Heisman Watch (Week 11)

1.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week:  145 yards passing 0 TDs 1 INT, 50 yards rushing 2 TDs at TCU (23-10)  Next Week: vs at Baylor
Comments:  It wasn't a huge statistical game, but the most important thing was that Klein stayed healthy and the Wildcats got out with the win.  Klein can afford to have a game or two like this as long as they continue to win.  Add in that Klein was coming off a concussion the week before and we can live with these numbers.  They don't take anything away from the season he's having and carrying his team to an undefeated record.  Now Klein just needs to get wins over Baylor and Texas and we should see him hoisting the trophy.

2.  Kenjon Barner RB Oregon
Last Week:  65 yards rushing 0 TDs, 35 yards receiving 0 TDs vs California (59-17)  Next Week:  vs Stanford
Comments:  What he can't go for 300 plus yards every week?  Coming off a 321 yard rushing night against USC, the Oregon runner had a quiet night against Cal.  He only 100 total yards and 0 TDs, but that's ok considering that he'll have games against Stanford and Oregon State to showcase his talents again.  There was an injury scare where Barner left the game in the first half, but came back in the 2nd and finished the game.  Look for Barner to have a huge game against Stanford next week to help the Ducks stay unbeaten and in the hunt for the National Title.

3.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

Last Week:  5 tackles, 1 INT vs Boston College (21-6)
Next Week:  vs Wake Forrest

Comments:  Another week another win for the Irish.  Against Boston College Manti Te'o and the rest of the defense did what they needed to get the win.  They held the Eagles to 0 TDs and only gave up the two field goals.  Te'o added his sixth INT of the season which sets a record for a Notre Dame linebacker.  Next up for Te'o is a Wake Forrest team that isn't very good.  Look for him to put up some big tackle numbers before their huge showdown with USC to end the season.  Te'o needs to finish strong in their remaining games if he wants to finish high in the final standings.

4.  Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M
Last Week:   253 yards passing 2 TDs, 92 yards rushing 0 TDs at Alabama (29-24)  Next Week:  vs Texas A&M

Comments:  Welcome Johnny Football to the Heisman Watch!  The redshirt freshman has been on the cusp of the Watch for the past few weeks, but their win over #1 Alabama thrusts him into the mix.  Manziel has simply been amazing this year.  Against one of the best defenses in the nation he had 345 total yards and made the plays he needed to get the big upset.  He's been great all year and even in their two losses Manziel was still dynamic.  A freshman has never won the award, but if A&M can somehow sneak into the SEC Title Game, anything can happen.  But we should be seeing this young player in New York as a finalist.

5.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  Bye Week  Next Week: at Wisconsin
Comments:  Having a week off is a good thing for Braxton Miller because it allows him to rest up before their final two games against Wisconsin and Michigan.  If they win those two games they'll finish undefeated.  But the bad thing about having a bye week this late is that Miller's Heisman hype is started to fade and not playing this week doesn't help out.  Despite having a great season leading the unbeaten Buckeyes, nobody is talking about Miller.  If he wants to make it to New York, he'll need to be not only dynamic in his final two games, he'll need to dominate.

Heisman Watch (Week 10)

1.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week:  245 yards passing 0 TDs, 64 yards rushing 1 TD vs Oklahoma State (44-30)  Next Week: vs at TCU
Comments:  Klein was off to his typical big game, he had 310 total yards and a TD midway through the 3rd quarter.  However Klein took an awkward hit and never returned to the game.  It didn't look bad, but KState doesn't disclose injuries so it's up in the air how bad the injury is and if Klein is going to miss next weeks game.  However Klein was observed on the sideline laughing and not showing any ill affects.  So maybe they took him out just to prevent anything worse happening.  Because if Klein can't go, neither will this team.

2.  Kenjon Barner RB Oregon
Last Week:  38 carries for 321 yards rushing 5 TD vs USC (62-51)  Next Week:  at California
Comments:  If you didn't know Kenjon Barner before this week, you sure know him now.  In Oregon's route over USC Barner set a Oregon single game record with 321 yards rushing.  He also did it on 8 yards per carry.  That's impressive on it's own.  While teammate De'Anthony Thomas has gotten a lot more Heisman hype, it's been Barner who has been the one who has stood out game in and game out.  Barner had 1,295 yards rushing so far this season and 19 TDs.  With games against Stanford, Oregon State, and likely USC again look for Barner to have some more highlights when the spotlight is on.

