SportsRatings: College Football

2015 Heisman Race - Week 1

We're going to combine our pre-season and Week 1 Heisman Watch into one special double-sized issue. Here goes.

Pre-season

Our pre-season Heisman list is composed of those players left over from last year's official Heisman Trophy vote, in order—with a twist.

1. Trevone Boykin, QB TCU
2. JT Barrett, QB Ohio St
3. Dak Prescott, QB Miss St.
4. Scooby Wright, LB Arizona
5. Braxton Miller, WR Ohio St

The 'twist' is that Braxton Miller, who was 9th in voting in 2013, is playing this year. But not at the position that put him on the list back then. Still, we're including him, as well as JT Barrett who was in competition for the Ohio State starting QB job (more on that later). Trevone Boykin, 4th in last year's vote, starts at the top of our list, with Dak Prescott 4th to start this year, and Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright getting an early jump as the token defensive player.

Week One:

The biggest thing that happened in week one was Cardale Jones winning the starting spot for Ohio State. Just due to that fact, he makes our list this week. Even more importantly he played almost the full game, with JT Barrett getting in just a few plays. This puts Barrett's candidacy in great jeopardy, but he doesn't fall from #2 this week because #3 Dak Prescott didn't have an incredible outing, and Barrett managed to score a touchdown on his only pass attempt, while his sole rushing attempt went for 40 yards. If nothing else, his averages are going to be amazing. Trevone Boykin's first game was rather tepid, but again, he stays in first place because 2nd-stringer Barrett isn't about to push him out.

1. Trevon Boykin, QB TCU (1-0) beat Minnesota 23-17
   26-42 61.9% 246yd 1TD 1int 18rsh 92yd 5.1av 0TD
2. JT Barrett, QB Ohio St (1-0) beat Virginia Tech 42-24
   1-1 100% 26yd 1TD 0int 1rsh 40yd 40.0av 0TD
3. Dak Prescott, QB Miss St. (1-0) beat Southern Miss 34-16
   22-38 57.9% 237yd 2TD 0int 8rsh 72yd 9.0av 1TD
4. [up 1] Braxton Miller, WR Ohio St (1-0) beat Virginia Tech 42-24
   3rec 79yd 1TD 5rsh 61yd 12.2av 1TD
5. [new] Cardale Jones, QB Ohio St (1-0) beat Virginia Tech 42-24
   10-19 52.6% 187yd 2TD 1int 13rsh 99yd 7.6av 1TD
6. [dn 2] Scooby Wright, LB Arizona (1-0) beat UTSA 42-32
   1 tackle (injured)

The next biggest thing that happened was Arizona's Scooby Wright going out with an injury early in the Wildcats' win over UTSA. He'll be out for a month, which basically means his long-shot candidacy is over. If he comes back healthy he could still build up enough stats to be the defensive representative in this year's vote. Braxton Miller moves up a spot after scoring 2 touchdowns in his new role, so now the three OSU once-and-future QBs are on the list. There could be four Buckeyes soon if Ezekiel Elliot makes the list in the upcoming weeks.

Heisman Trophy: At least this one is an easy choice—it's Marcus Mariota

After the clusterf**k that was the College Football Playoff Committee's inaugural season—where two deserving teams were going to be left out no matter what choice was made—the Heisman is in for an easy year and no controversy. Only one winner is selected and there is now a clear #1.

Last week it was a 2-man race with three strong candidates piled behind, but one by one the also-rans got separated from the headliner, and Marcus Mariota is the only reasonable choice.

Mariota added 5 touchdowns to his already crazy total, passing for 2 and rushing for 3 more. That makes his TD:int ratio 38:2, with another 14 TDs on the ground. Oregon is 12-1, ranked #2, and just avenged their only loss of the season. Case closed.

Melvin Gordon didn't have a good game against Ohio State and his team had a worse day. He finished with 76 yards on 26 carries, but that doesn't diminish his accomplishments this season. He ran for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2014 with 3 more receiving TDs. He set the NCAA record for single-game yardage with 408, only to see it topped the next week; still, coming against Nebraska it was probably the best individual performance of the year.

Amari Cooper had a much better game in Alabama's rout of Missouri, catching 12 passes for 83 yards. He had 115 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 TDs this year and is our pick for the #3 spot, the last spot on the ballot that receives points.

We move Trevone Boykin up to #4 on the list, signifying that we hope he gets an invite to New York for the ceremony (invites are determined by votes, and normally 3-5 are invited). Boykin might have trouble getting votes with such a strong top three—and another solid candidate behind him that will get a lot of sympathy votes—but he deserves recognition for his season: 30 TDs vs. 7 interceptions, 642 yards rushing and 8 more TDs. It's not quite Marcus Mariota but it's impressive, and he even caught a touchdown pass vs. Iowa State.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon
2. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin
3. Amari Cooper, WR Alabama
4. [up 1] Trevone Boykin, QB TCU

out:

• JT Barrett, QB Ohio State
• Bryce Petty, QB Baylor
• Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State
• Jameis Winston, QB FSU
• Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska
• Kevin White, WR West Virginia
• Todd Gurley, RB Georgia
• Everett Golson, QB Notre Dame
• Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M

So why Boykin instead of Ohio State's JT Barrett? Because while Barrett's numbers were also great (34 TDs, 10 int, 938 rushing yards, 11 TDs) it became very clear that he's replaceable. Whether the Buckeyes have Braxton Miller, Kenny Guiton, JT Barrett, or Cardale Jones, they're going to be a great team. The Buckeyes played easily their best offensive game against Wisconsin without Barrett, so while we sympathize with his late-season injury, the 59-0 rout revealed how little they really need him.

The same can be said to some extent about Bryce Petty. When he was out early in the season, Seth Russell was just as effective. Against Texas Tech, Russell wasn't nearly as good. Petty played well against Kansas State but his numbers are down a lot from last year, especially his yardage, from 4,200 (post-bowl) to 3,305. He didn't match last year's 32:3 ratio either, though 26:6 isn't bad.

The rest of the field dropped out some time over the last several weeks and only one of them played a game Saturday. Jameis Winston had another good comeback win against Georgia Tech, but his 24:17 ratio is not Heisman-esque in this era. He is 26-0 as a starter, however, and it will be interesting to see where he finishes in the voting.

Heisman Trophy: With one game left, it's Mariota vs. Gordon, Cooper a strong #3

The Heisman picture has definitely coalesced around Marcus Mariota and Melvin Gordon, in either order, as the final two contenders. But Amari Cooper's performance against Auburn has him in line for a strong finish.

Marcus Mariota might have the slight edge again after his 6 TD performance against Oregon State. Mariota went 19 of 25 for 367 yards and 4 touchdown passes and ran for 2 more touchdowns. More significantly, he has a crazy 36:2 TD:int ratio with 11 more rushing touchdowns (636 yards). That's a resume that's hard to ignore, even if Melvin Gordon makes it a tough choice.

Melvin Gordon ran for 151 yards in the win over Minnesota with 2 total touchdowns. That's not the kind of performance that normally would cause a drop in the rankings, and Gordon can be said to be #1a as his 2,260 yards and 26 touchdowns (+3 receiving) are Heisman-level for sure. He can definitely win with a Mariota stumble or another too-huge-to-be-ignored performance against Ohio State this coming weekend. No matter what happens, Gordon has been good enough to win in many previous years.

Amari Cooper was a distant #3 last week but he definitely closed the gap with possibly the best game of his career. Cooper had 13 catches for 224 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the Tide needed all of it to beat Auburn 55-44. It puts him over 1,500 yards for the season with 14 TDs. Can he win the Trophy? Maybe with a total collapse by the top two, in losses, while Cooper tops his performance from last week. But most likely he garners a whole lot of #3 votes and gets an invite to New York.

1. [up 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (11-1) beat Oregon St 47-19; 4 TD pass, 2 TD rush
2. [dn 1] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (10-2) beat Minnesota 34-24; 151 yards
3. Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (11-1) beat Auburn 55-44; 224 rec yards, 3 TDs
4. [up 1] JT Barrett, QB Ohio State (11-1) beat Michigan 42-28; 1 TD pass, 2 TD rush
5. [up 2] Trevone Boykin, QB TCU (10-1) beat Texas 48-10; 2 TD pass, 1 TD rush
6. [up 2] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (10-1) beat Texas Tech 48-46; 2 TD pass, 1 rush

out:

• Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (10-2) LOST to Ole Miss 1 TD pass, 1 TD rush
• Jameis Winston, QB FSU (12-0) beat Florida 24-19; 2 TD, 4 INT
• Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (9-3) beat Iowa 37-34OT; 106 yards
• Kevin White, WR West Virginia
• Todd Gurley, RB Georgia
• Everett Golson, QB Notre Dame
• Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M

At #4, up a spot, comes JT Barrett of Ohio State. Barrett was having a good game (3 TDs in the first 3 quarters) before he was injured and lost for the season, and though he won't win the Trophy now, he has a chance to finish in the top three and will probably get a New York invite. He'll mainly compete with Cooper for 3rd place votes, so his actual finish depends on how well the other contenders do this weekend. Barrett finishes the year with a 34:10 ratio and nearly 3,000 yards passing, and almost 1,000 rushing yards with 11 TDs.

Trevone Boykin of TCU has one more game to impress voters enough to earn a New York invite (usually from 3 to 6 players are invited). For the year Boykin has 3,254 passing yards, 26 TDs and 6 interceptions, with 598 rushing yards and 8 TDs. So his numbers are fairly similar to Barrett's, and his team is looking for a top 4 finish to get into the College Football Playoff.

Bryce Petty barely edges his way into our final six contestants, with a solid 25:5 ratio and 4 rushing TDs. But his numbers are so far down from last year (32:3, 14 rushing TDs) when he wasn't a finalist that it doesn't look like he's going to make it to New York. A huge game against Kansas State to (technically) win the Big Twelve title might do it, but Petty might not even play on Saturday as he suffered a concussion against Texas Tech.

Dropping out this week: Winston's INT total hard to ignore

Three more contenders drop out of consideration this week. Dak Prescott's Mississippi State Bulldogs lost their 2nd game of the season and so Prescott won't have another game to show his stuff. He ends a great regular season with 24 TDs and 10 interceptions, just 4 yards shy of 3,000 passing yards. Just as important were his 939 yards and 13 TDs on the ground.

Florida State's Jameis Winston completed another undefeated season at 12-0. The guy has never lost a college football game. That's pretty amazing, and if you would have told me FSU would go 12-0 and Winston wouldn't be in the top five Heisman candidates, I would have thought you were insane. But the Seminoles have been winning in spite of Winston's poor performance, as well as because of his good performance. Against Florida Winston threw 4 more interceptions, bringing his total for the year to 17 against 21 TDs. That's not Heisman-level at all, and it's a major reason why the team isn't dominant like last year when he had just 10 in 14 games (with 40 TDs). Winston has another hearing in the rape case ahead of the ACC final against Georgia Tech.

Ameer Abdullah had 106 yards in the overtime win at Iowa but long ago his Heisman hopes were null. He had a shot at being a finalist even a few weeks ago, but the Cornhuskers failed to reach the Big Ten championship game. Abdullah finished the year with over 1,500 yards.

Games this weekend: All contenders' teams are in championship games

Each contender's team is in a championship game, official or unofficial, but not all of the candidates will be playing:

• Marcus Mariota will lead Oregon against Arizona for the Pac-12 crown
• Melvin Gordon's Wisconsin takes on Ohio State for the Big Ten championship
• Amari Cooper will face Missouri as Alabama goes for the SEC title
• JT Barrett will be watching from the sidelines as Ohio State battles Wisconsin
• Trevone Boykin's TCU plays Iowa State; a win and a Baylor loss means the Horned Frogs technically win the tiebreaker for the Big Twelve title
• Bryce Petty's Baylor needs to beat Kansas State to win the Big Twelve, but he might not play. The league has also said they won't officially declare a champion, which is sort of a slap in the face to Baylor, but the Big Twelve doesn't want to hurt TCU's shot at finishing in the top 4.

Heisman Watch, pre-week 14: Gordon, Mariota are #1 and #1a

We're going into the long weekend of week 14, which means there are just one or two games left for the Heisman hopefuls. Our top candidate might have just one game and that could be the difference in who wins the trophy.

Melvin Gordon started slow but finished with 200 yards against Iowa, enough to hold a tenous lead over Marcus Mariota, who added 4 more total touchdowns. Mariota now has a crazy 33:2 ratio with 9 rushing TDs, while Gordon has 2,109 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns. Mariota has two games left—Oregon State and the Pac-12 title game—while Gordon faces Minnesota and, if Wisconsin wins that game, Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. If they lose, Gordon has just one more game to add to his stats, and that hurts, but a win plus a big game against the Buckeyes could bring home the trophy. So in a way it's fitting: Gordon needs to lead the Badgers to a win this Saturday to strengthen his Heisman chances.

If Wisconsin loses this weekend, Mariota will probably take home the Heisman if the Ducks win out—at least in our estimation. Our third-place candidate, Amari Cooper, is well behind the others but like Gordon has a must-win game Saturday—vs. Auburn—to get to the SEC championship game. The problem is that Cooper was hurt against Western Carolina and is questionable for the game against the Tigers.

