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 6)

We finished another week of the college football season and we saw much the same as the previous weeks. The next couple of weeks should be a good indicator when we get some more big match ups between top ranked teams. Here is Week 6's Heisman Watch!

1. Andrew Luck QB Stanford
Last Week: 26/33 370 yards 3 TDs 1 INT vs Colorado (48-7) Next Week: @ Washington State
Comments: We might be seeing Luck start to distance himself from the rest of the players in this race. Andrew Luck has played well all season, but the last several weeks he has been playing extremely well and setting personal records. This week it was his 370 yards that is a new personal record in their blowout of Colorado. Luck is the best player in college football and at this rate he could have a Heisman Trophy on his mantel. Next week they travel to Washington State where they should have no trouble at all against the Cougars who are terrible.

2. Landry Jones QB Oklahoma
Last Week: 31/50 367 yards 3 TDs vs Texas (55-17) Next Week: @ Kansas
Comments: All Landry Jones did Saturday was show Heisman voters that he is still a player that they need to consider when giving the award. Jones isn't getting a lot of Heisman hype, but all he has done is lead the Sooners to a perfect record so far and put up some of the best statistics in all of college football. It was a one sided shootout in the Red River Shootout with Jones carving up the Texas defense to the tune of 367 yards and 3 touchdowns. He made it look easy and they never really let up throughout the game. In next weeks game look for Jones to put up even bigger numbers against a Kansas team that has had 70+ points on two different occasions.

3. Kellen Moore QB Boise State
Last Week: 23/31 254 yards 3 TDs vs Fresno State (57-7) Next Week: @ Colorado State
Comments: Fresno State was no match for this Boise State team. After struggling last week, Moore was out to prove that was just a fluke. He did that here. Completing 74% of his passes and throwing 3 TDs is a great way to bounce back. Next week Moore should continue this roll with a game against Colorado State which should be another opportunity to put up good numbers.

4. Trent Richardson RB Alabama
Last Week: 19 carries for 109 yards 1 TD vs Vanderbilt (34-0) Next Week: @ Mississippi State
Comments: In a blowout win Richardson continued his streak of 100 yard games. But because the game was never in doubt Richardson wasn't used as much. That shouldn't affect his stock much because it will be their game against LSU that makes or breaks his Heisman chances. Next week they travel to Ole Miss where Richardson should be able to put up good stats with little effort.

5. Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin
Last Week: Bye Next Week: vs Indiana
Comments: After their huge win against Nebraska, the Badgers and Wilson took this week off to rest up before their long run through the B1G 10. This season has shown us how good of a QB Wilson is. He has completed 75% of his passes for 1391 yards and 13 TDs. Wilson has taken a traditionally one dimensional offense and made it one of the best in the nation and made Wisconsin a true National Title contender for the first time in many years.

6. Denard Robinson QB Michigan
Last Week: 17/26 337 yards 2 TDs 3 INTs 117 yards rushing 2 TDs Next Week: @ Michigan State
Comments: Robinson has been putting up unreal numbers all season long, but hasn't been a part of this list because Michigan usually falls off around this time of the year. However this year might be different. Their defense is stepping up and the offense is more complete. In their game at Northwestern the Wolverines were trailing by 10, but Robinson rallied the team and came back in the 2nd half to get the win. Robinson is a player that could really shoot up these boards if he continues with his play as Michigan has a great shot to win a wide open Legends Division. Next week will be a good test against a Michigan State team who has one of the best defenses in the nation.

Others to Watch
7. Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
RG3 had 319 yards of total offense and 2 TDs, but his Heisman stock has continued to fall since their big win against TCU first week of the season. Despite having great stats, its going to be very hard for Griffin to keep climbing the watch list without big wins against Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma State. I'm not ready to give up on him yet, but its getting close.

8. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma
84 yards and 2 TDs where a good game against an over matched Kansas team in route to a 70-28 blowout. Blackmon finished 5th in last year's voting, but don't look for him to come that close this year. He is having a good season, but too many other players are getting the attention from the voters.