3.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

Last Week:  7 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 sack vs Pittsburgh (29-26)
Next Week:  at Boston College 

Comments: It wasn't the best games for Te'o and the Golden Domer's, but they escaped the Pitt game with a with and that's what really counts.  Te'o didn't have a huge impact statically with only 7 tackles and a sack.  But Te'o was always in the mix and helped the Fighting Irish buckle down in the second half and overtime to give their offense a chance to come back.  This next weekend they'll travel to Boston College where Te'o probably won't be on the field too much because BC isn't very good.  If Te'o wants to be the first defensive player to win the Heisman, he'll need a couple huge games coming up.  

4.  AJ McCarron QB Alabama
Last Week:   165 yards passing 1 TD, 1 rushing TD at LSU (21-17)  Next Week:  vs Texas A&M

Comments:  This wasn't McCarron's best game of the year, but when Alabama needed him to step up, he did so.  Down three with in the final minutes McCarron lead the Crimson Tide down the field before finding RB TJ Yeldon on a 28 yard pass to win the game.  The win allows Alabama to stay undefeated and keep their chances of an undefeated season alive.  McCarron although statstically wasn't good, keeps his slim Heisman chances alive.  Without that last TD drive, McCarron would have been out of the race.  But other former SEC Heisman Winners have won the award in the final weeks.  Can McCarron do that too?

5.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  226 yards passing 2 TDs, 73 yards rushing 1 TD vs Illinois (52-22)  Next Week: Bye
Comments:  Not a whole lot to say about this Miller this week.  The Buckeyes faced an Illinois team that has quit on the season.  Miller did what he needed to do and got out without getting injuried.  He had 299 combined yards and 3 TDs.  Miller continues to play at a high level, but there really isn't a whole lot of talk about it.  Having a bye next week doesn't help out either.  But there game against Michigan coming up could really do wonders for his Heisman chances.

Others to Watch

7.  Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M
8.  Teddy Bridgewater QB Louisville 

Heisman Watch (Week 9)

1.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 233 yards passing 2 TDs, 83 yards rushing 2 TDs vs Texas Tech (55-24)  Next Week: vs Oklahoma State
Comments:  After turning in a dominant performance against West Virginia, Optimis Klein continued the momentum and helped the Wildcats dominate top 20 Texas Tech.  Klein was his old self 316 total yards and 4 TDs.  Their win also propels the Wildcats up the rankings are in the thick of the National Title picture.  This also ehances Klein's Heisman bid.  Things should get easier for Klein and KState as they face off against an Oklahoma State team that is in all sorts of disarray.

2.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  143 yards passing 1 TD 1 INT, 134 yards rushing 2 TDs at Penn State (35-23)  Next Week: vs Illinois
Comments:  Would Braxton Miller's season be bigger news if Ohio State wasn't on propation.  If they weren't ineligible for post season?  But it's hard to ignore the season that he is having.  Against a Penn State team that was playing at a high level, Miller was just as good.  He had a combined 277 yards and 3 TDs.  Miller showed no ill affects from his injury he suffered against Purdue.  Miller continues to be the only offensive threat for the Buckeyes and continues to lead them to an undefeated record and if they were eligible they'd more than likely be top 10 in the BCS rankings.

3.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

Last Week:  11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT vs Oklahoma (30-13)  Next Week:  vs Pittsburgh 

Comments:  It seems like there is a defensive player every year that is in the final Heisman voting.  Ndamukong Suh finished 4th in 2009 while Tyrann Mathieu finished 5th last year.  This year it is Manti Te'o who is making a huge impact.  With Notre Dame having their best season in decades, it's Te'o who has been the leader on one of the best defenses in the nation.  This was evident against Oklahoma where Te'o was all over the field with 11 tackles a sack and even had an interception.  With Notre Dame continuing to be undefeated, it's clear that Te'o is their best player.

4.  AJ McCarron QB Alabama
Last Week:   16/23 208 yards 2 TDs vs Mississippi State (38-7)  Next Week:  at LSU

Comments:  Because Alabama has such a good defense and a stable of running backs that would make an NFL team jealous.  AJ McCarron has this misconception that he is just a game manager.  Any why not.  The Crimson Tide run the ball a lot and all the previous Tide QBs under Nick Saban have been game managers.  But McCarron isn't.  McCarron used last year's National Title Game as his coming out part and it's continued into this year.  McCarron averages 210 yards passing and it could more if Alabama opened up the offense.  McCarron has also thrown for 18 TDs while having 0 INTs.  McCarron probably won't win the Heisman, but he'll likely be a finalist.