Just behind Cooper are Dak Prescott and JT Barrett. Prescott also needs a win—vs. rival Ole Miss—to get to the SEC championship game, but also needs Alabama to lose. Meanwhile Barrett is already guaranteed an appearance in week 15 vs. either Wisconsin or Minnesota, which means he should be able to pass either Cooper or Prescott—whichever one doesn't play in the SEC title game.

SportsRatings week 13 Heisman leaders: Gordon vs. Mariota down to the wire

1. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (9-2) beat Iowa 16-14; 200 yards
2. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (10-1) beat Colorado 44-10; 3 pass TDs, 1 rush
3. Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (10-1) beat W Carolina 48-14; 46 rec yards, inj.
4. [up 1] Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (10-1) beat Vandy 51-0; 3 pass TDs, 1 rush
5. [up 1] JT Barrett, QB Ohio State (10-1) beat Indiana 42-27; 4 TDs, 2 int, 78 rush
6. [dn 2] Jameis Winston, QB FSU (11-0) beat Boston College 20-17; 1 TD, 1 int
7. Trevone Boykin, QB TCU (10-1) idle
8. Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (9-1) beat OK State 49-28; 2 TD, 2 int
9. Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (8-3) lost to Minn. 28-24; 98 yards
   
   out:

• Kevin White, WR West Virginia (6-5) lost to K-State 26-20; 63 rec, 1 TD
• Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (9-2) beat Ch. Southern 55-9; DNP out for season
• Everett Golson, QB Notre Dame (7-4) lost to Lou 31-28; 2 TD, 1 int
• Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M

Both Prescott and Barrett push past Jameis Winston, who had another tight win last week over Boston College. He did reasonably well, too, but added another interception, making his ratio a pedstrian 19:13 this season. Even being undefeated and engineering comeback wins doesn't overcome poor stats, and to some extent his picks (and other poor decisions) have been putting his team in the bad situations to start with.

Trevone Boykin and Bryce Petty will both play the final two weeks of the season, giving them time to work their way into a New York appearance possibly. TCU faces Texas and Iowa State while Baylor takes on Texas Tech and Kansas State.

Ameer Abdullah had 98 yards in Nebraska's loss to Minnesota and narrowly made the cut down to 9 candidates this week. Luckily for him three others had worse luck: Kevin White had just an okay game as West Virginia lost again; Todd Gurley is out for the season; and Everett Golson played well enough but Notre Dame lost their 4th game of the season. Those three join Kenny Hill in the also-ran pile.

Week 14 Schedule: Here are the teams the leaders face the rest of the way.

• Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin: Minnesota Sat; if they win, Ohio State
• Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon: Oregon State Sat; then UCLA/Arizona/ASU
• Amari Cooper, WR Alabama: Auburn Sat; if they win or Miss St loses, Georgia/Missouri
• Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State: Mississippi Sat; if they win & Alabama loses, Georgia/Missouri
• JT Barrett, QB Ohio State: Michigan Sat; then Wisconsin/Minnesota
• Jameis Winston, QB FSU: Florida Sat; then Georgia Tech
• Trevone Boykin, QB TCU: Texas Thurs; then Iowa State
• Bryce Petty, QB Baylor: Texas Tech Sat; then Kansas State
• Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska: Iowa Friday

So in all, six of the nine candidates will play two more games for sure: Mariota, Cooper OR Prescott, Barrett, Winston, Boykin, and Petty. Gordon might play one or two more; either Cooper or Prescott will play just one more; and Abdullah has just one game left for sure.

 

Heisman Trophy week 12: Melvin Gordon's 408 quakes the rankings

Going into the weekend, Wisconsin's showdown with Nebraska was a pretty big deal for the Heisman Trophy. It was going to be the return of Ameer Abdullah, facing Melvin Gordon in a showdown for the best running back in the Big Ten. It might determine which back gets an invitation to the New York ceremony, it was thought.

Gordon was #3 in our rankings and there were a number of possibilities concerning his performance. Realistically, he might:

• Rush for fewer than 50 yards in a loss to Nebraska; that might drop him out of the top five.
• Rush for fewer than 100 yards; that would hurt him but wouldn't be a knockout blow.
• Rush for over 100 yards; that might hold him at #3
• Rush for over 200 yards. A performance like that could elevate him to #2, depending on what happened with Mississippi State's Dak Prescott

With Oregon's Marcus Mariota a very solid #1 and idle this week, the top spot wasn't in contention under ordinary circumstances. But there were two possibilities we didn't really consider:

• That Gordon might top 300 yards. Something like that? Might put him in a virtual tie with Mariota.
• That Gordon might top 400 yards and break the all-time NCAA Division I-A rushing record with 408 yards.

The last option is, indeed, what happened. And because of it, we have no choice but to make Melvin Gordon our new leader in the Heisman race. Marcus Mariota is a very solid #2, and he'll still have ample opportunity to convince us he should be #1. In fact, Oregon didn't have a loss, maybe he'd still be #1. Previous #2 Dak Prescott, of course, lost to Alabama while throwing three interceptions, and he falls to #5.

Week 12: Melvin Gordon rushes to the front of the list

1. [up 2] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (8-2) beat Nebraska 59-24; 408 yards, new NCAA record
2. [dn 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (9-1) idle
3. [up 2] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (9-1) beat Miss. St 25-20; 88 rec yards
4. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (10-0)
5. [dn 3] Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (9-1) LOST to Alabama 25-20; 3 INT
6. [up 4] JT Barrett, QB Ohio State (9-1) beat Minnesota 31-24; 3 TDs pass, 189 yds rush
7. Trevone Boykin, QB TCU (9-1) beat Kansas 34-30; 1 TD, 1 int
8. Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (8-1) idle
9. [dn 3] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (8-2) LOST to Wisconsin 59-24; 69 yards
10. [dn 1] Kevin White, WR West Virginia (6-4) idle
11. Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (8-2) beat Auburn 34-7; 138 yds (2nd on team)
12. Everett Golson, QB Notre Dame (7-3) lost to Northwestern 43-40ot; 4 total TDs
    
    out:

• Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (7-4) LOST to Missouri 34-27; did not play

Amari Cooper moves up to #3 for another solid performance against Mississippi State. He had 88 receiving yards, and while he's not regularly going over 100 he's coming close, and making a difference in Alabama's close games. Bama QB Blake Sims is #2 in QBR, and Cooper has been a big cause of Sims' success.

Cooper jumps #4 Jameis Winston, who did his usual "throw picks in the first half, save the game in the 2nd" against Miami. Winston's TD:int ratio is now a lowly 18:12, but his team is still undefeated. 1st-half Winston wouldn't be on this list; 2nd-half Winston might be the leader—if not for his off-field baggage, another reason his upside is limited.

Dak Prescott's TD:int ratio isn't that great anymore after throwing 3 picks vs. Alabama. His Mississippi State team now has one loss, just like the trio of quarterbacks that follow him: JT Barrett of Ohio State, Trevone Boykin of TCU, and Bryce Petty of Baylor.

Barrett is coming on strong late, and his 3 pass TD, 189 yard rushing performance against Minnesota is why he leaps from #10 to #6. Boykin wasn't up to Heisman par against Kansas but he holds at #7; and Petty was idle. Each of the three had a terrible game in their sole loss. How many games their team wins from here on will be a main determinant in which of the five (including Prescott and Winston) gets to New York. Winning is still a possibility for some, but a top-three finish is probably the most realistic goal. Note that TCU and Baylor won't play in a conference championship game, and the Bulldogs probably won't, while the Seminoles and Buckeyes (probably) will. TCU and Baylor both play games on the final week of consideration, however, which helps.

The line of no hope is crossed right here...

Ameer Abdullah had yet another sub-100 yard game, and the comparison between he and Gordon was just too stark. He falls to #9 and looks out of it. Kevin White of West Virginia didn't have a game this weekend, but Amari Cooper has taken over the leading wide receiver slot and that classification doesn't have room for two.

But those two are still better off than Todd Gurley and Everett Golson. Gurley came back and had over 100 yards, but was only the 2nd best back on his team as sub Nick Chubb continued to excel. Golson had a good game against Northwestern but the Irish suffered their 3rd loss, in overtime. Both will be gone next week when major culls start. For now we leave Golson steady at #12 and Gurley, who tore his ACL and won't be back this season, at #11.

This week we only remove one candidate, and it's long overdue: Kenny Hill, who missed two games due to suspension, and didn't play when eligible to return, is the first dismissal.

 

Heisman update, post-week 11: Melvin Gordon vs. Ameer Abdullah, Dak Prescott vs. Amari Cooper

Head-to-head matches between Heisman candidates rarely have a lasting effect on the race, providing little more than fodder for commentary. In the rare case when the players actually face off against each other—think Ndamukong Suh vs. Colt McCoy—it really looks like one player personally "defeated" the other. But those cases are rare. Usually, the best we can expect is a good comparison between two similar players and a "tiebreaker" of sorts.

That's what we might get when Melvin Gordon and Wisconsin face Ameer Abdullah and Nebraska. The two are the premier running backs in the Big Ten and the nation, with Gordon leading and Abdullah 6th due to his 1-yard game vs. Purdue. Abdullah is back from that injury, but there's a question of how healthy he is. Gordon just had another 200 yard game (against Purdue) and holds at #3 on our list, while Abdullah drops to #6 on an idle week. Saturday's game could re-establish Abdullah or propel Gordon into real contention.

Just above Gordon, our #2 candidate, Dak Prescott, is going into one of his biggest games of the year, at Alabama. There he'll face #5 Amari Cooper, if "face" is the correct term for a quarterback on one team playing against a receiver on another. Here, obviously, there's less direct comparison, and the game is much more significant for Prescott than for Cooper. Quarterbacks take the blame for losses, while running backs and receivers can still get a boost from a losing game if they're responsible for keeping their team in it. And if they win, so much the better. In last week's overtime win at LSU, you could say that Cooper made the difference in a close game; without his 83 receiving yards and touchdown catch, would 'Bama have lost the game?

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (9-1) beat Utah 51-27
2. Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (9-0) beat UT-Martin 45-16
3. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (7-2) beat Purdue 34-16
4. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (9-0) beat Virginia 34-20
5. [up 1] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (8-1) beat LSU 20-13 OT
6. [dn 1] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (8-1) idle
7. [up 1] Trevone Boykin, QB TCU (8-1) beat Kansas State 41-20
8. [dn 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (8-1) beat Oklahoma 48-14
9. [up 2] Kevin White, WR West Virginia (6-4) LOST to Texas 33-16
10. [new] JT Barrett, QB Ohio State (8-1) beat Michigan St 49-37
11. [dn 2] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (7-2) beat Kentucky 63-31 (DNP)
12. [dn 2] Everett Golson, QB Notre Dame (7-2) LOST to ASU 55-31
13. [dn 1] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (7-3) beat Auburn 41-38 (DNP)

Solid leader Marcus Mariota is idle this week after engineering the win over Utah with a 4-TD performance, but the Florida State-Miami game offers another head-to-head matchup: Jameis Winston vs. Duke Johnson. Winston, though #4 and on an undefeated team, is in a holding pattern due to his behavior and his interceptions, either of which might keep him out of New York. Duke Johnson is on the periphery of the Heisman race and a good game in an upset win could put the Miami back firmly in the race as a late candidate—and late candidates often do very well.

#7 Trevone Boykin of TCU had the nation's best Heisman moment last week. Against Kansas State Boykin threw for one touchdown and ran for three more, including a head-over-heels highlight reel special at the goal line. The competition gets weaker for the Horned Frogs in the last few weeks so he'll need more of that to keep his name in the spotlight. He moves up one spot this week, pushing Bryce Petty down to #8 despite Baylor's big win over Oklahoma. Petty did well but his receiver, Corey Coleman, was the star of the show. Petty won the "head-to-head" meeting against Boykin and their passing stats are almost identical. But Boykin has over 500 yards on the ground, and he had "that touchdown" last week.

Kevin White of West Virginia is up a couple spots despite the Mountaineers' loss to Texas as he had 16 catches, and more importantly the bottom of the list is extremely weak, riddle with ex-candidates. Todd Gurley missed his 4th game—he's back this week against Auburn—while Everett Goldon imploded against Arizona State (4 interceptions and a fumble) just after we'd added him to the list. Then there's Kenny Hill, still suspended last week as his team upset Auburn.

Into the mix this week is JT Barrett, otherwise known as Braxton Miller's replacement. Like Kenny Guyton before him he has people questioning who should be the starter when Miller comes back. Even Urban Meyer said that the job is up for grabs in 2015. Barrett led the Buckeyes in their big win over Michigan State and comes in at #10.

Heisman update post-week 10: Mariota's to lose—just like last year

A year ago, Marcus Mariota was in great position to win the Heisman Trophy. In fact, had his team won out the award would have been his. He had a 20:0 TD:int ratio and helmed the #2 team in the nation. This year, he's again in the lead according to most prognisticators, has a stellar 26:2 ratio, his team is #4 in the polls, and the award is basically his if he can help his team win out.

A year ago, a loss to Stanford—and a later, worse loss to Arizona—derailed his chances. Amazingly, he didn't finish among the top ten in voting. What will happen this year?

