NFL Power Rankings (Week 7)

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) LW 1

The Packers are lucky their offense is so good, because their defense is not playing at the same level as they did last year.

2. New England Patriots (5-1) LW 3

New England bye gives them an extra week to prepare for a Steeler team that has been playing much better lately.

3. San Francisco 49ers (5-1) LW 4

The bye week gave the 49ers an extra chance to refocus after their big victory over Detroit. Never thought I'd say that.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) LW 7

Pittsburgh exploited the poor Cardinals secondary in route to an easy win. Mike Wallace is also showing that he is one of the most dynamic WRs in the game right now.

5. New Orleans Saints (5-2) LW 8
Can you even take anything away from their beat down of the Colts? But at least their confidence is high after putting up 62 points.

6. Detroit Lions (5-2) LW 5

After all this talk about the Lions and their impressive 5-0 start and the match up against the Packers on Thanksgiving Day. Now they have to focus on snapping a 2 game losing streak. Finding a running game would probably help.

7. San Diego Chargers (4-2) LW 6
San Diego can just not win on the East coast. What hurts the most is that the Chargers had the opportunity to run away with the division, but now are letting Oakland and even KC stick around.

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2) LW 10

If the Bills want to keep their early season success going they are going to have to keep forcing turnovers on defense. But that will be hard considering their pass rush took a big hit with Shawn Merriman now on IR.

9. Baltimore Ravens (4-2) LW 2
Baltimore had no answer for the Jaguars defense and ended up getting embarrassed on Monday Night Football. For a team that many thought could make the Super Bowl, they have to fix some issues.

10. New York Jets (4-3) LW 12

I don't care what anybody else says. This is a very flawed team. Even though they beat the Chargers on Sunday, they won't make the playoffs.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) LW 13
One of the early season success stories is the play of rookie Andy Dalton. He has made owner Mike Brown look like a smart man.

12. New York Giants (4-2) LW 14

Despite all the injuries they suffered at the beginning of the season, the Giants are leading the division. What makes this even better is the bye week has allowed some of their injured players a chance to start working their way back in.

13. Houston Texans (4-3) LW 15

Houston ended their two game losing streak with a big divisional victory. However injuries to key players are going to hurt this team in the long run.

14. Chicago Bears (4-3) LW 17
After the year that Matt Forte is having especially with this offensive line, you have to put him in consideration as one of the best RBs in the league.

15. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) LW 18
Go figure. The Falcons were able to run the ball effectively and they won. Now if they can build on that they could find themselves back in the playoffs.

16. Oakland Raiders (4-3) LW 9
The loss of Jason Campbell is huge. Hopefully Carson Palmer is able to get up to speed quick, because JP Lossman is awful. But it would also help if Darren McFadden was healthy.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) LW 11
Tampa is just one of the most inconsistent teams in football now. One week they look like a wildcard team and then the other week they drop a game that they shouldn't.

18. Cleveland Browns (3-3) LW 21
A win is a win, no matter if you only score 6 points or 46. What is even more amazing is that the Browns were able to win without being in the red zone.

19. Tennessee Titans (3-3) LW 16
Maybe Chris Johnson's poor season will be a example for others who are thinking of holding out to get more money. But probably not.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) LW 19

The Eagles haven't had the start to the season they hoped for when they signed practically every free agent available. However the season is still young and they face off against inter division rival Dallas which could give the Eagles a chance to start working their way back up the division.

21. Washington Redskins (3-3) LW 20

We had to know that the Redskins were going to come back to reality at some point, didn't we? I mean they do have John Beck and Rex Grossman starting for them.

22. Dallas Cowboys (2-3) LW 22

If DeMarco Murray can stay healthy the Cowboys could really make a run. The running threat also helps keep the ball out of Tony Romo's hands and his poor decision making.

23. Carolina Panthers (2-5) LW 23

If the Panthers can keep running the ball like they did on Sunday, they are going to give teams fits all year long. This team isn't too far away from competing within the division.

24. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) LW 28

Todd Haley went from possibly being one of the first coaches to be fired to having his team back into the race for the division. Too bad injuries aren't going to allow them to make it back to the playoffs.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) LW 27

All it took was four FG and one heck of a defensive showing for the Jaguars to shock everybody and beat the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Now if their offense could only keep the momentum going, they could make a late run at a wide open division.

26. Denver Broncos (2-4) LW 29

Not only did Tim Tebow lead the Broncos come from behind victory. He created a new craze. "Tebowing" is now the new planking.

27. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) LW 26

Normally when you hold a team to only 6 points you think you'd win. But the Seahawks forgot that they have to score too. Having only 167 yards of total offense isn't very good either.

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-6) LW 25

Christian Ponder is showing some promise and he gave the Vikings some new life. However their offense is still only Adrian Peterson and the defense isn't much better.

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-5) LW 24

Can't blame Kevin Kolb for all their struggles, but his play isn't helping. They have a lot of holes that need to be fixed.

30. St. Louis Rams (0-5) LW 30

So much for the Rams being one of the up and coming teams. They look lost both offensively and defensively.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-7) LW 31

Even though their defense is built to play from ahead, they have to make some major changes because their is no reason they should be giving up this many points. It's not Jim Caldwell's fault, but the team is going to make it hard for him to stay.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-6) LW 32

Just when we thought that the Dolphins could escape the cellar, Tim Tebow rescued the Broncos. But that's a good thing because now the Dolphins can continue to lead the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 1)

1. Green Bay Packers (1-0)

While other teams were going out and spending this off-season the Packers got a lot of talent back from injury. And an already good team has gotten better and that showed in their thrashing of NFC power New Orleans.

2. New England Patriots (1-0)

Tom Brady is up to his old tricks again. Throwing all over the poor Dolphins secondary. However Billicek has to be concerned that Chad Henne was able to throw all over their secondary. Maybe they shouldn't have cut two of their top safeties.

3. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

Their manhandling of the Steelers has to put the rest of the AFC on notice. Forcing 7 turnovers against a good defense is quite the feat. If their offense continues to improve we could be seeing the AFC favorites.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

After shacking some early game jitters the Eagles took control of the game and showed the explosive offense we've thought they'd have all along. Look for the Eagle to continue to struggle at times as they get use to all their new parts.

5. New York Jets (1-0)

The Jets were able to escape week 1 with a win over a team that they should have dominated. However I'm still not sold on their offense. They have to get better on both sides of the ball if they want to back up their head coaches lofty expectations.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

Pittsburgh was clearly not as focused as the Ravens were this off-season and it showed in their week 1 match up. The Steelers have never been tossed around like that before. But look for this game to be a wake up call and the old Steelers should return soon.

7. New Orleans Saints (0-1)

In a very active off season, the Saints looked to have improved their defensive line and at running back. However it wasn't enough to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. If the Saints want to make it back to the Super Bowl they are going to have to start generating more takeaways which they didn't do against the Packers.

8. Chicago Bears (1-0)

How old does their defense look now? Their offensive line which has been a issue for the past couple of years looked much better and Cutler only got sacked 5 times but the line played well enough for Matt Forte and Devin Hester to make the big plays that help them get the win. This looks like a team that could make it back to the NFC Title game for a second straight year.

9. Houston Texans (1-0)

With Peyton Manning out the Texans have the chance to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. What also helps out is that the Texans finally have a defense that can win a game for them. Wade Phillips is showing why he is one of the best defensive minds in football.

10. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

The Falcons continue their slide that started last season. The offense got away from what it does the best (running the football) and the defense is having trouble tackling. Atlanta put all their eggs in the basket for this season, so they need to get things fixed before it gets worse.

11. San Diego Chargers (1-0)

One of the biggest issues the Chargers had last year was their special teams units. So what happens this year? 1st kick off of the year gets returned 101 yards and they lose their kicker to an ACL injury. However behind the strong play of Mike Tolbert they were able to come back and win the game.