5.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  Bye  Next Week:  vs TCU
Comments:  West Virginia's bye week couldn't have come at a better time.  After cruising through their first 5 games, Geno Smith and the Mountaineers were rolling.  But after two blowout losses to Texas Tech and Kansas State, they now looking for answers.  Smith isn't out of the race quite yet.  But two bad weeks and a bye aren't helping him out either.  We do have to remember that RG3 won the award last year and the Bears had 3 losses.  So Smith just needs to take this weekend to get things back in the right direction and back to his old ways.

Others to Watch

7.  Kenjon Barner RB Oregon
8.  De'Anthony Thomas WR/RB Oregon

Heisman Watch (Week 8)

1.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 19/21 323 yards passing 3 TDs passing, 41 yards rushing 4 TDs at West Virginia (55-14)  Next Week: vs Texas Tech
Comments:  All season long Collin Klein has been on the door step waiting to burst through the door.  Well KState's prime time win over West Virginia was Klein's coming out party.  Klein hasn't had "huge" numbers for most of the season, but that stopped here.  Against the Mountaineers Klein had 364 combined yards and 7 TDs.  Heck Klein completed all but 2 of his passes.  That is flat out remarkable.  It's games like this that get voter's attention and could end with Klein winning KState's first Heisman Trophy.  But the Wildcats can't overlook their next opponent, Texas Tech, who has been on quite the roll themselves.

2.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  21/32 143 yards 1 TD 2 INTs vs Kansas State (14-55)  Next Week:  Bye
Comments:  After dazzling college football in his early season, Smith has had two clunkers of games and his strangle hold on the Heisman Race is long gone.  Against KState Smith was looking to rebound after the Texas Tech loss, but was unable to do so.  Smith not only threw his first two INTs of the season, but he was only able to lead the offense to 14 points and lost the game.  Smith hasn't looked like the same player that he did in the early season.  His accuracy is down and he just looks average.  What is worse is that West Virginia is now on a bye week and Smith can't get back out there to get some momentum going.  We could have just witnessed Geno Smith's Heisman season end.

3.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  9/20 113 yards passing 0 TDs 1 INT, 47 yards rushing 1 TD vs Purdue (29-22)  Next Week: at Penn State
Comments:  This is not the way Braxton Miller wanted the Purdue game to go.  Not only did he not have a great game with less than 200 yards of total offense but Miller left the game and had to be taken to the hospital.  Miller has since been released but his availability in the Penn State game is still undetermined.  None the less Braxton struggled against a solid Purdue defense and never really had the same game that he did against Nebraska or Indiana.  But if he's available to play against Penn State, he'll have a shot to make a strong impression against a very very talented Penn State team.

4.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:   19/20 298 yards passing 6 TDs vs Colorado (50-6)  Next Week:  at Arizona
Comments:  Are we going to look back to this game and say it was the one that got Barkley going in the right direcetion?  After struggled through most of the season, Barkley was dynamite and in doing so broke a couple of records.  His 95% completion percentage broke Rick Neuheisel's record while his 6 passing TDs helped him break Matt Leinart's Pac 12 record for career TDs.  Not too bad for a guy that has been struggling for most of the year.  And this couldn't come at a better time as the Trojans are about to enter the strength of their schedule.  They travel to Arizona this next weekend, but they still have games against Oregon, Notre Dame, UCLA, and probably Oregon again.  Barkley's shot at the Heisman is still a long shot, but he could pull something off with a great end to the season.



5.  De'Anthony Thomas WR/RB Oregon
Last Week:  25 yards rushing 0 TDs, 4 yards receiving 0 TDs vs Arizona State (43-21)  Next Week:  vs Colorado
Comments:  Thomas hasn't had the season many thought he would after dazzling as a freshman last year.  Even in their route of Arizona the young weapon accounted for less than 30 yards.  The only reason that Thomas is still in the race is because there really isn't a large pool of players standing out.  Plus Thomas has the ability to break out during some big time games towards the end of the season.  But Thomas better start going, because he is starting to slide down the rankings.

