in America.


Lots of people might call me a homer on this one, but Banks was incredible in 2002. Palmer had more touchdown passes but also turned the ball over more times. He had 32 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and 3,639 passing yards.


Banks had 2,369 passing yards. But he had 25 touchdown passes to only 4 interceptions. Banks had the second highest quarterback rating in the nation. He won the Davey O'Brien Award for being the best quarterback in the nation, and yet, another quarterback beat him out for the Heisman?


Who's voting for all of these USC guys, anyway?


My guess is O.J. Simpson has been involved somehow, probably pointing a gun at Heisman voters. I suppose we'll find out this year.


Do they take away your right to vote for the Heisman when you're in the clink?

Week 7 Top Performers

What a crazy weekend in college football. 3 of the top 5 teams in the nation lost on Saturday. It's starting to look like we could have a repeat season of wondering who really is No. 1 after Oklahoma was beaten by No. 5 Texas.

Here are the Top Performers from the weekend:

ACC: Riley Skinner (Jr. QB Wake Forest) - Skinner led the Demon Deacons to victory with a 4th quarter drive. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 73 more yards.

Big 12: Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) - He didn't put up gaudy numbers like the guy on the other team (Sam Bradford), but he led his team to a 45-35 win at the Cotton Bowl over then No. 1 Oklahoma. McCoy completed 28 of 35 passes for 277 yards and 1 touchdown and he ran for 31 yards, as well.

Big East: Noel Devine (So. RB West Virginia) - Led the Pat White-less Mountaineers to a 17-6 win over Syracuse by carrying the ball 18 times for 188 yards and a score.

Big Ten: Daryll Clark (Jr. QB Penn State) - Showed that the Nittany Lions are for real by leading his team to a 48-7 stomping of Wisconsin (who was ranked in the top 10 just a couple of weeks ago) at Camp Randall. Clark completed 16 of 25 passes for 244 yards 1 touchdown 1 interception and ran for 12 yards and 2 more TDs.

Pac 10: Jacquizz Rodgers (Fr. RB Oregon State) - He carried the ball 23 times for 168 yards and one touchdown as the Beavers won big against Washington State, 66-13.

SEC: Tim Tebow (Jr. QB Florida) - After a lack luster beginning to the season for last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow has started to play like he did last year. After being called out by an LSU defensive lineman earlier in the week, Tebow showed up and completed 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 22 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground.

Independents/ Non-BCS: Jason Cherry (Sr. WR Louisiana-Lafayette) - He had 3 catches for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns, 3 carries for 85 yards and 1 touchdown, and he returned a kickoff for a touchdown. The most impressive thing was he did all of this in the first half.

Tyrrell Herbert (Sr. Safety Toledo) - He had 2 interceptions, his first was returned 100 yards for a score after Michigan had made it into the red zone. Toledo pulled off what they are calling their greatest victory in Rocket history, a 13-10 win at the Big House.

Heisman Hopefuls for Week 7

The Big 12 continues to dominate the Heisman conversation. With the numbers the quarterbacks of this conference are putting up, you might as well just give the award away to the guy who leads his team to the Big 12 title.

This week's list is a little Big 12 heavy, to say the least.

(Last week's rankings in parentheses)

The Top 5

1. (1) Chase Daniel (Sr. QB Mizzou) - He's in the top 10 in the nation in passing yards, touchdowns, yards per attempt, and quarterback rating. He has the 2nd highest completion percentage and he has the best touchdown to interception ratio in the nation at 15:1. Daniel is leading the 2nd highest scoring offense in the nation.


2. (2) Sam Bradford (So. QB Oklahoma) - Another 372 yards and 2 scores through the air last week against Baylor keeps Bradford at No. 2. He has been cemented at this spot since his week 2 performance. He will have his chance to put up huge numbers this weekend in Oklahoma and Texas' annual rivalry game. Texas is 98th in the nation in pass defense giving up 244 yards per game. Texas is also tied for 110th with only 2 interception this year. Expect Bradford to go deep, a lot.

3. (NR) Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) - McCoy is the NCAA leader in passing completion percentage at 79.2%. He has thrown 16 touchdowns this year to only 3 interceptions. Most impressively, McCoy is leading his team in rushing. He does everything for his team, and has shown great leadership through their first 5 games. The Longhorns will need everything they can get from their junior signal caller if they want to stand a chance against the Sooners.

4. (NR) Graham Harrell (Sr. QB Texas Tech) - The Big 12 theme continues. Last week, Harrell accounted for 7 of Tech's 8 touchdowns. He threw for 6 touchdown passes and 454 yards, and he ran for one score. He was my Big 12 "Top Performer" for the last week, and the Big 12's offensive Player of the Week. He is 2nd in the nation in passing yards and has 18 touchdown passes which ties him for fourth in the nation with Sam Bradford.