12. Detroit Lions (1-0)

Detroit has a lot of hype going into this season and winning on the road is a great place to start. QB Matt Stafford showed what he is capable when healthy. The big thing is whether the offensive line is good enough for him to stay healthy.

13. Buffalo Bills (1-0)

This is my dark horse sleeper of the year. I absolutely loved their draft and believe those picks will help their defense out tremendously this season. Add in that Ryan Fitzpatrick might make Chan Gailey look like a genius for trusting in him.

14. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)

Kevin Kolb is going to be the key to this season. But if he keeps playing like he did in week 1 then this team has a shot to make it back to the playoffs. However the defense can't give up that many point.....especially to teams like the Panthers and a rookie QB.

15. New York Giants (0-1)

Normally I'd be a lot harder on the Giants for losing that game, but with all the injuries they've had this season its going to be rough. Teams are going to eat their depleted defense up all season long. That and Eli Manning throwing picks.

16. St. Louis Rams (0-1)

The Rams looked like they were about to knock of the "Dream Team" but injuries to Sam Bradford and Stephen Jackson halted the offenses production and the defense simply couldn't make a stop. Bradford looks like he'll be fine, but the Rams cannot afford to lose Stephen Jackson to injury. He is too valuable to them.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)

Much like the rest of the teams in their division, they lost their game. However they did put up a fight and still look like a team that could challenge for a playoff spot. But the secondary is going to have to do a better job then they did against the Lions.

18. Oakland Raiders (1-0)

What a pillow fight on Monday Night Football. Maybe it was the rain, but both the Raiders and the Broncos looked awful. Luckily Darren McFadden plays for the Raiders and he had a monster game. If he can stay healthy for once, he could challenge for the league rushing title.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)

So sad for the Chiefs. They exceeded everybody expectations last year with great play from their rookies, had another solid draft class, and then brought in a bunch of free agents to fill their holes. But it was all for not because they got blown out at home to the Bills. Plus it got worse when start safety Eric Berry is out for the season with an injury.

20. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

What a way for Jim Harbaugh to get his first victory. Ted Gin Jr. saved the day with two returns for touchdowns in a game where Seattle was starting to make a comeback.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

When they cut David Garrard the week leading up to their first game I didn't think they'd have a shot. However behind a strong running game and a defense that held all world RB Chris Johnson in check. Don't expect big things from the Jaguars, but their win is commendable.

22. Miami Dolphins (0-1)

Good news is that the offense looked better and more explosive than previous years. Chad Henne's 416 yards 2 TDs and only 1 INT tells a lot. But the bad news is that the defense couldn't stop a JV team. The Dolphins got no pressure on Brady and he torched their secondary. If they want to be competitive they are going to need to fix those issues.

23. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

With the Colts down the Titans have a shot to win their first conference title in a while. However a loss to the Jaguars is not a great place to start. Somebody needs to step up on offense to take the load off of Chris Johnson who is going to be slow after holding out all of training camp.

24. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)

It actually looked like the Cowboys were going to pull off a big victory over the Jets, but then Tony Romo did what Tony Romo always does. Fail in the clutch. The Cowboys hype has them challenging for the playoffs, but reality will be more like last year. Right around the bottom of the league.

25. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)

The Vikings played better than I thought they would, but they are still an old team that didn't get better over the off season. I also found it funny during the FOX broadcast that they referred to the Vikings o-line as elite. When will people realize that this team isn't as good as they were two years ago?

26. Washington Redskins (1-0)

By starting Rex Grossman it looked like the Redskins were going to tank the season so they could get Andrew Luck. However in their opener against the Giants they went out and won. Maybe the players didn't get the memo from the front office?

27. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Marvin Lewis said that this team would be better than last year. Maybe he wasn't blowing smoke when he said that. Their win against the Browns was a good first step. We'll see if they can continue it.

28. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

Poor special teams was the culprit of their loss against the 49ers. In a conference that is up in the air, you can't loose games like that. Getting Sidney Rice and Robert Gallary back will do a lot for an offense that seemed to struggle....or maybe that was just Tarvaris Jackson.

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

I know that without Peyton Manning that the Colts would struggle. But nobody saw them quitting already. If Manning doesn't come back this season its going to be brutal in Indianapolis and the Colts will more than likely be picking in the top 10.

30. Cleveland Browns (0-1)

Their loss to the Bengals is a big blow. For a team that many thought would be improved, took a big step back. What is worse is that Colt McCoy looked awful. However they face off against the Colts next week and have a chance to get back on track.

31. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Cam Newton has exceeded every body's expectations with how good he has played so far. But this is still a very flawed team and will be competing for the #1 overall pick.

32. Denver Broncos (0-1)

The Broncos are a better team than they were last year, but they still have some major issues on their team. Mainly along the defensive line. Losing that game against the Raiders was just flat out ugly. I wasn't high on this team after the draft and their first game confirms my suspensions.

I just don't understand....Texas A&M to the SEC

Over the past couple of months one of the biggest stories in college football has been Texas A&M's desire to leave the Big 12 and enter the SEC. Now on the surface it seems like it would be a great fit. A&M would escape Texas' shadow and the SEC would have a presence in Texas. However when I look at this, I don't understand why this would be a perfect fit for both parties.

For the SEC it is. They would expand into Texas where there are 25 million more eyes on their product. Add in that they'll add one to three more teams to the conference and when they go to CBS and ESPN to negotiate their TV deal they'll pull a much bigger amount of money than they are currently getting. Another benefit for the SEC is that they'll have an even bigger access to the fertile recruiting grounds that Texas has to offer. With a team in the state, coaches will be able to go into there and tell the players that they'll get to play a game in their home state. This will make an already strong SEC, even better.

But for Texas A&M, going to the SEC doesn't make sense to me. Yes A&M will be getting away from Texas, who they feel is controlling the league. Yes they would be entering the premier college football conference in the nation. Yes they'll be going to a conference that is more stable. However, does anybody honestly think that they'll compete for championships in the SEC? When was the last time A&M contended for a Big 12 Title? Sure last year they only lost 2 conference games, but they haven't been to a single Big 12 Championship game in the past 12 years. If they stay in the Big 12 they get annual match ups against the likes of Kansas, KState, Iowa State, Baylor, and Texas Tech. Realistically they have to just beat Oklahoma or Texas. In the SEC only Mississippi, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky could be considered push overs. And they have to go up against Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia. They extra money they'd get from the SEC would be nice, but is it that much better than winning? Look at Oklahoma. They are one of the top college football programs in the country. But yet they haven't been going out and looking to leave the Big 12. That's because they get it. They know that all they have to do is win the Big 12 Conference and they'll have their shot at winning the National Title. Yeah they don't make SEC type of money, but because they are consistently playing for championships they get more exposure. You'd think you would see A&M have the same mindset. But I guess that hatred/jealously for Texas is just too strong.

But A&M has their mind already made up. Once they get the invite they'll be gone. They've already gone through the steps to make it happen. I just believe they'll be making a move that will set their program back significantly.

Big 10 Predictions

I've been spending a lot of time lately on the NFL, but with College Football starting soon I'll be taking a look at how I believe each of the conferences will play out.

Today I'm looking into the Big 10 and how it will go with new member Nebraska joining the mix.

Legends

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers, 10-2 (6-2)

Nebraska has the best defense in the conference, but question marks about the offense and mainly their quarterback (Taylor Martinez) could see them struggle in their first year in conference.

2. Michigan State Spartans, 9-3 (5-3)

They return a lot of talent, especially on offense with Kirk Cousins and Edwin Baker who are both big time players. However the ball bounced their way a couple of times in close games and they could not get that same luck this season.