Last year his biggest threats were Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston. Manziel's team would lose several games late in the season, so he wasn't a serious threat to win. And Winston got his chance to win the award only because Mariota and Oregon stumbled. This year his biggest competitor is Dak Prescott of undefeated Mississippi State. Prescott's passing stats (61%, 17:6 ratio) aren't great, but he adds 725 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, and the Bulldogs are #1. They just got by Arkansas last week.

There isn't a solid #3, as Jameis Winston's performance is split between first half sloppiness and 2nd half heroics. His off-field conduct has pretty much insured that he won't win the award again, and hurts his chances of getting back to New York—unless there's no one else to fill the candidates' seats. After a 3-interception performance in the Louisville comeback he drops to #4, while Melvin Gordon's consistent production (128 yards vs. Rutgers) moves him up to #3.

Mariota had four touchdowns in beating Stanford, the team that first derailed his hopes last year, and he holds the #1 spot.

Week 10: Can Mariota finish strong this season?

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (8-1) beat Stanford 45-16
2. Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (8-0) beat Arkansas 17-10
3. [up 2] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (6-2) beat Rutgers 37-0
4. [dn 1] Jameis Winston, QB FSU (8-0) beat Louisville 42-31
5. [dn 1] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (7-1) beat Purdue 35-14
6. [up 1] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (7-1) idle this week
7. [up 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (7-1) beat Kansas 60-14
8. [up 1] Trevone Boykin, QB TCU (7-1) beat West Virginia 31-30
9. [dn 3] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (6-2) lost to Florida 38-20 (did not play)
10. [new] Everett Golson, QB Notre Dame (7-1) beat Navy 49-39
11. [dn 1] Kevin White, WR West Virginia (6-3) lost to TCU 31-30
12. [dn 1] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (6-3) beat UL-Monroe 21-16 (did not play)

Gordon takes the top running back spot almost by default. Ameer Abdullah was unjured and managed just 1 yard against Purdue; he has the coming weekend off and might be back for the showdown with Gordon and Wisconsin. Todd Gurley missed his third game for Georgia—one more to go—and the Bulldogs lost big. He drops three more spots to #9 and has too much ground to recover in the 3 or 4 games he'll have left before the vote.

Three minor candidates, Amari Cooper, Bryce Petty, and Trevone Boykin, move up a bit with Gurley's drop. Cooper's Alabama was idle, while Petty was good against weak Kansas and Boykin wasn't great again a strong West Virginia.

But Boykin's team got the win, which is more than the Mountaineers' Kevin White can say. Just two weeks after having the stats of a real contender, White has had two very sub-par games including just 28 receiving yards against TCU. He slips to #11.

Still, that's not as bad as Kenny Hill. Not only was he benched, he's been suspended for two games. Hill will be the first player cut in a couple of weeks when we start culling.

For now though, new players are still joining the fray. Notre Dame's Everett Golson finally warrants consideration after a consistently good season. Against Navy he accounted for 6 touchdowns, 3 passing and 3 running. Being from Notre Dame and facing a weak crop of contenders, he has every opportunity to make it to New York with strong performances against the likes of Arizona State and USC. And if Mariota and Oregon falter again, it's anyone's guess who will be on top. In the Heisman, the last few weeks as as important as the first 10 weeks combined.

Heisman Update, week 9: Will running backs get respect this year?

Marcus Mariota is again on top, throwing 5 TDs against California. #2 Dak Prescott's team is still undefeated so he remains #2. Jameis Winston isn't a great threat to win this year but Florida State is undefeated, too, and while there are many Heisman candidates this year, few have pushed to the top.

That's three quarterbacks, and there are more in the running that have jumped into the fray, then faltered. Quarterbacks have won the award the last four years, 7 of the last 8 years, and 12 of the last 14. But right behind the trio of quarterbacks are three running backs jockeying for position. Each has drawbacks; will any of them be able to do more than make it New York, or be runner-up this year?

Week 9: Running backs ready for a big move?

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (7-1) beat California 59-41
2. Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (7-0) beat Kentucky 45-31
3. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (7-0) idle this week
4. [up 2] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (7-1) beat Rutgers 42-24
5. [up 1]Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (5-2) beat Maryland 527
6. [dn 2] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (6-1) idle this week
7. Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (7-1) beat Tennessee 34-20
8. Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (6-1) idle this week
9. [new] Trevone Boykin, QB TCU (6-1) beat Texas Tech 82-27
10. [dn 1] Kevin White, WR West Virginia (6-2) beat Oklahoma State 34-10
11. [dn 1] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (5-3) idle this week

The first question is, who is the top running back among the Heisman candidates? It was Todd Gurley before his suspension...and after missing two games the NCAA says he's got to miss two more. That will destroy his candidacy unquestionably, but Georgia is appealing the ruling.

That leaves Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, whose team has two losses, and Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska, who has two sub-100 yard games. But Abdullah also has four 200+ yard games, including 225 against Rutgers, a game in which he had 341 all-purpose yards. It's his versatility that moves him ahead of Gordon, who had 122 yards and 3 TDs in the Badgers' more impressive blowout win.

What about a wide receiver winning the Heisman? That hasn't happened since 1991. But if Amari Cooper keeps having games like he did against Tennessee—9 catches, 224 yards, 2 TDs—he'll at the very least show up in New York. A week ago Kevin White of West Virginia was riding a string of 100+ yard games that made him look like the possible leader at receiver, but last weekend's 27 yards causes him to lose some momentum and fall to #10.

More quarterbacks: While #8 Bryce Petty was idle, Trevone Boykin of rival TCU was exploding for seven touchdowns in an 82-27 rout of Texas Tech. That will get you noticed—as long as your team is good. Connor Halliday of Washington State has thrown for 6 TDs twice this year but he's not in the running since his team is 2-6. Boykin's 21:3 ratio puts him on the map, though, at #9.

Dropping another spot to #11 is yesteryear's Heisman darling Kenny Hill of Texas A&M. A few weeks ago we were celebrating his "Kenny Trill" nickname; right now he's in danger of losing his starting job. How quickly they fall.

Heisman week 8: Winston still in running (for New York trip at least)

Marcus Mariota held onto the top spot this week with 2 touchdown passes against Washington, even though running back Royce Freeman was the star of the game with 4 touchdowns. Mariota completed 73% of his attempts with no interceptions and now holds a 19:0 ratio with 5 rushing TDs.

#2 Dak Prescott's ratio is just 14:4 but he has 8 rushing TDs and his team is undefeated. Mississippi State was idle last weekend, a deserved break after beating three top ten teams in a row.

Jameis Winston had dropped off almost everyone's list—understandably, for his off-field conduct—but now he's reappearing everywhere after FSU stayed unbeaten thanks to his 2nd-half performance vs. the Irish. Here, he remains #3. Even going 15-for-16 in the final 30 minutes doesn't put him in line to receive a 2nd straight trophy. He needs to keep his team unbeaten to get the reward—a 3rd  place finish—that has become standard for a former winner. The actual award is essentially out of reach as long as there is any viable alternative.

Week 8: No change in top three, with running backs lined up behind the QBs

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (6-1) beat Washington 45-20
2. Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (6-0) idle
3. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (7-0) beat Notre Dame 31-27
4. Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (6-1) did not play vs. Arkansas (45-32 win)
5. [up 2] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (4-2) idle
6. [up 3] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (6-1) beat Northwestern 38-17
7. [up 1] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (6-1) beat Texas A&M 59-0
8. [dn 3] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (6-1) lost to West Virginia 41-27
9. [new] Kevin White, WR West Virginia (5-2) beat Baylor 41-27
10. [dn 4] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (5-3) lost to Alabama 59-0

Todd Gurley holds at number 4 after his 2nd straight idle week where Georgia won without him. Even moreso this time his replacement, Nick Chubb, made it look easy rushing for 202 yards. That would have demoted Gurley but those immediately below him faltered badly and missing two games out of 13 isn't a death sentence.

Missing three games probably is, and moving up behind Gurley are his chief rivals at running back: Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, who was idle this week and Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska, who had 4 touchdowns against Northwestern. Next week is important in determining who will take over the mantle as top running back; Gordon faces Maryland and Abdullah faces Rutgers, while Gurley's Georgia takes on Florida. If Gurley plays it will be a big test against a strong rushing defense, but if he doesn't that's another strike against him.

Amari Cooper recovered along with Alabama in the 59-0 romp over Texas A&M with 140 yards and 2 touchdowns; he moves up a spot to #7 but debuting at #9 is his rival for the Biletnikoff Award, Kevin White of West Virginia who has topped 100 yards every game including 132 in the Mountaineers' win over Baylor.

Beaten by White and Cooper's teams last weekend were Bryce Petty—down 3 spots to #8 after a 44% completion day and his team's first loss—and Kenny Hill, whose Aggies lost for the third straight time. Hill fell four spots to #10.

Heisman week 7: Gurley suspension opens door for Mariota, Prescott

Todd Gurley became our front-runner in week six only to get suspended for signing autographs. He missed the Missouri game, but Georgia ultimately didn't miss him that much as they won 34-0. With other candidates surging and Gurley possibly out for the rest of the season, he drops three spots to #4 on our list. If he comes back he's still in the race, but that's only true for a few more weeks; if he's not back for the November 1st game vs. Florida it will probably be too late for his candidacy.

Marcus Mariota's 4 TD performance (2 passing, 2 rushing) against UCLA puts him back on top for now, with Dak Prescott close behind at #2. Prescott didn't throw all that well Saturday (18 of 34, 1 TD, 2 int) but he ran for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns, and the competition level was high. His Mississippi State team is still undefeated, which could ultimately give him the edge over Mariota. Jameis Winston rounds out the top three after completing 30 of 36 passes for 3 touchdowns; his own eligibility might be in doubt for autograph signing as well, but for now we assume he'll play vs. Notre Dame in a big game.

Week 7: Gurley's suspension puts Mariota back on top with Prescott surging.

1. [up 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (5-1) beat UCLA 42-30
2. [up 3] Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (6-0) beat Auburn 38-23
3. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (6-0) beat Syracuse 38-20
4. [dn 3] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (5-1) did not play vs. Missouri
5. [up 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (6-0) beat TCU 61-58
6. [dn 1] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (4-2) lost to Mississippi 35-20
7. [new] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (4-2) beat Illinois 38-28
8. [dn 1] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (5-1) beat Arkansas 14-13
9. [dn 1] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (5-1) idle

Bryce Petty revived his candidacy with a big comeback against TCU that saw him pass for 510 yards and 6 touchdowns. Petty's efficiency hasn't been as great this year and he completed just 51% against the Horned Frogs, but you can't argue with 6 TDs vs. a strong defense. Petty moves up to #5 while Texas A&M's Kenny Hill drops to #6 after the loss to Mississippi. Hill played well (42 of 53, 401 yards) for the most part but also had 2 picks in his team's 2nd loss.

With Amari Cooper having his first unimpressive game (22 yards vs. Arkansas) and Ameer Abdullah idle, Melvin Gordon jumps in at #7 with a 175-yard, 4 touchdown performance against Illinois. Gordon has topped 200 yards twice and 150 twice more, with one dud game (38 vs. Western Illinois) and he looks well-positioned to take over as top running back if Gurley remains out.

Catching up on the Heisman Trophy: Gurley's suspension throws a wrench

So just when we decide not to cover the Heisman Trophy race it turns into one of the more interesting races in recent memory.  We decided to do a brief catchup of the first six weeks.

Pre-season: Very few returning vote-winners

1. Jameis Winston, QB FSU
2. Bryce Petty, QB Baylor
3. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State

Out of last year's top ten only three players return. And the third player was lost before the season started, so only two of the top ten were back. Interestingly Marcus Mariota of Oregon didn't finish in the top ten last year, though at one point he was the front-runner!

Week 1: Todd Gurley makes his presence known

1. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (1-0) beat OK State 37-31
2. [new] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (1-0) beat Clemson 45-21
3. [dn 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (1-0) beat SMU 45-0

Jameis Winston had a mixed game against Oklahoma State with 2 interceptions, but his highlight-reel touchdown run proved the difference in the game, so he remains an unstable default front-runner. Bryce Petty completed just 57% against SMU while Todd Gurley had a 100-yard kickoff return and 198 rushing yards vs. Clemson.

Week 2: Marcus Mariota jumps in with big win

1. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (2-0) beat The Citadel 37-12
2. Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (1-0) no game
3. [new] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (2-0) beat Michigan State 46-27
4. [dn 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (2-0) did not play vs. Northwestern State

Florida State didn't dominate The Citadel like on might expect, but it's hard to argue with Winston's 82% completion rate; at any rate, Georgia didn't play so Gurley didn't have the chance to take over the top spot. Instead it was Marcus Mariota's week with a showcase vs. Michigan State: 318 yards and 3 touchdowns, added to his 3 touchdown passes the week before. Meanwhile Bryce Petty's lingering injury from week 1 kept him out against Northwestern State, where backup Seth Russell put up 438 yards and 5 TDs, making Petty look even more like a "system quarterback."

Week 3: Uneventful calm before the storm.

1. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (2-0) no game
2. [up 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (3-0) beat Wyoming 48-14
3. [dn 1] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (1-1) lost to S Carolina 38-35
4. Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (3-0) beat Buffalo 63-21
5. [new] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (3-0) beat Rice 38-10

Jameis Winston was idle before the big Clemson game that was to showcase his talent and determine his odds for a Heisman repeat. Todd Gurley did well (138 yards) in Georgia's game (he had 138 yards) but the loss to South Carolina allowed Marcus Mariota to move up to #2 with a 4TD (2 pass, 2 rush) performance. Bryce Petty recovered a bit of momentum with 4 TDs against Buffalo, and Kenny Hill moved in at #5; his 511 yard debut vs. South Carolina opened eyes and after the Rice win he had 11 TDs and no interceptions for the Aggies.

Week 4: Winston blows his chance with "vulgar" outburst

1. [up 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (4-0) beat Wash. St. 38-31
2. [up 1] Todd Gurley,  RB Georgia (2-1) beat Troy 66-0
3. [dn 2] Jameis Winston, QB FSU (3-0) did not play vs. Clemson
4. Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (3-0) no game
5. Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (3-0) beat SMU 58-6
6. [new] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (4-0) beat Florida 42-21

The big news in week 4 took place off the field in probably the stupidest reason for a football team nearly blowing its national title hopes. Jameis Winston is the first and only Heisman candidate ever derailed for shouting "fuck her right in the pussy" on a makeshift campus soapbox. His actions almost cost FSU the game, and Clemson had the game well in hand several times before losing in overtime. Marcus Mariota moves up to #1; his 5 touchdown passes kept Oregon undefeated, making up for their defense's lapses; for the year his ratio was 13:0 after week 4 . #2 Todd Gurley had 73 rushing yards on just 6 carries in a blowout, while Baylor was idle so Bryce Petty remained #4. Kenny Hill had 2 TDs but his first pick against SMU. This week's newcomer is the first receiver on the list, Alabama's Amari Cooper. All four of his efforts are 100 yards +, and against Florida he had 10 catches for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Week 5: Ameer Abdullah finally gets his just rewards

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (4-0) no game
2. Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (3-1) beat Tennessee 35-32
3. [up 2] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (4-0) beat Arkansas 28-21 OT
4. [dn 1] Jameis Winston, QB FSU (4-0) beat NC State 56-41
5. [dn 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (4-0) beat Iowa State 49-28
6. [new] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (5-0) beat Illinois 45-14
7. [dn 1] Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (4-0) no game

#1 Marcus Mariota was idle allowing #2 Todd Gurley to come closer to the top spot with a 208 yard effort against Tennessee. There was some QB re-evaluation this week; Kenny Hill didn't have his best game against Arkansas but his 4 TDs won the game for the Aggies, and he moves ahead of Winston (2 picks vs. NC State) and Petty (1 TD vs. Iowa State). Jumping in this week is Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, who had his third 200 yard game against Illinois. His only sub-100 yard game was against McNeese State, where his 58-yard touchdown reception won that game for the Cornhuskers. He moves in a #6 ahead of idle Amari Cooper.

Week 6: Todd Gurley is #1...before his suspension.

1. [up 1] Todd Gurley, RB Georgia (4-1) beat Vanderbilt 44-17
   
2. [dn 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (4-1) lost to Arizona 31-24
3. [up 1] Jameis Winston, QB FSU (5-0) beat Wake Forest 43-3
4. [dn 1] Kenny Hill, QB Texas A&M (4-1) lost to Miss. State 48-31
5. [new] Dak Prescott, QB Miss. State (5-0) beat Texas A&M 48-31
6. [dn 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (5-0) beat Texas 28-7
7. Amari Cooper, WR Alabama (4-1) lost to Mississippi 23-17
8. [dn 2] Ameer Abdullah, RB Nebraska (5-1) lost to Michigan St. 27-22

It was a disastrous week for nearly all of the candidates with front-runner Marcus Mariota suffering a loss that allowed Todd Gurley (163 yards) to claim the top spot. Kenny Hill's 3-interception debacle in the loss to Mississippi State dropped him a spot and FSU's Winston slid back up to a very weak #3. Weakness in the bottom half allowed newcomer Dak Prescott to jump in at #5 after clearly outdueling Hill. Bryce Petty was just 7 of 22 against Texas, Amari Cooper's Tide lost (he still had a respectable 91 receiving yards) and Ameer Abdullah was shut down (45 yards in 21 carries) against Michigan State.

All in all a very forgettable week, and it only gets worse with Todd Gurley's suspension. Is there anyone who looks Heisman-worthy now?

2013 Heisman Trophy Finalists: Jameis Winston is #1, who is #2?

And then there were....6?

We've always considered our top five the "New York" candidates, even though the number of players invited to the Location Formerly Known As The Downtown Athletic Club varies generally from 3 to 5. This year, however, the powers-that-be bucked the system and invited six players. We're sticking to our guns and announcing our final tally as the top five. These are the players we would have in New York, and three of them—out top three—actually made it!

First, of course, is Jameis Winston. In the end he led the only undefeated team in the nation, and many other candidates had their spotless record as their only real selling point. Winston held onto that and also transformed a very good team into a great one following four years of E.J. Manual at FSU. This also contrasts with several candidates who simply carried on the team's success with former players. Winston had a great completion percentage (68%), threw 38 touchdowns and ran for four more. The last game (Duke) wasn't his best—he completed 59% and threw 2 picks—but he accounted for four touchdowns in another blowout win. And let's face it, most importantly, he wasn't charged, for whatever reason. We can only go on what we know about that situation, which is: nothing.

Despite his team suffering their first loss we keep Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois as the runner-up. For a long time it looked like the second NIU lost a game, Lynch would plummet off the radar (those that he was on) but as the rushing yards mounted to a ridiculous 1,800+ on the strength of two 300+ yard games, it was clear he was here to stay. He added 126 more in the loss to Bowling Green, and his sole loss—weak schedule acknowledged—keeps him ahead of Johnny Football's 4 losses.

Johnny Manziel did about as well as a quarterback candidate with 4 losses can do, and we have him 3rd in the end. He led our rankings for most of the season, even with 2 losses, as he kept doing ridiculous things and even increased his stock in the Alabama loss. Finally, he declined with the last two losses and couldn't pull off the repeat, but he's still the most fun player to watch.

FINAL SportsRatings Heisman Trophy Rankings for 2013:

1. Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (13-0; beat Duke 45-7)
   LW:   19-32  59.4%  330yd  3TD  2int  10rsh   59yd 5.9av  1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 237-349 67.9% 3820yd 38TD 10int  77rsh  193yd 2.5av  4TD 1fmb
   
   
2. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (12-1; lost to Bowling Green 47-27)
   LW:   21-40  52.5%  219yd  1TD  2int  26rsh  126yd 4.8av  2TD 0fmb
   TOT: 233-369 63.1% 2676yd 23TD  7int 274rsh 1881yd 6.9av 22TD 1fmb 1recTD
   
   
3. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (8-4; no game last week)
   LW:  no game
   TOT: 270-391 69.1% 3732yd 33TD 13int 133rsh  686yd 5.2av  8TD 1fmb
   
   
4. [up 2] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (11-1; beat Texas 30-10)
   LW:   21-37  56.8%  287yd  2TD  0int  10rsh   24yd 2.4av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 220-356 61.8% 3844yd 30TD  2int  83rsh  192yd 2.3av 11TD 4fmb
   
   
5. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (10-2; no game last week)
   LW:  no game
   TOT: 227-360 63.1% 3412yd 30TD  4int  81rsh  582yd 7.2av  9TD 4fmb
   
   out:
   
   
6. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (12-0; beat Michigan 42-41)
7. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (10-2; lost to South Carolina 31-17)
8. A.J. McCarron, QB Alabama (11-1; lost to Auburn 34-28)
9. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (10-1; no game last week)
10. Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St
11. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin
12. Aaron Murray, QB Georgia
13. Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St
14. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina
15. Marqise Lee, WR USC

We had Braxton Miller at #4 last week, but his stats were meager (we've been using that word a lot in reference to Miller) and though he lofted upward on the strength of his undefeated team, his undefeated team is undefeated no more and he falls out of the New York Club. Meanwhile Bryce Petty had a good win against Texas and actually finished with a better TD:int ratio (30:2) than #5 Marcus Mariota (30:4), which was inconceivable earlier in the season, so we move him up to #4. Petty and Mariota weren't named in the six official New York candidates, and we can see why: both are system quarterbacks, following other QBs who have done just as well at the same program. In that situation, perfection is demanded, both in performance and record. When those criteria are met, people fawn over your greatness. One slip, however, and it's kiss your candidacy goodbye. Both will be back next year to try again.

The rest of the field we've already covered over the weeks and they've fallen by the wayside for good reason. #8 A.J. McCarron is actually one of the six finalists, because...well, because people think he should get some recognition for what he did for Alabama over the years. With no strong reason to vote for anyone, why not put him #3? There's of course no chance he'll win and even placing in the top three would be a surprise, but the field is totally wide open after the #1 spot.

Other finalists we didn't have on our list all year include running backs Andre Williams of Boston College and Tre Mason of Auburn. Mason was a total non-entity as a candidate until he did very well against Alabama and then insanely good against Missouri (300+ yards good). He'll pick up a lot of the late vote, and especially for those who didn't follow anything until the last few weeks. Interestingly, Gus Malzahn was pushing quarterback Nick Marshall for the Heisman before the Missouri game; even he didn't think the running back was a top candidate.

Williams made news with several big rushing games over the last month and for topping 2,000 yards, but he had a dud game (due to injury) against Syracuse. He wasn't running that well before the injury, however, and his earlier 38-yard game against USC and 70-yard game vs. Clemson should have been viewed alongside his huge efforts. In the end, Williams and Mason will split the non-quarterback vote and that will hurt them....but the many other quarterbacks will split the "other quarterback" vote even further, so who knows, the running backs might finish #2 and #3.

This has been a weird Heisman year, to say the least, and it got weirdest near the end. Had Winston been charged then the winner could have been chosen with a roll of the dice. Let's hope we don't have a repeat of this year's particular circumstances any time soon.

Heisman Race, week 14: Winston makes for easiest pick, toughest decision

One weekend to go, then the voters make their decision. The obvious on-field candidate, Jameis Winston, would be running away with the award if not for possible pending legal difficulties, to put things mildly. We're supposed to know tomorrow whether an indictment will be made, and even that won't settle the arguments obviously.

Football-wise, Winston did well against Florida and with several others stumbling would have further distanced himself from the pack. Facing Duke this weekend, all he would need to do is not lose and he would be winning the vote by a landslide. As it stands, regardless of whether he's indicted, even a slightly poor performance against Duke will add more doubt to his candidacy. But the looming question is, who else deserves a #1 vote?

We move Jordan Lynch into the #2 spots after—for the 2nd time this year—he broke the NCAA record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback. Lynch had 321 yards against lowly Western Michigan. He was just 5 of 17 passing in bad weather conditions but he had 3 rushing TDs, making him a member of the very elite 20/20 club. Now that Lynch is getting lots of attention, should we mention that this is the only place you would have seen Lynch in the top 5 the entire season? Yes, we should. Dropping a spot is last year's winner Johnny Manziel, whose A&M team lost its fourth game. Manziel had just one TD on the day.

Up two spots to #4 is Braxton Miller, who, by keeping Ohio State undefeated, has worked his way back into consideration as a finalist. Miller had a passing day similar to Lynch but rushed for 153 yards against Michigan and tallied 5 touchdowns in total. He edges past Marcus Mariota of Oregon who threw 2 more interceptions against Oregon State but did have a great clutch fourth-down touchdown pass.

SportsRatings Week 14 Heisman Race

1. Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (12-0; beat Florida 37-7)
   LW:   19-31  61.3%  327yd  3TD  1int   5rsh    8yd 1.6av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 218-317 68.8% 3490yd 34TD  8int  67rsh  134yd 2.0av  3TD 1fmb
   
   
2. [up 1] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (12-0; beat Western Michigan 33-14)
   LW:    5-17  29.4%   39yd  1TD  0int  27rsh  321yd  12av  3TD 0fmb
   TOT: 212-329 64.4% 2457yd 22TD  5int 248rsh 1755yd 7.1av 20TD 1fmb 1recTD
   
   
3. [dn 1] Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (8-4; lost to Missouri 28-21)
   LW:   24-35  68.6%  195yd  1TD  0int  11rsh   21yd 1.9av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 270-391 69.1% 3732yd 33TD 13int 133rsh  686yd 5.2av  8TD 1fmb
   
   
4. [up 2] Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (12-0; beat Michigan 42-41)
   LW:    6-15  40.0%  133yd  2TD  1int  16rsh  153yd 9.6av  3TD 0fmb
   TOT: 138-210 65.7% 1759yd 21TD  5int 132rsh  891yd 6.8av  8TD 4fmb
   
   
5. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (10-2; beat Oregon State 36-35)
   LW:   17-34  50.0%  285yd  3TD  2int   7rsh   53yd 7.6av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 227-360 63.1% 3412yd 30TD  4int  81rsh  582yd 7.2av  9TD 4fmb
   
   
6. [up 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (10-1; beat TCU 41-38)
   LW:   19-38  50.0%  206yd  2TD  1int   9rsh   -5yd -.6av  1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 199-319 62.4% 3557yd 28TD  2int  73rsh  168yd 2.3av 11TD 4fmb
   
   
7. [dn 3] Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (10-2; lost to South Carolina 31-17)
   LW:   19-27  70.4%  225yd  0TD  2int  15rsh   16yd 1.1av  1TD 1fmb
   TOT: 252-373 67.6% 3473yd 29TD  9int 134rsh  273yd 2.0av  9TD 2fmb
   
   out:
   
   
8. A.J. McCarron, QB Alabama (11-1; lost to Auburn 34-28)
9. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (10-1; no game last week)
10. Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St
11. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin
12. Aaron Murray, QB Georgia
13. Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St
14. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina
15. Marqise Lee, WR USC

Bryce Petty of Baylor had a decent day in a close win over TCU and moves up to #6, while Tajh Boyd of Clemson drops three from #4 to #7 due to Clemson's 2nd loss; Boyd threw the ball well in general but had two interceptions and a fumble on the day.