5. (4) Donald Brown (Jr. RB UConn) - Brown had 161 rushing yards and the only touchdown in UConn's first loss of the season at North Carolina. The score tied him for first in the nation with 12 touchdowns, and he is still leading the nation in rushing. He was the first player to break 1,000 yards this season and sits at 1,067 rushing yards so far.


On the Outside Looking In

Todd Reesing (Jr. QB Kansas) - Reesing's Jayhawks fell behind 20-0 in the first half against Iowa State. Reesing failed to throw a TD in the first half of a game all year, and it looked like he'd completely fall off the Heisman path and his team would be out of the top 25. Reesing led his team back in the second half throwing 3 touchdowns and Kansas won 35-33.

Max Hall (Jr. QB BYU) - Not a bad game for Hall last week, but not great. He did have 303 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, but he also threw 2 interceptions in BYU's 34-14 blowout of Utah State.

Dez Bryant (So. WR Oklahoma State) - Not including the Missouri State game (in which he barely played and just in the 1st quarter), Bryant has 3 touchdown catches in each of his last 3 games. That's 9 total which puts him in 2nd in the nation and 1st in the Big 12. He has 27 receptions for 550 yards. His 20.4 yards per catch is 2nd in the nation for players with at least 25 catches. He has the 2nd most receiving yards in the Big 12, 14 yards behind Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree (who has 11 more receptions).

Mark Sanchez (Jr. QB USC) - Sanchez followed up USC's first loss with a 332 yard 3 touchdown performance in the Trojans' 44-10 victory over then No. 23 Oregon. He now has 13 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions.

MiQuale Lewis (Jr. RB Ball State) - Lewis has the 4th most rushing yards in the nation and is tied for the most touchdowns in the nation, as well. Lewis and quarterback Nate Davis have quietly led undefeated Ball State into the AP top 25.

Big 12's Big Heisman match-ups

The Big 12 really gets started this weekend with 2 huge games and several Heisman hopefuls going up against each other. The biggest game is, of course No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Texas and their Heisman candidate quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy.

The more interesting game, if you're looking for Heisman contenders, may be No. 3 Missouri vs No. 17 Oklahoma State. Mizzou boasts most people's Heisman front runner, Chase Daniel, and speedy wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Oklahoma State also has guys who should be getting some national attention, but who have been flying under the radar all season.

Dez Bryant has been the best wide out in the Big 12 so far this season. He has 550 yards on only 27 catches. He barely played in the Cowboys' 56-13 victory over Missouri State, so he has done this in basically 4 games. Oh, and he has 9 touchdown grabs, which is 2nd in the nation behind Rice's Jarrett Dillard.

Zac Robinson has the third highest quarterback rating in the nation, and is only .39 points behind Sam Bradford for second. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes and ran for 4 more. He is also the leader of the 3rd highest scoring offense in the nation at 52.6 points per game (Missouri is 2 with 53..4 points per game).

Top Performers from Week 6

ACC: Chris Crane (Sr. QB Boston College) - He threw for 428 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he ran for three more TDs, including the game winner from 13 yards out with 23 seconds against North Carolina State.

Big 12: Graham Harrell (Sr. QB Texas Tech) - 454 yards and 6 touchdowns through the air will get you player of the week everyweek. And he ran in for one more in Tech's 58-28 victory over Kansas State.

Big East: LeSean McCoy (So. RB Pitt) - McCoy was the key component to Pittsburgh's upset victory over #10 South Florida. McCoy ran for 142 yards and two scores in the win

Big Ten: Juice Williams (Jr. QB Illinois) - Juice set a Michigan Stadium record in the Illini's road win Saturday by compiling 431 yards of total offense including 310 yards passing for 2 scores and 121 yards rushing for 2 more TDs. Illinois's 45 points was the most scored by a Michigan opponent in Ann Arbor since Florida State scored 51 in 1991.

Pac 10: Mark Sanchez (Jr. QB USC) - Sanchez was 19 of 28 for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns as USC bounced back after a loss to Oregon State to beat 23rd ranked Oregon 44-10.

SEC: Chris Smelley (So. QB South Carolina) - Smelley looked as though he secured the starting role in Steve Spurrier's offense after throwing for 3 touchdowns and 327 yards in a big win against Ole Miss.

Independents/ Non-BCS: Tyrell Fenroy (Sr. RB Louisiana-Lafayette) - Fenroy ran for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns on only 20 carries agaisnt Louisiana-Monroe.

Jimmy Clausen (So. QB Notre Dame) - Clausen completed 29 of 40 passes for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Irish's 28-21 victory over Stanford.

The Beginning of the End for Ringer

Michigan State running back Javon Ringer looked too slow and too weak against the first of many good run defenses he will face in the Big Ten. Ringer was, and still is, second in the nation in rushing yards and has 12 rushing touchdowns, which had him all alone in first last week, but after Iowa kept him out of the endzone for the first time this year, he now is tied with Donald Brown of Connecticut.