3. Iowa Hawkeyes, 9-3 (5-3)

Iowa lucks out that they don't have to play either Wisconsin or Ohio State this season, but they have to travel to Nebraska and always have trouble playing against Northwestern. Add in that they will be replacing 3 year starter in Ricky Stanzi and are very thin at running back.

4. Northwestern Wildcats, 8-4 (4-4)

Here is my sleeper. Pat Fitzgerrald is one heck of a coach and has the Wildcats on the move up. Look for them to catch a team or two looking past them. Add in that Dan Persa if healthy is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.

5. Michigan Wolverines, 7-5 (4-4)

A lot of Michigan fans weren't too excited about Brady Hoke being named the head coach, but I feel they got the best person for the job. Harbaugh would have always have an eye towards the NFL while Hoke is there to stay. He has had success at Ball State and San Diego State where others have struggled. It may take a year but Michigan will be back.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers, 4-8 (1-7)

Jerry Kill wasn't a sexy hire but he is a very good coach. However the Golden Gophers are no where near competitive this season and will struggle in the improved Big 10.

Leaders

1. Wisconsin Badgers, 12-1 (7-1)

The Badgers were one of the favorites going into this season, but then they added Russell Wilson from NC State and Ohio State lost Terrelle Pryor and four more key players. I look for Wisconsin to roll through the Big 10 and either go undefeated or have a slip up. Wilson will give them a playmaker at QB that they haven't had in a long time.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes, 9-3 (6-2)

Even though Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressell are gone and they don't have four other key players for the first five games of the year, they still have a ton of talent and are going to win a lot of games. The key is the quarterback play. If Bauserman or Braxton Miller don't lose games the Buckeyes can rely on their defense and running game which is still very good.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions, 8-4 (5-3)

Quarterback play is really going to tell a lot about how he Nittany Lions do this season. Robert Bolden was thought to be the man, but he struggled and butted heads with the coaching staff. In their bowl game Matt McGloin played pretty well. If McGloin can build off of that game they could have a good season. But its like they could repeat last year.

4. Illinois Fighting Illini, 7-5 (4-4)

Nobody really expected much from Illinois last year but they got to a bowl game and routed a Baylor team that many thought would roll Illinois. Nate Scheelhaase has turned out to be a great quarterback and will give the Illini a fighting chance in every game.

5. Indiana Hoosiers, 4-8 (1-7)

I really like the hire of Kevin Wilson to Indiana. Wilson's offenses at Oklahoma were always at the top of the NCAA rankings. However its almost impossible to get talent into Indiana for football and Wilson might find it harder to run his uptempo attack.

6. Purdue Boilermakers, 4-8 (1-7)

Purdue is just a mess. They don't have any real talent or difference makers. This is sad because under Joe Tiller they were always a competitive team that produced a ton of NFL talent. Look for a coaching change at the end of this season.

Offensive Player of the Year: Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin

Defensive Player of the Year: Lavonte David LB Nebraska

Freshman of the Year: Jamal Turner WR Nebraka

Coach of the Year: Brent Bielema, Wisconsin

Heisman Watch (Season Preview)

Its that time again. Now that the college football season is fast approaching its time to look at the players that are going to make a run at the most prestigious award in all of college football. Last year we saw Cam Newton come out of nowhere to have one of the most impressive seasons in college football history. Who will win it this year? Don't know yet, but here are some of the players that have the best chance.

Andrew Luck QB Stanford

Clearly the top quarterback in all of college football, Andrew Luck is in a good spot to take home some hardware this season. Last year Luck threw for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns while leading the Cardinal to their first BCS Bowl game in school history. This year Luck goes into the season without head coach Jim Harbaugh who is now the with the San Francisco 49ers. Stanford along with Oregon is favored to win the Pac 12 and if Luck can replicate last year's numbers and put Stanford in the hunt for a National Title he'll find himself back in New York for a second straight year. Something to think about is that the Heisman voters might want to give the award to somebody that they know for sure is not going to have to give the trophy back a couple years down the road. It's unlikely, but something to think about.