Falling out: With Alabama no longer undefeated, AJ McCarron drops off our consideration list, and Teddy Bridgewater slips out, too.

Winston, Lynch, Miller, and Petty are in action over the final weekend, while Manziel, Mariota, and Boyd are done until bowl time. Miller could slip into the top three with a great performance against Michigan State, and Petty could unseat Mariota in our "final 5", and technically the top spot is still up for grabs mostly depending on Thursday's news...but in the end we might go with the on-field action only, putting an asterisk by Winston's name. As long as he doesn't mess up against Duke, he'll stay #1 and we can rescind it later by decree if needed.

Heisman Race, week 13: Winston or Bust

Based on on-field performance, Jameis Winston should be ready to win the Heisman Trophy by a near-record margin. After big losses by the teams of Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, and Bryce Petty, Winston stands as the clear favorite among those who have not stumbled.

But of course, then there's the off-field issues that voters pay attention to. Such as, do we want to give the Heisman to someone who might be a rapist?

That cloud hangs over Winston and could affect the voting enough to essentially lead to a random winner. In the last week, the Winston investigation became another he-said-she-said affair. He's either guilty or the victim of false accusations. Clearly, no Heisman voter has any clue as to the veracity of the claims, making it a very confusing situation.

If there were alternatives to Winston, who presided last weekend over an 80-14 blowout of Idaho, then the matter would be simpler. Just vote in one of the other worthy candidates, all of whom, we assume, are not accused of rape at the moment. But the problem is that the other leading candidates all have problems as Heisman winner.

Last week's leader, Johnny Manziel, hit the skids in a 34-10 loss to LSU. It was the first game this year where Manziel just didn't play well, completing 39% of his passes with 2 interceptions. He's now thrown 13 picks, and it was his team's third loss. Plus he already has a Heisman; has he had a good enough year to justify winning two in a row?

Last week's #3 candidate Marcus Mariota saw his Oregon Ducks blown out 42-16 at Arizona. Mariota threw his first two interceptions of the year in the loss and he drops two spots to #5. Moving up to fill the void are Jordan Lynch, who ran for another 161 yards against Toledo, and Tajh Boyd of Clemson who had 5 touchdown passes against The Citadel. Lynch's opposition has of course been questionable, while Boyd was crushed head-to-head against Winston's Florida State team. But they might be the best alternatives we have right now (these stats are from before NIU's Tuesday night game vs. Western Michigan).

SportsRatings Heisman Race for week 13

1. [up 1] Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (11-0; beat Idaho 80-14)
   LW:   14-25  56.0%  225yd  4TD  0int   4rsh  -19yd  -5av  0TD 1fmb
   TOT: 199-286 69.6% 3163yd 32TD  7int  62rsh  126yd 2.0av  3TD 1fmb
   
   
2. [dn 1] Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (8-3; lost to LSU 34-10)
   LW:   16-41  39.0%  224yd  1TD  2int  12rsh   54yd 4.5av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 246-356 69.1% 3537yd 32TD 13int 122rsh  665yd 5.5av  8TD 1fmb
   
   
3. [up 1] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (11-0; beat Toledo 35-17)
   LW:   17-22  77.3%  202yd  0TD  0int  28rsh  161yd 5.8av  3TD 0fmb
   TOT: 207-312 66.3% 2418yd 21TD  5int 221rsh 1434yd 6.5av 17TD 1fmb 1recTD
   
   
4. [up 1] Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (10-1; beat The Citadel 52-6)
   LW:   21-28  75.0%  288yd  5TD  0int   4rsh   20yd 5.0av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 233-346 67.3% 3248yd 29TD  7int 119rsh  257yd 2.2av  8TD 1fmb
   
   
5. [dn 2] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (9-2; lost to Arizona 42-16)
   LW:   27-41  65.9%  308yd  2TD  2int   8rsh   52yd 6.5av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 210-326 64.4% 3127yd 27TD  2int  74rsh  529yd 7.1av  9TD 4fmb
   
   
6. [up 1] Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (11-0; beat Indiana 42-14)
   LW:   11-17  64.7%  160yd  2TD 1int  13rsh  144yd  11av  2TD 1fmb
   TOT: 132-195 67.7% 1626yd 19TD 4int 116rsh  738yd 6.4av  5TD 4fmb
   
   
7. [dn 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (9-1; lost to Oklahoma State 49-17)
   LW:   28-48  58.3%  359yd  2TD 0int  11rsh   46yd 4.2av  0TD 1fmb
   TOT: 180-281 64.1% 3351yd 26TD 1int  64rsh  173yd 2.7av 10TD 4fmb
   
   
8. [up 3] A.J. McCarron, QB Alabama (11-0; beat Chattanooga 49-0)
   LW:   13-16  81.3%  171yd  2TD 0int   1rsh   15yd   15av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 190-277 68.6% 2399yd 23TD 5int  20rsh    5yd  0.3av 0TD 0fmb
   
   
9. [dn 1] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (10-1; beat Memphis 24-17)
   LW:   26-36  72.2%  220yd  1TD 0int  10rsh   17yd 1.7av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 245-345 71.0% 3268yd 25TD 3int  51rsh   37yd 0.7av  0TD 1fmb
   
   out:
   
   
10. Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (6-5; lost to Washington 69-27)
11. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (9-2; beat Minnesota 20-7)
12. Aaron Murray, QB Georgia
13. Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St
14. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina
15. Marqise Lee, WR USC

We never had Bryce Petty in serious competition for the trophy but he was getting their rapidly as Baylor won a few big games. But Baylor hit a speed bump—more like a mountain—against Oklahoma State in a 49-17 loss, and Petty stumbled, literally. Petty's stats weren't bad—359 passing yards, no picks—but the blowout loss ends the aura of invincibility Baylor's offense had. It didn't help that Petty had a clear path to the end zone but tripped on his own at the 1 yard-line (Baylor didn't score on the series) and later didn't cover a bad snap (which was scooped up for a 78-yard touchdown run by the Cowboys). Petty falls to #7.

That means Braxton Miller of undefeated Ohio State moves up to #6. By virtue of guiding an undefeated team, Miller might deserve a trip to New York despite missing several early games which have kept his stats from being too gaudy. But even if he'd played every game, it might not have mattered. He tends to have about 200 passing yards per game; running the ball is where he's most impressive, as he was against Indiana. Remaining games vs. the Michigan teams could put him squarely in the top 5; right now he's at #6, up one spot.

At #8, up three spots, is another undefeated quarterback, A.J. McCarron of Alabama. His stats are similarly subdued and efficient like Miller's. Even against Chattanooga McCarron threw for just 171 yards, and his rushing stats—5 yards total on the year—are almost a counterargument. But in the current environment he might finish in the top 3 on a lot of ballots if Alabama goes 13-0. Teddy Bridgewater falls another spot to #9 and appears ready to exit next week.

Running backs make late push, but not Gordon

This week's two dropouts were obvious: Brandin Cooks as Oregon State loses their fifth game in a row, and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin. Not only has Gordon been the #2 running back on his team lately, but a few other running backs around the nation are clearly in front of him.

KaDeem Carey of Arizona had over 200 yards and 4 touchdowns against Oregon. He's rushed for over 100 yards in every game this year but suffered due to lack of attention from Arizona's early losses. That, and he missed the first game of the year due to suspension from a domestic dispute (no charges were filed). Had Carey kicked off the year with a 200+ yard effort against Northern Arizona, he might have been in the running all along, and could be in position to win right now.

But the RB everyone's talking about now is Andre Williams of Boston College. He's put up 295, 339, and 263 yards in B.C.'s last three games and just topped 2,000 yards for the season. It's very likely that he'll be on a lot of ballots this year and might even manage to win if Winston is discarded. Again, early losses made him invisible—Boston College was 3-4 at one point—but the real argument against Williams is this: 38 yards against USC and 70 against Clemson. Those were the team's only tough road tests and Williams fared miserably, averaging 2.0 yards per carry against the Trojans. If we had to put one running back on the list now it would be Carey, whose consistency is more of a virtue than Williams' explosiveness against mediocre teams.

But we're sticking with our current field of quarterbacks. Unless they all end up sucking in the next two weeks. Then who knows, we might not pick a favorite at all this year. Maybe this year's ceremony should be skipped, so we don't have to either consecrate a rapist or unfairly snub an innocent man? Just a thought.

Heisman Race, week 12: Photo finish in store for Manziel, Winston?

With just a few weeks left in the season, the Heisman race is probably going to be determined by how Johnny Manziel plays in the next two games, and whether Bryce Petty can keep his team undefeated and winning big.

Manziel holds on to our #1 spot, but just barely, in an idle week. Jameis Winston is still coming on strong but a few things hold him back. One, his performance in FSU's 2nd straight 59-3 blowout was good but not great—he completed an amazing 19 of 21 passes but had negative rushing yardage and just 2 TDs. Fantastic for anyone else, but not quite enough to go from #2 to #1. Two, some issues from his past came up that could affect his candidacy. But no judgement on that until something concrete comes out. Three, and most important, his team is facing an extremely easy schedule as of late, and that doesn't look to change in the following weeks as the Seminoles face Idaho, Florida, and Duke. Not long ago it looked like Florida was a big test and that they'd rematch Miami; now the Gators have a losing record and while the Blue Devils beat the Hurricanes, they don't command the same cachet.

That's why the play of Manziel, who faces LSU next and Missouri the week after, may determine Winston's Heisman fate. Winning both those games will be tough for A&M and dropping one probably eliminates Manziel. Then, Winston has a weekend where Manziel doesn't play to seal the deal...or convince voters he should be in front despite any news that might come out.

Meanwhile Marcus Mariota showed what he would look like if he weren't a dual-threat quarterback, and his numbers looked a lot like standard-issue Teddy Bridgewater, with nearly 300 yards and 3 TDs, and negative rushing yardage. If both the top two mess up big time—or Winston's issue yields unpleasant news—Mariota is still around as a viable alternative; his Stanford performance can be somewhat excused by his injuries, which flattened his usual rushing prowess for a 2nd straight game.

Jordan Lynch and Tajh Boyd both put in great performances, showing that they're worthy of a New York invite. Lynch completed 81% for 345 yards and had 2 passing and 2 rushing TDs against a formerly 9-1 team. Boyd completed 77% for 340 yards and 4 TDs with 1 rushing TD against a solid Georgia Tech. Overall the top five doesn't change as all of the candidates are deserving and didn't slip at all.

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (8-2; idle last week)
   LW:  no game
   TOT: 230-315 73.0% 3313yd 31TD 11int 110rsh  611yd 5.6av  8TD 1fmb
2. Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (10-0; beat Syracuse 59-3)
   LW:   19-21  90.5%  277yd  2TD  0int   5rsh  -12yd  -2av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 185-261 70.9% 2938yd 28TD  7int  58rsh  145yd 2.5av  3TD 0fmb
3. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (9-1; beat Utah 44-21)
   LW:   19-26  73.1%  288yd  3TD  0int   4rsh  -18yd  -5av  0TD   0fmb
   TOT: 183-285 64.2% 2819yd 25TD  0int  66rsh  477yd 7.2av  9TD 3.5fmb
4. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (10-0; beat Ball State 48-27)
   LW:   26-32  81.3%  345yd  2TD  0int  20rsh  123yd 6.2av  2TD 0fmb
   TOT: 190-290 65.5% 2216yd 21TD  5int 193rsh 1273yd 6.6av 14TD 1fmb 1recTD
5. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (9-1; beat Georgia Tech 55-31)
   LW:   20-26  76.9%  340yd  4TD  1int  15rsh   43yd 2.9av  1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 212-318 66.7% 2960yd 24TD  7int 115rsh  237yd 2.1av  8TD 1fmb
6. [up 2] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (9-0; beat Texas Tech 60-34)
   LW:   17-31  54.8%  335yd  3TD 0int   9rsh    9yd 1.0av  2TD 1fmb
   TOT: 152-233 65.2% 2992yd 24TD 1int  53rsh  127yd 2.4av 10TD 3fmb
7. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (10-0; beat Illinois 60-35)
   LW:   13-29  44.8%  150yd  2TD 0int  16rsh  184yd  12av  1TD 1fmb
   TOT: 121-178 68.0% 1466yd 17TD 3int 103rsh  594yd 5.8av  3TD 3fmb
8. [dn 2] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (9-1; beat Houston 20-13)
   LW:   19-29  65.5%  203yd  0TD 0int   4rsh  -20yd  -5av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 219-309 70.9% 3048yd 24TD 3int  41rsh   20yd 0.5av  0TD 1fmb
9. [up 1] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (8-2; beat Indiana 51-3)
   LW:   13rsh  146yd  11av  1TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD 0retYD  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 156rsh 1306yd 8.4av 12TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD 0retYd  0TD 0fmb
10. [dn 1] Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (6-4; lost to Arizona State 30-17)
    LW:    9rec   99yd  0TD 0fmb  2rsh  11yd 5.5av 0TD 0fmb   1retYD 0TD 1fmb
    TOT: 100rec 1443yd 14TD 0fmb 25rsh 185yd 7.4av 2TD 0fmb  72retYd 0TD 2fmb
11. [up 2] A.J. McCarron, QB Alabama (10-0; beat Miss St 20-7)
    LW:   18-32  56.3%  187yd  2TD 2int   3rsh   12yd  4.0av 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 177-261 67.8% 2228yd 21TD 5int  19rsh  -10yd -0.5av 0TD 0fmb
    
    out:
    