The Iowa defense swarmed Ringer, making him look slow, and not allowing big runs. If you take away his only big run of 29 yards, he carried the ball 24 times for 62 yards. That's a mere 2.5 yards per carry.

The 91 yards he ran for on Saturday was the second worst of the season, as Cal held him 81 in his first game of the year. The other 4 teams have not been able to stop the run in other games, either. Indiana's run defense is 46th, Notre Dame's is 59th, Florida Atlantic's is 99th, and Eastern Michigan is 100th in the nation against the run.

The biggest thing I learned about Ringer while watching the game, was that he was not even close to being the best back on the field. Shonn Greene is incredible. It takes two or more guys to tackle him everytime he gets the ball. He, unfortunately has no chance of winning the Heisman because he doesn't get enough opportunities to score. The voters look at touchdowns more than anything else.

Iowa does boast the nation's 19th ranked run defense, which is second best in the Big Ten, but in the Big Ten, everyone takes pride in their ability to stop the run. Ringer has a long road ahead of him.

And with guys like Greene or Beenie Wells of Ohio State, I would have a hard time giving the Heisman to a guy who isn't even the best at his postion in his conference.

No Change at the Top, Daniel Still #1

We are now entering the 6th weekend of the college football season, and the race is really going to pick up now. The Big 12 begins conference play this weekend, and with the numerous Heisman hopefuls the conference boasts, it will be interesting to see them competing against each other.
In case you don't believe the best quarterbacks are in the Big 12, read this. 4 of the top 5 guys in quarterback rating are from the Big 12, and 6 of the top 10, 8 of the top 20, and 10 of the top 25, as well.
Here's the List for week six.
(Last week's rank in parentheses)

1. (1) Chase Daniel (Sr. QB Mizzou) - Daniel had the week off, but remains at the top because of his impressive performances through four games. He has his first true test this weekend at Nebraska. Last year, Missouri's offense outscored Nebraska's 41-6.

2. (2) Sam Bradford (So. QB Oklahoma) - Last week, against what was the nation's top defense, Bradford threw for 411 yards and four touchdowns. After that performance (and USC and Georgia losing) the Sooners were elevated to number 1 in the country. Daniel had better keep it up because this guy has been on fire.

3. (3) Javon Ringer (Sr. RB Mich St) - He was only 2 yards shy of his 3rd straight 200+ yard rushing performance last Saturday against Indiana. He has 187 carries through 5 games this season. That's 41 more than the next running back. He's second in the nation in rushing yards and is first in touchdowns with 12 (which is how many he had in his first three years of college combined). It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up against an Iowa defense that is usually pretty stingy against the run.

4. (NR) Donald Brown (Jr. RB UConn) - There has slowly been an increase in talk about Ringer nationwide, but Brown is the nation's leading rusher this year. Brown has been the entire offense for the Huskies this season, similar to Ringer for the Spartans. The difference is Brian Hoyer hasn't made costly mistakes that could have ruined their season, while Tyler Lorenzen, for the Huskies has. Thanks to Brown, UConn is 5-0 going into their match-up at North Carolina Saturday, and they will have a new quarterback behind center, as Lorenzen is possibly out for the next 8 weeks after breaking his foot.

5. (NR) Max Hall (Jr. QB BYU) - He has had such an impressive season, that even after a week off he rises into the top 5. In four games he has 15 touchdown passes to only two interceptions, and, most importantly, he has his team ranked in the top 10 nationally.


On The Outside Looking In

Colt McCoy (Jr. QB Texas) - He has completed 80 of 100 passes for 14 touchdowns and only 1 interception through four games this year. Now that Big 12 season opens, we will really get to see what he is made of. The Longhorns travel to Colorado this weekend.

Todd Reesing (Jr. QB Kansas) - Reesing had last week off, but, like most of the guys on this blog, Big 12 season starts for him now. The Jayhawks get to start off easy with Iowa State Saturday. Look for Reesing to add to his 11 touchdowns at Jack Trice.

Charles Scott (Jr. RB LSU) - Scott only has 71 carries on the year, but is ninth in the nation in rushing yards and has 6 touchdowns while sharing some time in the backfield. You can make the argument, that he has been the only true weapon for the Tigers this season, especially while they were searching for consistency at quarterback.

Josh Freeman (Jr. QB Kansas St) - The fifth Big 12 quarterback of the day! Freeman has thrown for 11 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions while leading his team to a 3-1 record. He has also ran for 6 more TDs.

Daryll Clark (Jr. QB Penn St) - Through the first 5 games of the season, Penn State looks like the class of the Big Ten, and their leader, Clark, looks like he may be the best player in the conference, as well. He has thrown 9 touchdowns to only pick, and more importantly, he has shown strong leadership.