Landry Jones QB Oklahoma

Two years ago when Sam Bradford was injured in the first game of the season and many people where concerned how redshirt freshman Landry Jones was going to fill in for him. Jones played alright his first season, but really flourished last year throwing for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns in leading the Sooners to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 Title, and a Fiesta Bowl victory. Now that Jones is in his third season as the starter the sky is the limit. Add in that he has all of his weapons back from a year ago and you can only assume that Jones will continue to put up video game type numbers. Add in that the Big 12 isn't as strong as it was a couple of years ago and the Sooners should be in the hunt for the National Title game and that will put Jones in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy.

LeMichael James RB Oregon

James had a breakout year last season helping the Ducks reach the National Title Game. Despite missing the first game of the season he rushed for 1,731 yards and 21 touchdowns. That impressive season landed James with an invite to the Heisman Trophy Presentation where he finished in third place. Coming into this season he has as good of a chance as anybody of bringing home the prestigious award. James is a threat every time he touches the ball and he'll get plenty of opportunities next year as the Ducks look to make a return visit to the title game. However James could he hurt by the improving Darron Thomas and the up and coming fellow running backs Kenjon Balmer and Lache Seastrunck who could all take touches away from him. But look for James to be the focal point for the Ducks and continue to rack up numbers and attention.

Darron Thomas QB Oregon

Speaking of Darron Thomas. Thomas wasn't the starter going into the 2010 season, but when Jeremiah Mosoli was kicked off the team they keys to the offense were handed over to the young Thomas who hadn't seen a lot of game action. All Thomas did was improve the already potent offense and take the Ducks to the National Title game. Thomas is at his best when the Ducks are n their high tempo speed offense that keeps keeps the defense off balance and not knowing what is going on. Thomas made most of his damage running the zone read and throwing short passes. However another year in the offense and we could see Thomas expanding on his responsibilities and taking more risks throwing the ball. This along with another impressive run by the Ducks and we could see Thomas being the Ducks representative in New York.

Trent Richardson RB Alabama

I've always thought that Richardson was the best running back for Alabama, even better that previous Heisman winner Mark Ingram. But now that Ingram is gone Richardson is going to get a chance to show what he can do when he is the feature back and not complementing Ingram. Alabama should once again be in the running for the National Championship and Richardson, much like Ingram did in 2008, has a good chance to win the Heisman Trophy by being the best player on the best team. Richardson has the chance to put up some big time numbers in some big time games in front of a lot of Heisman voters.

Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State

He didn't get an invitation to New York last year for the trophy presentation, but Blackmon's strong season earned him 5th place in the voting. Blackmon is one of the top wide receivers in college football and is a big time playmaker who can take it to the house whenever he gets the ball into his hands. What is even more impressive was that Blackmon scored a touchdown in every game he played last year. Bt the biggest threat to Blackmon winning the award is that the Heisman usually goes to a quarterback or runningback. However Blackmon is going to get the ball thrown to him even more this year and he'll look to improve his numbers and that would be very hard for voters to ignore him.

Taylor Martinez QB Nebraska

The redshirt freshman burst onto the scene last year running all over defenses. His early season success started to pick up some Heisman steam but was derailed 8 games into the season when he suffered a nasty high ankle sprain and turf toe in a win against Missouri. When healthy Martinez was a dangerous threat running the ball and then that lead to him being able to throw the ball more effectively too. But an increased focus on stopping him and injuries derailed an impressive start. Martinez rushed for 886 of his 965 yards in those first first eight games but Martinez still has a lot of room to grow as a quarterback but if he picks up where he left off with before the Missouri game and he could get the invitation to New York.