Others to Watch

6.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame
7.  Kenjon Barner RB Oregon
8.  Seth Doege QB Texas Tech

Heisman Watch (Week 7)

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  29/55 275 yards 1 TD at Texas Tech (14-49)  Next Week:  vs Kansas State
Comments:  You had to wonder if there was a game out there like this waiting for Smith and the Mountaineers.  After dazzling us with near perfect performances through the first six weeks, we get a clunker here.  In the week before their big showdown with KState, Smith and the Mountaineers stumble in Lubbock.  Smith did throw for 275 yards which isn't bad, but he only completed 53% of his passes.  That's a far cry from the 81% he has had the rest of the season.  The loss will hurt West Virginia in the standings, but it should kill Smith here in the Heisman Race.  He'll hold onto the top spot for now, but this performance surely closes the gap between him and the rest of the contenders.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 16/24 187 yards passing, 105 yards rushing 3 TDs at Iowa State (27-21)  Next Week: at West Virginia
Comments:  Unlike Geno Smith, Collin Klein and the KState Wildcats took care of their business before next's week big time match up.  Against a tough Iowa State team, Klein accounted for 292 yards and 3 scores.  He did this while helping the offense control the ball for over 40 minutes.  Collin Klein is never going to put up Geno Smith or even Braxton Miller numbers, but it's clear that his success might be more needed to his team than anybody in college football.  The gap is closing right now between Geno Smith and the rest of the competition, and if Klein and the Wildcats can beat West Virginia next week we could see a new leader atop the race.

3.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  13/24 211 yards passing 2 TDs 1 INT, 149 yards rushing 1 TD at Indiana (52-49)  Next Week: vs Purdue
Comments:  In what should have been a blowout win, Braxton Miller did his job.  Against a inferior Hoosier defense, he rushed for 149 yards and threw for another 211.  He had a 67 yard rushing TD and threw TDs from 60 and 46.  Ohio State doesn't have a lot of weapons, but Miller is so dynamic is Urban Meyer's spread and he makes up for other differences on offense.  If it wasn't for Miller Ohio State could have a couple of losses, especially against Indiana who pulled within 3 points at the end of the game.  Miller's next game is against Purdue who has some talent on defense.  It should be fun to see how Miller will do against Purdue's DT Kawann Short.


4.  De'Anthony Thomas WR/RB Oregon
Last Week:  Bye  Next Week:  at Arizona State
Comments:  Not a whole lot to discuss with Thomas here since the Ducks are on a bye week.  But this is a great opportunity to highlight the season that Thomas is having.  So far the dynamic offensive threat has rushed for 377 yards and has 205 yards receiving.  He is the 2nd leading rusher on the team and the leading receiver.  He has a combined 9 TDs.  Those aren't very big numbers, but the Ducks really look to limit Thomas touches and save him more for big games.  With the Ducks still playing Stanford, Oregon State, and USC we haven't seen the best from Thomas.  With him returning punts and kicks, don't be surprised to see him score from there too.

5.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:   10/20 167 yards 1 TD 1 INT at Washington (24-14)  Next Week:  vs Colorado
Comments:  Under normal circumstances Matt Barkley would be out of the Heisman Watch.  Barkley has struggled through most of the season with duds for games and the Trojans are relying on their running game more and more.  But there really isn't anybody waiting in the wings to rise up the boards, Barkley is still relatively in the hunt.  Against Washington Barkley was sub par.  He completed only 50% of his passes for a measly 167 yards.  He did have a TD pass, but also had a pick.  Next week USC hosts Colorado which should be an easy win and a chance for Barkley to put up some numbers, because if they want to get back to the National Title picture they'll need Barkley at his best.

Others to Watch

6.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame
7.  EJ Manuel QB Florida State

Heisman Watch (Week 6)

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  25/35 268 yards 4 TDs at Texas (48-45)  Next Week:  at Texas Tech
Comments:  In his first true test of the year, Geno Smith rose to the occasion and carried the Mountaineers to a 48-45 victory over Texas.  Smith didn't have his huge 400 yard performance, but he did have 4 TDs and most importantly got the win.  Smith was the clear cut favorite going into this week and after this win and his play, he further distances himself from the rest of the field.  Geno looks to continue the momentum into next weekend as they travel to Texas Tech.  That should be a great opportunity for Smith to put up huge numbers again since Oklahoma put 41 on them this weekend.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 7/14 129 yards passing 2 TDs, 10 carries 116 yards rushing 2 TDs vs Kansas (56-16)  Next Week: at Iowa State
Comments:  Geno Smith may be the best player in college football through 6 weeks, but Klein might be the most valuable to his team.  Klein didn't have astronomical numbers, he had a combined 245 yards, but did have 4 combined TDs.  He did this all on 7 completions and 10 carries.  That's pretty good considering it's only 17 plays.  But a big part of that was the Wildcats used RB John Hubert quite a bit that it took away some of the touches from Klein.  But that's not that big of a deal because against Kansas wasn't much of a threat and KState wanted to rest Klein a bit.  It's a very wise move, but it's not going to get many voters to pick Klein to be their winner.

