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 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.