    
12. Aaron Murray, QB Georgia
13. Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St
14. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina
15. Marqise Lee, WR USC

But the top five might have to make room for Baylor's Bryce Petty. His Bears are 9-0 now and his stats are great. Moreso, his play against the tougher teams lately has been just as good, justifying a higher ranking that a "system quarterback" facing easy competition previously didn't deserve. He again had a lower completion percentage than normal but accounted for 5 total touchdowns. His overall stats run roughshod over Ohio State's Braxton Miller, whom he moves past while jumping from #8 to #6. Miller, however, has nothing to be ashamed of with his 184 yard rushing performance against Illinois. In fact, we move him ahead of Teddy Bridgewater, whose team has a loss. Bridgewater has 20 rushing yards on the year and these days if a quarterback has that he'd better throw for 5,000 yards (or lead the #1 team—see A.J. McCarron). Louisville's schedule is soft so there's really not much Bridgewater can do to break into the top five without disastrous games from those ahead of him. Bridgewater falls two spots to #8 while Miller holds at #7 for the umpteenth week.

Melvin Gordon is up one spot to #9 after a 146 yard performance that comes a little too late. He was just the 2nd leading rusher on his team against Indiana, and is down to 9th in the nation (fyi, Jordan Lynch is 10th). Seeing B.C.'s Andre Williams go for 339 yards didn't help matters, either. While Brandin Cooks still leads the nation in receiving, his team took its fourth loss and he hasn't been as spectacular lately. Both of the non-quarterback candidates are probably out after next week, barring a major unexpected development such as an Alabama loss. That's what it would take to knock A.J. McCarron out, even as he still brings up the rear this week. He played an uncharacteristically poor game against Mississippi State but 'Bama won and is still #1. So even if McCarron isn't the "best player on the best team" he's certainly the "leader of the top-ranked team."

Aaron Murray and Sean Mannion can't say that, as both Georgia and Oregon State suffered their fourth losses. For Murray it was a raw deal; after leading a 21-point 4th-quarter comeback he saw his team lose to Auburn on a fluke play they could have averted with sound defenes. In contrast Mannion has faced three tough defenses and done poorly against all of them, including 4 interceptions in the loss to Arizona State. Both drop from our active rankings this week.

Heisman Race, week 11: All Shook up

Exhibit A of why you never say "they should just hand him the Heisman right now" any time before the final week of the season: Oregon's loss to Stanford, which puts a big dent in Marcus Mariota's candidacy. The Oregon quarterback finished with fairly decent stats, but just like the final score they were misleading. The Ducks could do no right for 3 quarters, then battled back to make the game respectable. Mariota's 250 yards, 2 TDs, and no interceptions look pretty good, but his negative rushing yardage and fumble were costly in the loss. Mariota was hobbled with an injury, and if Oregon could have completed the miracle comeback from the dead he would have solidified his position at #1, but instead he drops to #3. Down, but not out.

Johnny Manziel reclaims the top spot he relinquished several weeks ago. The way he's playing he really could buck the odds to win a 2nd Heisman, but his knack for throwing interceptions—particularly in the red zone—are a drawback, and his team's 2 losses are a big negative when compared to new #2 Jameis Winston of Florida State. But without Manziel A&M would have at least 4 losses, while FSU sans Winston might still be undefeated. For at least this week, we go with the guy who threw 5 touchdown passes over the one who threw just 2 in his team's blowout win.

Jordan Lynch lost a bit of momentum by not playing last weekend and drops a spot to #4. He was starting to catch on a bit with voters and he'll have to pick that back up in a Wednesday night game. Similarly, Tajh Boyd of Clemson was rehabilitating his candidacy lately but was idle last weekend and holds at #5; he plays on Thursday night.

SportsRatings Week 11 Heisman Race

1. [up 1] Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (8-2; beat Miss. State 51-41)
   LW:   30-39  76.9%  446yd  5TD  3int  14rsh   47yd 3.4av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 230-315 73.0% 3313yd 31TD 11int 110rsh  611yd 5.6av 8TD 1fmb
2. [up 2] Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (9-0; beat Wake Forest 59-3)
   LW:   17-28  60.7%  159yd  2TD  1int   3rsh    4yd 0.8av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 166-240 69.2% 2661yd 26TD  7int  53rsh  157yd 3.0av  3TD 0fmb
3. [dn 2] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (8-1; lost to Stanford 26-20)
   LW:   20-34  58.8%  250yd  2TD  0int   6rsh  -16yd  -3av  0TD 1fmb
   TOT: 164-259 63.3% 2531yd 22TD  0int  62rsh  495yd 8.0av  9TD 3.5fmb
4. [dn 1] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (9-0; idle)
   LW:  no game last week
   TOT: 164-258 63.6% 1871yd 19TD  5int 173rsh 1150yd 6.6av 12TD 1fmb 1recTD
5. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (8-1; idle)
   LW:  no game last week
   TOT: 192-292 65.8% 2620yd 20TD  6int 100rsh  194yd 1.9av  7TD 1fmb
6. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (8-1; beat UConn 31-10)
   LW:   21-37  56.8%  288yd  1TD 1int   7rsh   21yd 3.0av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 200-280 71.4% 2845yd 24TD 3int  37rsh   40yd 1.1av  0TD 1fmb
7. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (9-0; idle)
   LW:  no game last week
   TOT: 108-149 72.5% 1316yd 15TD 3int  87rsh  410yd 4.7av  2TD 2fmb
8. [up 3] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (8-0; beat Oklahoma 41-12)
   LW:   13-26  50.0%  204yd  3TD 0int  16rsh   45yd 2.8av  2TD 0fmb
   TOT: 135-202 66.8% 2657yd 21TD 1int  44rsh  118yd 2.7av  8TD 2fmb
9. Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (6-3; idle)
   LW:  no game last week
   TOT: 91rec 1344yd 14TD 0fmb; 23rsh 174yd 7.6av 2TD 0fmb  71retYd 0TD 1fmb
10. [dn 2] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (7-2; beat BYU 27-17)
    LW:   19rsh   86yd 4.5av  0TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYd  0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 143rsh 1160yd 8.1av 11TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD; 0retYd  0TD 0fmb
11. [dn 1] Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (6-3; beat Appalachian St 45-6)
    LW:   19-26  73.1%  281yd  2TD 1int   2rsh   24yd  12av  0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 174-275 63.3% 2477yd 20TD 7int  40rsh  118yd 3.0av  5TD 3fmb
12. Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St (6-3; idle)
    LW:  no game last week
    TOT: 296-436 67.9% 3540yd 31TD 6int  28rsh -174yd  -6av 0TD 2fmb
13. [up 2] A.J. McCarron, QB Alabama (9-0; beat LSU 38-17)
    LW:   14-20  70.0%  179yd  3TD 0int   3rsh   -2yd -0.7av 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 159-229 69.4% 2041yd 19TD 3int  16rsh  -22yd -1.4av 0TD 0fmb
    
    out:
    
    
14. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina
15. Marqise Lee, WR USC

#6 Teddy Bridgewater didn't have a great game against UConn and missed the chance to move up with Boyd idle. But Ohio State's Braxton Miller was idle, too, so he didn't add anything to his meager stats to justify putting him ahead of Bridgewater; he remains #7.

Baylor's Bryce Petty made a big move with the Bears' win over Oklahoma; it showed that Petty could excel against a strong defense. It's true that he only completed 50% of his attempts, but remember that Oklahoma has the #1 pass defense (per-game, adjusted for competition) in the nation. He still managed to throw three touchdown passes and run for two more. A 5-touchdown performance against Oklahoma? That makes his candidacy serious; he moves up three spots to #8 with several big-game opportunities left.

Petty leaps over the main non-quarterback candidates, Brandin Cooks and Melvin Gordon. Cooks was idle but he's still far and away the top receiver by yardage in the country. Wisconsin's Gordon, on the other hand, is slipping down the rushing chart and had another sub-100-yard game against BYU. Gordon falls 2 spots to #10 while Cooks remains at #9.

Georgia's Aaron Murray did okay against Appalachian State, an FBS team, but Petty passes him, too. He stays one spot ahead of Sean Mannion of Oregon State who was idle. Coming up behind them is Alabama's A.J. McCarron who led his team well against LSU. McCarron will stay in the race until the end if Alabama keeps winning.

Officially out of our race this week (but in reality, out many weeks ago) are Jadeveon Clowney and Marqise Lee, two candidate who started the year with a lot of hype but didn't come close to living up to it. We'll continue to eliminate two candidates each week until we have our final five and declare the winner.

Heisman Race week 10: No change this week; Mariota, Petty face biggest tests Thursday

The Heisman front-runners were either in top form or idle last week, meaning there's no change to the top players this week. In fact the top nine stay the same from last week.

That means Marcus Mariota still tops our list after not playing last weekend. His Oregon teams takes on Stanford on Thursday on the road for the team's (and Mariota's) toughest test of the year. Stanford stifled the Oregon offense last year and two weeks ago harrassed Oregon State's Sean Mannion to the tune of 8 sacks. A good performance there (and a win) would further bolster Mariota's already strong claim to the trophy.

Johnny Manziel is becoming the guest that wouldn't leave when it comes to the Heisman. Already in possession of one trophy Manziel is making a good case for another, despite the two losses that should have disqualified him amidst the undefeated front-runners. Against UTEP Manziel accounted for 6 touchdowns, four through the air and two on the ground. He still needs a few other people to screw up if he wants to win it, but he's already practically guaranteed himself a repeat New York invite.

Jordan Lynch is another candidate that won't go away. His team's weak schedule makes a Heisman win all but impossible, but Lynch's performances are too good and others around the nation are starting to take notice. It could lead to a top-5 finish for Lynch. Right now we keep him at #3, with the understanding that he'll settle back in the coming weeks. But his third straight phenomenal game (this time four rushing TDs, and 1 passing TD) means the fade will have to wait.

Jameis Winston might have had the worst game of the front-runners, along with by far the best win. Winston had just one touchdown pass and two interceptions against Miami, but the Seminoles won 41-14 in their 2nd blowout of a top-ten team. If FSU wins out Winston will almost certainly pass Lynch and Manziel to compete with Mariota for the trophy. The next three weeks hold weak foes for FSU, so it will be an ideal time to match the big numbers Lynch and Manziel are putting up.

Tajh Boyd is still our #5 candidate. Written off after the FSU loss, Boyd broke the ACC record for career touchdowns against Virginia, throwing for three and rushing for another while completing 24 of 29 passes. #6 Teddy Bridgewater was idle and so had no opportunity to gain on Boyd for a potential New York invite.