3.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
Last Week:  7/14 127 yards passing 1 TD, 16 carries 185 yards rushing 1 TD vs Nebraska (63-38)  Next Week: at Indiana
Comments: A lot of people haven't been talking about Braxton Miller this season, but after his performance against Nebraska it's going to be hard to ignore him.  Ohio State looked sluggish for most of the early season, but it was this blow out of Nebraska that now has everybody's attention.  Miller had 312 combined yards and mainly could do whatever he wanted to against Nebraska.  Miller is a great fit in Urban Meyer's spread offense and as the season continues to move forward he'll only get better.  The only thing that hurts him is that he tends to get dinged up.  But Ohio State's schedule isn't too daunting, which should only help him out.


4.  De'Anthony Thomas WR/RB Oregon
Last Week:  10 carries 75 yards rushing 1 TD, 1 reception 12 yards vs Washington (52-21)  Next Week:  at Arizona State
Comments:  De'Anthony Thomas didn't have a huge breakout game against Washington, but he's the most dangerous weapon in college football and one of the biggest reasons the Ducks offense is arguably the best.  Thomas can do it all.  He plays in the slot, but is a hybrid WR/RB.  The Ducks will line him up all over the field and try to get him the ball in space.  He's got 9 combined TDs and is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.  Thomas is at his best in big games and he'll have his shot to make his mark coming up with games against Stanford, USC, and Oregon State all left.  And it a year where only Geno Smith has emerged as a candidate, Thomas has an opportunity to step up if Smith falls.

5.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  23/30 303 yards 3 TDs vs Utah (38-28)  Next Week:  at Washington
Comments:  It's games like this that remind us how good Matt Barkley truly is.  Trailing Utah 21-10 in the 3rd quarter, Barkley rallied the Trojans to 28 straight points and a come from behind victory.  Barkley's 303 yards and 3 TDs was just the game he needed to need keep him in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy.  A loss and a clunker game here would have ruined any shot he had to winning the award.  But instead the Trojans have some good momentum going into next weeks game against a very underrated Washington team.

Others to Watch

6.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame
7.  EJ Manuel QB Florida State
8.  Stedman Bailey WR West Virginia

Heisman Watch Week 5

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  45/51 656 yards 8 TDs vs Baylor (70-63)  Next Week:  at Texas
Comments:  In what might have been the craziest game of the weekend, Geno Smith fully cemented himself as the leader in the Heisman Race.  We all knew that Smith was going to put up huge numbers against a sub par Baylor defense, but what amazed me is how good Smith was knowing that to win this game Smith was going to have to score on every drive.  And that was true seeing they won 70-63.  Smith had huge numbers, throwing for 656 and 8 TDs, but what was the most telling of how good he was the completion percentage.  88% when you throw 51 times is flat out awesome.  But I'll be very interested to see how Smith will do against Texas this next week.  They'll pose a lot more of a challenge than Baylor did.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: Bye  Next Week: vs Kansas
Comments:  Bye weeks can go one of two ways.  The big thing is that you don't play and if guys ahead of you stumble you are in a great spot.  But you could also encounter a situation like this weekend where the guy ahead of you just flat out goes off and you don't have anything to show for it.  Collin Klein is coming off a big win against Oklahoma, but with the game that Geno Smith had without Klein playing really puts some distance between the two.  However Klein will get back into the mix next week against in state rival Kansas. Plus Klein still has an opportunity to go head to head with Smith.  That could be a fun one to watch.

3.  EJ Manuel QB Florida State
Last Week:  19/26 242 yards 1 TD at South Florida (30-17)  Next Week:  at North Carolina State
Comments:  It wasn't anything spectacular  but Florida State survived a scare in their first road game of the season and pulled out the win.  Manuel threw for 242 yards but he didn't make many mistakes and most importantly got the win.  I'm not seeing Manuel having much of a chance to win the Heisman Trophy, but as long as he keeps the Seminoles winning and puts up some good numbers he'll be a finalist.



