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 2)

1.  Matt Barkley QB USC

Last Week:  23/30 187 yards 6 TDs vs Syracuse (42-29)  Next Week:  at Stanford
Comments:  Barkley may not have racked up a ton of yards passing, but that doesn't mean he wasn't spectacular.  He only threw for 187 yards, but a big part of that was Syracuse trying to take away the big play.  But Barkley was able to dink and dunk and still rack up a remarkable 6 TDs.  He also did this completing 77% of his passes.  Next week should be a good gauge of how good Barkley and this Trojan offense will be.  They travel to Palo Alto to face Stanford.  Now this isn't your Andrew Luck's Stanford team, but they still have a ton of talent on defense and that could pose some trouble.  But Barkley just has too many weapons to struggle against any defense.



2.  Le'Veon Bell RB Michigan State

Last Week:  70 yards rushing 2 TDs vs Central Michigan (41-17)  Next Week:  vs Notre Dame

Comments:  It wasn't the spectacular game he had against Boise State, but it wasn't a dud either.  Bell rushed for only 70 yards, but he was able to get 2 TDs out of it.  This shouldn't be too big of a deal because with Michigan State cruising to an easy win, the Spartans didn't feel the need to put too much of a heavy work load on Bell.  Instead using this time to get the kinks in the passing game worked out.  Next week when the Spartans play host to Notre Dame we should see a heavy dose of #24.

3.  Geno Smith QB West Virginia

Last Week:  Bye Week Next Week:  vs James Madison
Comments: .West Virginia had a bye week, so no action for Geno Smith.  Next week the Mountaineers host FCS James Madison which should be a cake walk.  Not only that, it will be a great opportunity for Smith to put up some video game Esq stats.  And you know that West Virginia head coach Dana Holgerson isn't afraid to run up the score on anybody.

4.  Dennard Robinson QB Michigan
Last Week:  208 yards passing 2 TDs, 218 yards rushing 2 TDs vs Air Force (31-25)  Next Week:  vs UMass
Comments:  A big game and a couple players struggling ahead of him puts Robinson right back into the Heisman mix.  After struggling against Alabama, Robinson bounced back against an underrated Air Force team and looked to be his old self.  Robinson torched the Falcons on both the ground and through the air.  Michigan fans had to be happy seeing Robinson race all over the field and to his signature long runs.  Those players also leave impressions in Heisman voters minds.  We should see much the same if not better next week when Michigan host FBS newcomer UMass.

5.  Colin Klein QB Kansas State

Last Week:  9/11 210 yards passing 1 TD, 71 yards rushing 3 TDs vs Miami (FL) (52-13) Next Week:  vs North Texas
Comments:  Even though Colin Klein had a great season last year, he is often overlooked.  Not anymore.  Klein has picked up where he left off last year and is even more dangerous.  Miami now knows first hand how tough he is.  Especially to tackle.  That showed in his 71 yards rushing and 3 TDs.  Anytime KState is close to the goal line you know Klein is going to keep the ball, but stopping him isn't that easy.  What might be even more impressive is that he threw for 210 yards on only 11 passes, completing 9 of them.  81% isn't too shabby.  The Big 12 should be tough again, but the Wildcats are definitely one of the best in the league.  Another strong season could get Klein an invitation to New York.

Others to Watch

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6.  Taylor Martinez QB Nebraska
7.  Aaron Murray QB Georgia
8.  Kenjon Balmer RB Oregon 

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.