SportsRatings Week 10 Heisman leaders

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (8-0; no game last weekend)
   LW:  idle (no game)
   TOT: 144-225 64.0% 2281yd 20TD 0int  56rsh  511yd 9.1av  9TD 2.5fmb
2. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (7-2; beat UTEP 57-7)
   LW:   16-24  66.7%  273yd  4TD 0int   7rsh   67yd 9.6av 2TD 0fmb
   TOT: 200-276 72.5% 2867yd 26TD 8int  96rsh  564yd 5.9av 8TD 1fmb
3. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (9-0; beat UMass 63-19)
   LW:   10-13  76.9%  160yd  1TD 0int  17rsh  119yd 7.0av  4TD 0fmb
   TOT: 164-258 63.6% 1871yd 19TD 5int 173rsh 1150yd 6.6av 12TD 1fmb 1recTD
4. Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (8-0; beat Miami 41-14)
   LW:   21-29  72.4%  325yd  1TD 2int   6rsh   27yd 4.5av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 149-212 70.3% 2502yd 24TD 6int  50rsh  153yd 3.1av  3TD 0fmb
5. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (8-1; beat Virginia 59-10)
   LW:   24-29  82.8%  377yd  3TD 1int   7rsh  -25yd  -4av  1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 192-292 65.8% 2620yd 20TD 6int 100rsh  194yd 1.9av  7TD 1fmb
6. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (7-1; no game last weekend)
   LW:   idle (no game)
   TOT: 179-243 73.7% 2557yd 23TD 2int  30rsh   19yd 0.6av  0TD 1fmb
7. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (9-0; beat Purdue 56-0)
   LW:   19-23  82.6%  233yd  4TD 1int   1rsh    7yd 7.0av  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 108-149 72.5% 1316yd 15TD 3int  87rsh  410yd 4.7av  2TD 2fmb
8. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (6-2; beat Iowa 28-9)
   LW:   17rsh   62yd 3.6av  0TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYd  0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 124rsh 1074yd 8.7av 11TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD; 0retYd  0TD 0fmb
9. Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (6-3; lost to USC 31-14)
   LW:   6rec   88yd  1TD 0fmb;  2rsh  40yd  20av 0TD 0fmb   0retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 91rec 1344yd 14TD 0fmb; 23rsh 174yd 7.6av 2TD 0fmb  71retYd 0TD 1fmb
10. [up 1] Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (5-3; beat Florida 23-20)
    LW:   16-25  64.0%  258yd  1TD 0int   6rsh    1yd 1.0av  0TD 1fmb
    TOT: 155-249 62.2% 2196yd 18TD 6int  38rsh   94yd 2.5av  5TD 3fmb
11. [up 1] Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (7-0; no game last weekend)
    LW:  idle (no game)
    TOT: 122-176 69.3% 2453yd 18TD 1int  28rsh   73yd 2.6av  6TD 2fmb
12. [dn 2] Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St (6-3; lost to USC 31-14)
    LW:   26-45  57.8%  277yd  1TD 3int   3rsh  -22yd  -7av 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 296-436 67.9% 3540yd 31TD 6int  28rsh -174yd  -6av 0TD 2fmb
13. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (7-2; beat Miss. State 34-16)
    LW:   3 tackles 0 sacks + 0.0 tfl 1 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
    TOT: 27 tackles 2 sacks + 4.5 tfl 2 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
14. Marqise Lee, WR USC (6-3; beat Oregon State 31-14)
    LW:   5rec  105yd  1TD 0fmb;  0rsh   0yd 0.0av 0TD 0fmb   0retYD 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 37rec  508yd  2TD 0fmb;  5rsh   1yd 0.2av 0TD 0fmb 145retYd 0TD 1fmb
15. A.J. McCarron, QB Alabama (8-0; no game last week)
    LW:  idle (no game)
    TOT: 145-209 69.4% 1862yd 16TD 3int  13rsh  -20yd -1.5av 0TD 0fmb

Braxton Miller had another solid game for Ohio State in their 56-0 blowout of Purdue. He went 19 of 23 for four touchdowns and 233 yards. Miller's overall stats are slight of course, and he needs to add 300 yards per game (and more than 7 rushing yards) to crack the contenders again. The Buckeyes are cruising and that's putting him back on the map, but not in serious contention.

Melvin Gordon had an off day against Iowa, averaging a pedestrian 3.6 yards per carry for 62 yards, dropping his overall average to an almost-human 8.7 ypc. Talk is shifting to Kadeem Carey as the nation's top back, with Lache Seastrunk getting notice, too.

But Gordon holds at #8 since the two below him, Oregon State's Brandin Cooks and Sean Mannion, both took a hit in the USC loss. Cooks had another sub-100 yard day receiving (1 TD) while Mannion threw three interceptions, matching his total for the year so far. The dynamic duo has been much less effective against strong defenses the last few weeks. Cooks holds at #9 and Mannion drops two spots to #11.

Moving up one are quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Bryce Petty. Murray's Georgia team held on to beat Florida while Petty's Baylor team was idle. This Thursday Baylor faces Oklahoma, the best pass defense they'll face all year. That could favor Seastrunk and hurt Petty if they run the ball more. But if Petty passes the test look for him to move up quickly as the Bears' schedule toughens.

Jadeveon Clowney and Marqise Lee hold steady as both had pretty decent games last week in wins. But look for the duo to be the first two eliminated next week as neither has had a great year. Newcomer A.J. McCarron of Alabama was idle last week; we chose McCarron over Derek Carr of also-undefeated Fresno State because, let's face it, Alabama is a lot better than the Bulldogs and deserves a representative more. He'll rise in the rankings as long as Alabama keeps winning and other candidates keep screwing up and eliminating themselves, but odds are vastly against McCarron winning the trophy.

Heisman Race week 9: Will Jordan Lynch get in the picture?

No major surprise this week in the Heisman world; the big news is probably Sean Mannion and Brandin Cooks of Oregon State not having a breakout weekend against Stanford. Other than that everyone pretty much had a good game.

Marcus Mariota remains on top. His performance against UCLA wasn't his best, with just 1 touchdown pass and only 18 rushing yards. We even gave him half-credit for another fumble (bad snap, but it's the QB's job to cover those). He did continue to improve his completion percentage (it was below 60% just a few weeks ago, now 64%) and he guided his team to victory, and now has 20 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Johnny Manziel was questionable to play last week but he did and got off to a fast start against Vanderbilt, throwing 4 touchdown passes. He added another interception, though (now 8 for the year) and had just 11 rushing yards. Manziel is on track to be a finalist but those two losses will probably keep him from winning, maybe even if the others screw up.

Last week's best game was recorded by Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois, who threw four touchdown passes, ran for a fifth, and caught a 6th. Combined with last week's 316 yard rushing performance, why is it that Lynch isn't on everyone's list? Schedule is a big part of it: last week was Central Michigan, this week was Eastern Michigan. Doing well against two directional MAC schools never impresses the voters much, but he finished in 7th place last year so he should at least be there right now. Only six players in the country have over 1,000 rushing yards currently and Lynch, a quarterback, is one of them. We move him up to #3, but as NIU plays UMass next we'll need to see further fireworks to sustain the lofty position.

Coming up strong is Jameis Winston of Florida State, who led a payback win over NC State last week. He didn't have his best game, completing 16 of 26 attempts and throwing a pick, but he had three first-quarter touchdown tosses to establish the tone. Winston's upside is pretty unlimited as FSU has no losses and Winston no bad games; that should favor him over Manziel, and Lynch is getting no respect. Next week vs. Miami is another potential showcase for him. Can he convince voters he's better than Mariota?

Tajh Boyd of Clemson had a decent game; he was accurate and had over 300 yards. He threw just one touchdown pass and threw an interception, and though Clemson bounced back well from last week's debacle, Jordan Lynch pushed past Boyd and having Boyd and Winston in close proximity we had to put Winston on top, so Boyd ends up falling two spots. If he's going to be a finalist he has to have great games, not just good ones, to erase the memory of the 51-14 beatdown.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (8-0; beat UCLA 42-14)
   LW:   21-28  75.0%  230yd  1TD 0int   7rsh   18yd 2.6av 0TD 0.5fmb
   TOT: 144-225 64.0% 2281yd 20TD 0int  56rsh  511yd 9.1av 9TD 2.5fmb
2. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (6-2; beat Vandy 56-24)
   LW:   25-35  71.4%  305yd  4TD 1int   4rsh   11yd 2.8av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 184-252 73.0% 2594yd 22TD 8int  89rsh  497yd 5.6av 6TD 1fmb
3. [up 1] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (8-0; beat Eastern Mich 59-20)
   LW:   16-20  80.0%  223yd  4TD 0int  18rsh   99yd 5.5av 1TD 0fmb 1recTD
   TOT: 154-245 62.9% 1711yd 18TD 5int 156rsh 1031yd 6.6av 8TD 1fmb 1recTD
4. [up 1] Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (7-0; beat NC State 49-17)
   LW:   16-26  61.5%  292yd  3TD 1int   1rsh  -11yd -11av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 128-183 69.9% 2177yd 23TD 4int  44rsh  126yd 2.9av 3TD 0fmb
5. [dn 2] Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (7-1; beat Maryland 40-27)
   LW:   28-41  68.3%  304yd  1TD 1int  13rsh   24yd 1.8av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 168-263 63.9% 2243yd 17TD 5int  93rsh  219yd 2.4av 6TD 1fmb
6. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (7-1; beat South Florida 34-3)
   LW:   25-29  86.2%  344yd  3TD 0int   5rsh  -25yd  -5av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 179-243 73.7% 2557yd 23TD 2int  30rsh   19yd 0.6av 0TD 1fmb
7. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (8-0; beat Penn State 63-14)
   LW:   18-24  75.0%  252yd  3TD 0int 11rsh   68yd  6.2av 2TD 0fmb
   TOT:  71-102 69.6% 1083yd 11TD 2int 86rsh  403yd  4.7av 2TD 2fmb
8. [up 1] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (5-2; idle)
   LW:  no game
   TOT: 107rsh 1012yd 9.5av 11TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD; 0retYd 0TD 0fmb
9. [dn 1] Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (6-2; lost to Stanford 20-12)
   LW:   9rec   80yd  1TD 0fmb;  3rsh  18yd 6.0av 0TD 0fmb 74retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 85rec 1256yd 13TD 0fmb; 21rsh 134yd 6.4av 2TD 0fmb 71retYd 0TD 1fmb
10. [up 1] Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St (6-2; lost to Stanford 20-12)
    LW:   41-57  71.9%  271yd  1TD 0int  9rsh  -60yd -6.7av 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 270-391 69.1% 3263yd 30TD 3int 25rsh -152yd -5.9av 0TD 2fmb
11. [dn 1] Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (4-3; idle)
    LW:  no game
    TOT: 139-224 62.1% 1938yd 17TD 6int 32rsh   88yd 2.8av 5TD 2fmb
12. [new]  Bryce Petty, QB Baylor (7-0; beat Kansas 59-14)
    LW:   20-32  62.5%  430yd  3TD 0int  4rsh   22yd 5.5av 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 122-176 69.3% 2453yd 18TD 1int 28rsh   73yd 2.6av 6TD 2fmb
13. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (6-2; beat Missouri 27-24ot)
    LW:   5 tackles 0 sacks + 1.0 tfl 1 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
    TOT: 24 tackles 2 sacks + 4.5 tfl 1 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
14. [dn 1] Marqise Lee, WR USC (4-3; beat Utah 19-3)
    LW:  did not play; injury
    TOT: 32rec  403yd  1TD 0fmb;  5rsh   1yd 0.2av 0TD 0fmb 145retYd 0TD 1fmb

Teddy Bridgewater and Braxton Miller both had nearly perfect games. Bridgewater threw just 4 incompletions with 344 yards and three touchdowns; Miller accounted for 5 total touchdowns against Penn State. Both hold at #6 and #7 respectively. Bridgewater is in the same boat as Boyd, a loss staining an otherwise exemplary record. Louisville didn't get blown out but their schedule doesn't allow for a mistake. Miller's Ohio State team is undefeated and chasing after a BCS championship but Miller missed so many games that his stats just don't add up to enough. Still, he's in the hunt for a finalist position if the Buckeyes remain unbeaten, but he's competing with guys like Boyd and Bridgewater who have more than double his passing stats.

This week's big Heisman game was Stanford vs. Oregon State as the latter has two minor candidates who were trying to become major candidates. The Beavers lost the game but both players had their moments. Sean Mannion was sacked 8 times by the Cardinal but still threw no interceptions and completed 72% of his attempts. Brandin Cooks had a rough day too but came on at the end, with a long punt return and two consecutive catches putting Oregon State in the red zone late with a chance to tie. Mannion threw 4 straight incompletions to end the game, but he did well under the circumstances and he busts past 3,000 yards for the season, notching his 30th TD pass. He moves up a spot to #10 despite the loss. Cooks was held in check all day until the end and drops one spot to #9, leaving Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin the highest-ranked non-quarterback at #8. Gordon was idle as was Aaron Murray of Georgia who drops to #11.

Bryce Petty of Baylor is our new entrant. Petty is putting up systematically good numbers, and his quarterback rating, either by old or new metrics, is up there with the best. The schedule has been soft so far but if Baylor wins out Petty will deserve to be a major candidate. He debuts ahead of the usual bottom two in our list, the erstwhile favorites Jadeveon Clowney and Marqise Lee, with one week left to add new players before we start making cuts.

2013 Heisman Race, week 8: Mariota, Winston shine as Manziel, Boyd slide

A lot happened this past week in college football, and with so many top teams losing it's only natural that the Heisman race would be shaken up a bit, too.

The big game was Clemson vs. Florida State; Tajh Boyd was set to take over our top spot but the Tigers were rocked 51-14 by the Seminoles. Boyd completed fewer than 50% of his attempts and had two interceptions and a fumble, and he falls a spot to #3 instead of taking the lead. His chances of winning took a huge hit; in the end most of the candidates will have a loss, but few will be as decisive as his. It also means Clemson is very unlikely to get an extra game in the ACC championship.

Jameis Winston, on the other hand, got a huge boost, up three spots to #5. The freshman was very productive with 444 yards and 4 total TDs with just one interception; he now has a 23:3 TD:TO ratio and his team is undefeated and #2 in the first BCS standings. That may be his one drawback—is he the key to the team's success? Or is it staunch defense and the rest of his talented teammates? There's no doubt Winston has huge upside and winning the head-to-head with Boyd will keep moving him up as long as he doesn't stumble. We'll move him higher as he continues to prove himself and avoid the bad loss that FSU has had lately against overmatched opponents, like N.C. State next week.