Denard Robinson QB Michigan

Denard Robinson was looking like he was going to literally run away with the Heisman Trophy. Through the first five games of the season the Wolverines were looking to be back. They were off to a 5-0 start and Robinson was running circles around opposing teams. However three straight losses and some nagging injuries to Robinson really sent Michigan into a tailspin. However it wasn't all Robinson's fault. Michigan's defense was flat out atrocious and the offense was simply not able to outscore every other team. This year the Wolverines have a new coaching staff and an increased focus on fixing the defense. If Michigan can actually stop somebody and Robinson can stay healthy they could really make the a jump and that could lead to Robinson sustaining his Heisman buzz.

Geno Smith QB West Virginia

It seems like Geno Smith is every body's dark horse candidate to win the Heisman Trophy. Smith is garnering so much attention because he has all the physical tools you would want out of a quarterback and the Mountaineers now have one of the best offensive minds in Dana Holgerson as his new head coach. Last year Smith threw for 2,763 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, with the spread offense that Holgerson brings to West Virginia Geno Smith's numbers will only improve. But it's going to take West Virginia contending for a BCS Bowl and Smith's numbers to improve to be considered for the trophy. Heisman voters like to go with players from the big schools or guys whose teams are challenging for the National Championship. To me Smith is a long shot, but somebody to definitely to watch.

EJ Manuel QB Florida State

Florida State is starting to become every body's darling this year and if they end up winning the ACC that could lead to them having a Heisman contender. The most logical person to consider is quarterback EJ Manuel. Manuel stepped up last year when Christian Ponder was injured and despite losing to Virginia late in the season he played very well. If he continues to develop he could help Florida State make it to their first BCS Bowl in a long time. However projecting success after only a couple of starts is never a great indicator of future success. But their game against Oklahoma at the beginning of the season will tell us a lot.

Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina

When somebody gets called the next Adrian Peterson before he even starts his college career, you have to take it with a grain of salt. However after an impressive true freshman season the comparison to Peterson isn't too far off. Last year Lattimore rushed for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns in helping the Gamecocks make it to the SEC championship game. However the Gamecocks offense should be much better and another year on campus will make Lattimore and even better player. The sky is the limit for Lattimore and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in New York City sometime in the next couple of years.

Kellen Moore QB Boise State

Kellen Moore was my pre-season favorite to win the Heisman last year because I felt that Boise State being ranked in the top 5 at the beginning of the season, having an easy schedule, and him always putting up huge numbers. All of that together added up to the most likely to win the award. However I only felt he would win the award if Boise State was undefeated and playing in the National Title game. But a late season loss to Nevada and Cam Newton having an unbelievable season ended any shot of Moore winning the Heisman Trophy. this year should be very similar. Moore will be a contender as long as Boise State is contending for a National Title but if they aren't, neither with Moore.

Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin

If Russell Wilson would have remained at North Carolina State I doubt he would have been a contender for the Heisman. Mainly because NC State isn't a favorite to win the ACC and they don't ahve a lot of weapons that would allow Wilson to put up Monster numbers. However Wilson isn't at NC State but at Wisconsin where they are expected to have a much better season. With all the drama that is going on at Ohio State, Wisconsin is now the favorite to win the Leaders Division and contend for the Big 10 title. With Wilson at quarterback the Badgers fill one of their few question marks with a dynamic playmaking quarterback that can take some pressure off the running game by not allowing defenses to load up the box to stop the run. Now Wisconsin isn't going to be a passing team now, but they could have found their leader to help take them to the next level. And that success could lead to hardware for Wisconsin and Wilson.

Taylor Wilson QB Arkansas

Ryan Mallett helped Arkansas reach the Sugar Bowl in 2010 but there are many people that believe that Wilson might end up being a better quarterback fro the Razorbacks. In limited action last year Wilson really shined, including putting up 332 yards and 4 touchdowns against National Champion Auburn. Wilson doesn't have as strong of an arm as Mallett, but he has better mechanics and doesn't force balls like Mallett was known to. Add in that Arkansas has improved as a team and should challenge LSU for the SEC West and they should remain in the National media attention. But the biggest thing to remember is that Bobby Petrino's offenses usually lead to big numbers for the quarterbacks. All of that should lead to some Heisman buzz for Wilson.