4.  Aaron Murray QB Georgia
Last Week:  19/25 278 yards 2 TDs 1 INT vs Tennessee (51-44)  Next Week: at South Carolina
Comments:  If it wasn't for the play of Aaron Murray we could be talking about how Tennessee is still a contender for the SEC West Title.  But we aren't because Murray was huge for the Bulldogs in their win.  Murray threw for 278 yards which isn't Geno Smith esq, but it was what Georgia needed to stay perfect on the season.  Georgia has some talent with two true freshman RBs, but they don't have anymore AJ Green type WRs anymore.  That doesn't matter to Murray who distributes the ball to a lot of different receivers.  This is crucial for their success.  Right now Murray is just one of several players that are in the race, but not quite.  If Murray wants to move up into the top of this group he'll need a big game against the Gamecocks.  But a bad game and a loss could really hurt his chances.

5.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  Bye  Next Week:  at Utah
Comments:  It's safe to say that Matt Barkley hasn't lived up to the high expectations he had going into this season.  Barkley hasn't been awful, but many people thought he'd have an Andrew Luck type of year.  Instead Barkley has been meh.  Against Stanford he really made some big mistakes towards the end of the game, while against inferior competition he was just average.  What has Barkley still in this race is the fact that other than Geno Smith and Collin Kelin there really hasn't been anybody that has put themselves into the discussion.  Add that and the fact that USC still has big games against Oregon, Notre Dame, and UCLA that with big games could really shoot his stock in the right direction.

Others to Watch

6. Braxton Miller QB Ohio State
7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
8.  Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame

Heisman Watch (Week 4)

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  30/43 338 3 TDs vs Maryland (31-21)  Next Week:  vs Baylor
Comments: It wasn't the video game numbers that Geno Smith has been putting up lately, but Smith was still spectacular in West Virginia's win over Maryland.  His 338 yards helped shred the Terrapin defense and help the Mountaineers improve their record to 3-0.  Smith continues to play at a high level and is clearly the front runner to win the award.  Right now there really isn't a close #2.  But it won't get any easier for West Virginia.  Big 12 conference play starts this weekend and Smith won't have to face any elite defenses, but they are still a lot better than anything he has seen so far.  But if he keeps up this pace he'll be fine.

2.  Collin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 13/21 149 0 TDs, 79 yards rushing 1 TD vs O (24-19)  Next Week: vs Kansas
Comments:  In typical Collin Klein fashion, it wasn't pretty but the Wildcats and Klein got the job done.  Klein's stats where not amazing, but he did have a combined 228 yards, but the big thing was getting the victory over top 10 rated Oklahoma.  The win vaults KState up the rankings and showcases Klein to the national stage.  The win also avenges the Wildcats 41 point loss to the Sooners last year.  Things do get easier for Klein and the Wildcats this week as they face off against in state rival Kansas.  The Jayhawks are awful this year and should allow Klein to put up some gaudy numbers.

3.  Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State
Last Week:  36 carries 253 yards 1 TD vs Eastern Michigan (23-7) Next Week:  vs Ohio State

Comments:  The Spartans struggled against lowly MAC Eastern Michigan, but it wasn't at any fault to Le'Veon Bell.  Despite an inability to put Eastern Michigan out of the game early, Bell was at his best rushing for 253 yards and a touchdown.  This performance is just what Bell needed to stay in the hunt for the Heisman.  He has a long ways to go to get back to being one of the favorites, but their game against Ohio State this week could give him that national boost that he needs.  And the way Ohio State's defense has been playing, Bell has as good of a chance as anybody.



4.  EJ Manuel QB Florida State
Last Week:  27/35 380 2 TDs vs Clemson (49-37)  Next Week:  at South Florida
Comments:   With Florida State needing to seize the opportunity against Clemson, the senior QB stepped up.  Manuel threw for 380 yards and rushed for 102.  The Seminoles needed every bit of those yards to out score the Tigers high flying offense.  Not only did Manuel throw for a bunch of yards, but he was just as lethal with his feet.  Manuel was a dark horse candidate to win the award, but after the Seminoles big victory over Clemson and Manuel's performance, he is now thrust into contention.  Especially with the race so wide open.  Florida State has an easy schedule ahead of them with only Virginia Tech and Florida being possible ranked teams.  If the Seminoles can get through the season unscathed, Manuel has a great opportunity to make some noise in the Heisman Race.

5.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  22/34 192 2 TDs 2 INTs, 102 yards rushing vs California (27-9)  Next Week:  at Utah
Comments:  Looking to bounce back from their big loss to Stanford, Barkley was able to lead the Trojans to victory, but he didn't look good doing so.  With the emphasis put on the run game it came at the cost of Matt Barkley.  Not only did Barkley throw for less than 200 yards, but he threw 2 picks also.  Those aren't terrible numbers, but it's not like he was very efficient.  Barkley still has an outside shot at winning the Heisman Trophy, but his national perception isn't the greatest.  He'll have to clean his game up and elevate his passing numbers.

Others to Watch

6.  Jonathan Franklin RB UCLA
7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
8.  Braxton Miller QB Ohio State

Heisman Watch (Week 3)

1.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  34/39 411 yards 5 TDs vs James Madison (42-12) Next Week:  vs Maryland
Comments: We were beginnnig to see a trend in Heisman Winners.  The trophy was going to the top player on one of the teams in the National Title game.  Last year that trend was broken by RG3 mainly because he had such a great season compared to everybody else.  Could we see that this year with Geno Smith?  I don't see West Virvinia making it to the Nationa Championship, but it's going to be hard to think of anybody else playing as good as Smith.  Against James Madison Smith was flawless.  He completed 87% of his passes (88% on the season) and threw for 411 yards and 5 TDs.  That is just flat remarkable.  I don't see an end in sight.  Next week they play Maryland who is bad, and then the Big 12 isn't known for lock down defeneses.  With all the turmoil in college football, could we see Smith running away with this?

2.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  20/41 254 yards O TDs 2 INTs vs Stanford (14-21)  Next Week:  vs California
Comments:  It was a bad day for Barkley and the Trojans.  In their first real test of the season they failed to get enough offense to get the victory.  Even though he had 254 yards Barkley struggled and made some poor decisons that cost them the victory.  Mainly him taking 2 sacks on the final drive and throwing the final pass out of bounds.  Add in his 2 INTs and it's not a grea day for the Heisman favorite.  Now Barkley's chances of winning the award are not gone.  But he'll have to have a steller rest of the season including a couple of big wins against Oregon, Arizona, and Notre Dame.  Otherwise it's going to be tough sailing.

3.  Colin Klein QB Kansas State
Last Week: 15/20 230 2 TDs 1 INT, 85 yards rushing 1 TD vs North Texas (35-21)  Next Week: @ Oklahoma
Comments:  The rest of the KState team may have looked sloppy against North Texas, but Colin Klein just keeps rolling.  Klein had a combined 315 yards and 3 TDs and was a clutch when the Wildcats needed him the most.  However if Klein wants a realistic shot of winning the Heisman, he's going to need a huge game this next week against top 10 ranked Oklahoma.  A big game here and a win could thrust Klein right up there with Geno Smith as the new favorites.  A dud for a game could end his chances.

4.  Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State
Last Week:  19 carries for 77 yards, 20 yards receiving vs Notre Dame (3-20) Next Week:  vs Eastern Michigan

Comments:  The stage was set for Bell to really get his Heisman chances rolling.  However being blown out by Notre Dame has put a damper on his momentum.  However it's not really all his fault.  Without any semblance of a passing attack, Notre Dame was able to load up the box and put their focus onto Bell.  Le'Veon did get 77 yards, but wasn't able to find the endzone.  But the bright side is that even after the loss, Michigan State is still one of the top teams in the Big 10 and he'll have plenty more opprotunities to get some of the voters back on his side.

5.  Dennard Robinson QB Michigan
Last Week:  16/24 291 yards passing 3 TDs 1 INT, 106 yards rushing 1 TD vs UMass (63-13)  Next Week:  @ Notre Dame
Comments:  Robinson did what was expected of him in this game.  Passed and rushed for a combined 397 yards and 4 TDs against a UMass team in their first year as a FBS program.  Now the attention should focus onto their game at Notre Dame.  If Dennard still has a shot at winning the Heisman he'll need a huge game and win over the Irish.  Doing that will go a long ways in helping people forget about his week 1 disaster against Alabama.  But if he has a similar game against Notre Dame, it's bye bye to any Heisman talk.

Others to Watch

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6.  Jonathan Franklin RB UCLA
7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
8.  Everett Golson QB Notre Dame

Heisman Watch (Week 1)

1.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  23/38 372 yards 4 TDs vs Hawaii (49-10)  Next Week:  at Syracuse
Comments:  If the first play from scrimmage was any indication of how the season is going to go, then we might as well just give the award to Barkley.  On the first play Barkley hit WR Marqise Lee for a 75 yard TD pass.  He didn't stop there, throwing for 372 yards and 4 TDs.  It was a pretty easy day for the Trojan signal caller who racked up the yards with ease.  Things should continue to roll, next week the Trojans travel to Syracuse who just gave up 42 points to Northwestern.  So expect Barkley to have another huge game.

2.  Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State

Last Week:  210 rushing yards 2 TDs, 55 yards receiving vs Boise State (17-13)  Next Week:  at Central Michigan

Comments:  A lot can be said about making a big impression the 1st Friday Night of the season.  Last year RG3 did it and it helped propel him to winning the Heisman Trophy.  Bell made his mark in Michigan State's victory over Boise.  Bell was dominant rushing for 210 yards and both Michigan State TDs.  And from the looks of it, the Spartans will need Bell to be a big part of their offense this year with all the struggles that QB Andrew Maxwell had.  Bell has all the momentum going, if he can sustain it, his chances of getting invited to New York are good.

3.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  32/36 323 yards 4 TDs vs Marshall (69-34) Next Week:  vs James Madison
Comments:  Geno Smith had so much fun racking up the yards and points against Clemson last year in the Orange Bowl, that he decided to come out and do it against Marshall.  Smith was practically flawless.  Throwing for 323 yards and 4 TDs while completing 88% of his passes.  That's pretty remarkable.  Smith guided the offense to 69 points which set a West Virginia opening game record for most points scored.  Look for more records to fall in Morgantown where Smith has a coach in Dana Holgerson isn't afraid to throw the ball and isn't afraid to keep putting points on the board.  It could be special season for Smith.

4.  Taylor Martinez QB NebraskaLast Week:  26/34 354 5 TDs vs Southern Miss (49-20)  Next Week: at UCLA 

Comments:  The talk all off-season has been about the improved throwing mechanics of Taylor Martinez.  In their season opener against defending Conference USA champions Southern Miss Martinez showed everybody that he is a completely different passer.  His throws where a lot more accurate and he had a lot more zip on the ball.  That showed in him completing 76% of his passes and his 354 yards were a career high.  But what was the most impressive is how Martinez looked the healthiest he's looked since the beginning of his freshman year.  If he can continue this momentum the Huskers should be one of the favorites for the Big 10 Title and Martinez will be a Heisman Finalist.

5.  Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas
Last Week:  19/27 367 yards 3 TDs vs Jacksonville State (49-10)  Next Week:   vs Louisiana-Monroe
Comments:  Wilson picked up right where he left off last year.  Even without former head coach Bobby Petrino, the experienced Wilson was able to fling the ball all over the field and rack up yards against the FCS foe.  So much that his 367 yards set a record for most yards in a opening game.  Not too shabby for the senior.  If Wilson can keep up this pace the Razorbacks will be in the hunt for the SEC West crown and Wilson will be in the fore front of the Heisman talk.

Others to Watch

6.  Dennard Robinson QB Michigan
After all the pre-season hype, Robinson and the Wolverines failed to take advantage of the national stage.  Robinson had only 227 total yards and 1 TD in a disappointing game.  But what's worse is that Michigan was dominated and every body's lasting image is of Robinson throwing a ugly pick and hurting himself trying to make the tackle.  But the bright side is that the season is still very young and Robinson can still rehab his image.

7.  De'Anthony Thomas RB/WR Oregon
It wasn't a spectacular game for Thomas, but that's not to say it wasn't a productive one.  Thomas had a combined 119 yards and 3 TDs in their 57-34 win over Arkansas State.  It looks like Oregon is going to continue to use Thomas at both WR and RB which should only increase the amount of touches he gets.  Which should only give him more shots to make a big splash on the season.

8.  Logan Thomas QB Virginia Tech
It took overtime, but Logan Thomas and the Hokies were able get out of their game with Georgia Tech with a win.  Thomas finished with 230 yards passing 2 TDs and 40 yards rushing.  Those were super impressive numbers, but Thomas came up big when the team needed him to be.  It should get a lot easier for Thomas next week when they face off against FCS Austin Peay.

9.  Aaron Murray QB Georgia
Murray was solid by not over impressive in the Bulldogs in their 45-23 victory over Buffalo.  Murray threw for 3 TDs but only for 258 yards.  What makes it worse is that Georgia only threw it 26 times.  Things could change, but with a conservative offense it looks like Murray's big chance at winning the award will have to come from his team have a great season. 

10.  Monte Ball RB Wisconsin
Not the start Ball thought he would have.  Against FCS Northern Iowa the Heisman finalist got 120 yards and 1 TD, but it took 32 carries to do so.  Hopefully it's just first game jitters for this offense, because they'll be facing tougher defenses all season long.