So due to Boyd's loss Johnny Manziel was in position to hold onto the top spot again, and with seconds left he nearly saved the day again for the Aggies, but he couldn't do it, getting sacked on fourth down in the red zone and losing to Auburn 45-41. Manziel was also intercepted twice and injured during the game. He falls to 2nd place, and now has two losses on the year. Note that he won the trophy last year with two losses but they occurred before he was a serious candidate so those were basically ignored (that's Heisman logic for you) but this year they're significant, as Alabama would have to lose 3 games for A&M to make the SEC title game to give him an extra game on the final week.

Instead of Boyd or Manziel it's Marcus Mariota of Oregon who takes over our top spot, moving up from #3. We'd resisted moving him up too fast since Oregon's powerful team and offensive design almost guarantees the Duck starter a great year. Every quarterback who plays for Oregon has great success and then look at what happened to Dennis Dixon (signed recently as an NFL backup, has played 4 games in his career), Jeremiah Masoli (plays in the CFL), and Darron Thomas (Arena football). Mariota is probably the best of the bunch (at least since Dixon) but would Oregon have fared any worse with another QB at the helm? Mariota's stats are hard to ignore, though, as he now has 19 TD passes and 9 rushing TDs—28 total—and has not been intercepted yet. He loses his "0" in turnovers however, with 2 fumbles against Washington State. But 28:2 is pretty damn good and we seem to be the only ones who seem to care about and keep track of fumbles lost by a candidate. If Oregon keeps winning he'll be very hard to pass by anyone who has a loss.

While all this was going on, Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois quietly had 316 rushing yards. A few weeks ago his running back stole the limelight with a big game, but Lynch now holds the NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback. No one else is even following him but we had him #5 and he moves up to #4 this week. Next week he'll pass 1,500 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing and as his stats go up, he'll start to get attention like last year. The problem is still the Huskies' easy schedule which makes his accomplishments a bit less impressive, but he could be a finalist if he keeps putting up Barry Sanders numbers.

SportsRatings Heisman Rankings, week 8:

1. [up 2] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (7-0; beat Washington State 62-34)
   LW:   23-32  71.9%  327yd  2TD 0int   8rsh  67yd 8.4av 1TD 2fmb
   TOT: 123-197 62.4% 2051yd 19TD 0int  49rsh 493yd  10av 9TD 2fmb
2. [dn 1] Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (5-2; lost to Auburn 45-41)
   LW:   28-38  73.7%  454yd  4TD 2int  18rsh  48yd 2.7av 1TD
   TOT: 159-217 73.7% 2289yd 18TD 7int  85rsh 486yd 5.7av 6TD 1fmb 
3. [dn 1] Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (6-1; lost to FSU 51-14)
   LW:   17-37  45.9%  156yd  1TD 2int  14rsh   8yd 0.6av 0TD 1fmb
   TOT: 140-222 63.1% 1939yd 16TD 4int  80rsh 195yd 2.4av 5TD 1fmb
4. [up 1] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (7-0; beat Central Michigan 38-17)
   LW:   20-30  66.7%  155yd  1TD 1int  32rsh 316yd 9.9av 3TD 0fmb
   TOT: 188-225 61.3% 1488yd 14TD 5int 138rsh 932yd 6.8av 7TD 1fmb
5. [up 3] Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (6-0; beat Clemson 51-14)
   LW:   22-34  64.7%  444yd  3TD 1int  7rsh   2yd 0.3av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 112-157 71.3% 1885yd 20TD 3int 43rsh 137yd 3.2av 3TD 0fmb
6. [dn 2] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (6-1; lost to UCF 28-25)
   LW:   29-38  76.3%  341yd  2TD 0int   3rsh  -5yd  -2av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 154-214 72.0% 2213yd 20TD 2int  25rsh  44yd 1.8av 0TD 1fmb
7. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (7-0; beat Iowa 34-24)
   LW:   22-27  81.5%  222yd  2TD 0int 18rsh 102yd 5.7av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT:  71-102 69.6%  831yd  8TD 2int 75rsh 335yd 4.5av 0TD 2fmb
8. [up 2] Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (6-1; beat Cal 49-17)
   LW:  13rec  232yd  1TD 0fmb;  2rsh  10yd 5.0av 1TD 0fmb; -1retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 76rec 1176yd 12TD 0fmb; 18rsh 116yd 6.4av 2TD 0fmb; -3retYd 0TD 1fmb
9. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (5-2; beat Illinois 56-32)
   LW:   17rsh  143yd 8.4av  3TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 107rsh 1012yd 9.5av 11TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD; 0retYd 0TD 0fmb
10. [dn 4] Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (4-3; lost to Vanderbilt 31-27)
    LW:   16-28  57.1%  114yd  0TD 1int  4rsh  10yd 2.5av 2TD 0fmb
    TOT: 139-224 62.1% 1938yd 17TD 6int 32rsh  88yd 2.8av 5TD 2fmb 
11. [new] Sean Mannion, QB Oregon St (6-1; beat Cal 49-17)
    LW:   35-45  77.8%  481yd  4TD 0int  2rsh -19yd -10av 0TD 0fmb 
    TOT: 229-334 68.6% 2992yd 29TD 3int 16rsh -92yd  -6av 0TD 2fmb 
12. Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (5-2; lost to Tennessee 23-21)
    LW:   5 tackles 0 sacks + 2.5 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
    TOT: 19 tackles 2 sacks + 3.5 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
13. [dn 2] Marqise Lee, WR USC (4-3; lost to Notre Dame 14-10)
    LW:   2rec   18yd  0TD 0fmb;  0rsh  0yd 0.0av 0TD 0fmb;  0retYd 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 32rec  403yd  1TD 0fmb;  5rsh  1yd 0.2av 0TD 0fmb; 145retYd 0TD 1fmb

Teddy Bridgewater, last week's #4, fell two spots after his Louisville team lost to Central Florida. Bridgewater didn't play poorly and even led them on a late drive to take the lead, but winning is everything when it comes to the Heisman, especially for a candidate with a relatively easy schedule. Bridgewater could play himself back into the New York group but getting back into real contention will take a lot of the front-runners collapsing.

Braxon Miller had a good game against Iowa, running for over 100 yards and completing 81% in a comeback win, but as we said next week he needs 350 yards a game to get back into it after missing so much time. The stats just aren't there; he holds at #7.

Leaping up 2 spots to #8 is Brandin Cooks of Oregon State, the nation's leading receiver by far at 168 yards per game. He had 232 yards and two touchdowns (one on a running play), accounting for nearly half the team's receiving yards against Washington State. In our view he's the main cog in the Beaver offense.

Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin also had a great game and remains the top running back at #9. Gordon rushed for 143 yards against Illinois with three touchdowns, surpassing 1,000 yards for the season with either 5 or 6 games to go. Getting that sixth game will be critical for Gordon's chance to get to New York, and if he wants to be a real contender he needs games like this or better the rest of the way.

With all the bad games suffered by the contenders none compares to Aaron Murray's collapse vs. Vanderbilt. Just a few weeks ago some were putting him among the very top contenders, but he never made our top 5. Two losses in a row have pretty much put him on ice and he falls 4 spots to #10. He had just 114 passing yards, 0 TDs, and an interception in the loss to Vanderbilt; though he ran for 2 scores, a better performance in the 31-27 loss could have made it a win for sure, and now the Bulldogs are 4-3 with no hope of making the SEC title game.

This week we bring in a second Oregon State player, unusual for a team with a loss but Sean Mannion's passing numbers can't be ignored. He's almost at 3,000 yards for the season already with 29 TDs. He has three picks and two fumbles so his 29:5 ratio is not as great as some are touting, but again we are the only ones who track fumbles so most people will see 29:3. He is rather one-dimensional in this age where quarterbacks are doubling as running backs, and Oregon State's offense is also one-dimensional; his candidacy is similar to Colt Brennan's at Hawaii a few years back, where Brennan put up huge numbers in a passing-only offense against an easy schedule. Mannion hasn't been tested by a good defense yet but if he shines next week against Stanford he will pass a big test and may even become our top candidate from his own team.

Jadeveon Clowney finally had a good game for South Carolina, even as his team lost. Clowney recorded 2.5 tackles for loss out of his 5 stops, which would be 60 tackles and 30 tfl for a full season. He holds at #12 and it doesn't look like there's another defensive player who will get into the mix (Vic Beasley of Clemson was a possibility that probably ended with the FSU game; Anthony Barr of UCLA's hopes probably were stopped by Stanford). Also among the once-touted is Marquise Lee who had 18 receiving yards against Notre Dame. He falls two spots to #13 and looks like the first cut.

Speaking of the first cut, we have just two more slots to fill and right now it's looking like they will both be quarterbacks. Bryce Petty of Baylor has a very high passer rating and we'll probably add him either next week or the week after. A.J. McCarron of Alabama has been consistenly good and the top team deserves a candidate. Since other possibilities (Brett Hundley, Zack Mettenberger, Bishop Sankey) fell by the wayside, unless someone else has a huge game to change our mind, Petty and McCarron will probably round out the list of 15 before we start chopping.

2013 Heisman Race, week 7

Week seven is in the books and we have a very solid top three in the Heisman race—it seems likely these could be the top three at the end of the year. The only question is, in what order?

Johnny Manziel retains the top spot he's held all year so far with another remarkable comeback performance against Mississippi. After throwing a pick into the end zone and fumbling, Manziel made several big plays with his feet—including a 4th-and-7 where he took a hit so hard Sederius Bryant was carted away with a concussion—ending in a touchdown dive to tie the game and another drive to set up the winning field goal. He's not undefeated and his stats aren't necessarily the best, but he's had more "Heisman moments" than anyone bar none.

Tajh Boyd, however, set himself up to take the top spot away next week if Clemson can beat Florida State. Boyd played well enough in the Tigers' look-ahead game against B.C. that if he does well next week in a win, he'll be 7-0 and more important, 2-0 in huge games to Manziel's 0-1. His TD to turnover ratio of 20:2 is pretty stellar, too.

Oregon's Marcus Mariota moves up a spot to #3 after accounting for four more touchdowns in a big win over Washington. Some people are already saying "they should just hand him the Heisman" which is a stupid thing to say at any point other than the last week of the season. If Oregon loses a game then Mariota's candidacy takes a big hit. If they don't, he'll be in great position, guaranteed, and if he can keep the "0" portion of his 25:0 TD:TO ratio, he will have the Heisman handed to him. His completion percentage is a big poor but he helped it last week and he still averages in double figures running the ball. At some point people will notice that Oregon really has "system" quarterbacks but the way Mariota is playing that might not be an issue.

Teddy Bridgewater falls to fourth; he didn't play all that well against Rutgers and it showed in the final score. But as long as Louisville keeps winning Bridgewater will have a ticket to New York (assuming more than 3 players get there). To get back into the top 3 he'll need to pick up the production. Notice that the top three are all dual-threat quarterbacks, so that means Teddy needs passing yards and touchdowns. Or for the other candidates to stumble badly. That always helps.

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (5-1; beat Ole Miss 41-38)
   LW:   31-39  79.5%  346yd  0TD 1int  19rsh 124yd 6.5av 2TD 1fmb
   TOT: 131-179 73.2% 1835yd 14TD 5int  67rsh 438yd 6.5av 5TD 1fmb
2. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (6-0; beat Boston College 24-14)
   LW:   30-44  68.2%  334yd  1TD 0int   9rsh  33yd 3.7av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 123-185 66.5% 1783yd 15TD 2int  66rsh 187yd 2.8av 5TD 0fmb
3. [up 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (6-0; beat Washington 45-24)
   LW:   24-31  77.4%  366yd  3TD 0int  13rsh  88yd 6.8av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 100-165 60.6% 1724yd 17TD 0int  41rsh 426yd  10av 8TD 0fmb
4. [dn 1] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (6-0; beat Rutgers 24-10)
   LW:   21-31  67.7%  310yd  2TD 1int   7rsh  11yd 1.6av 0TD 1fmb
   TOT: 125-176 71.0% 1872yd 18TD 2int  22rsh  49yd 2.2av 0TD 1fmb
5. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (6-0; beat Akron 27-20)
   LW:   16-35  45.7%  220yd  1TD 0int  15rsh  83yd 5.5av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 118-195 60.5% 1333yd 13TD 4int 106rsh 616yd 5.8av 4TD 1fmb
6. Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (4-2; lost to Missouri 41-26)
   LW:   25-45  55.6%  290yd  3TD 2int  4rsh   5yd 1.3av 0TD 1fmb
   TOT: 123-196 62.8% 1824yd 17TD 5int 28rsh  78yd 2.8av 3TD 2fmb
7. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (6-0; idle)
   LW:   DNP; no game last week
   TOT:  49-75  65.3%  609yd  6TD 2int 57rsh 233yd 4.1av 0TD 2fmb
8. [up 1] Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (5-0; idle)
   LW:   DNP; no game last week
   TOT:  90-123 73.2% 1441yd 17TD 2int 36rsh 135yd 3.8av 2TD 0fmb
9. [up 1] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (4-2; beat Northwestern 35-6)
   LW:   22rsh 172yd 7.8av 1TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD; 0retYd
   TOT:  90rsh 870yd 9.7av 8TD 0fmb; 1rec 5yd 0TD; 0retYd
10. [new] Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon St (5-1; beat Washington State 52-24)
    LW:  11rec 137yd  2TD 0fmb;  4rsh  34yd 8.5av 1TD 0fmb;   0retYd 0TD 0fmb
    TOT: 63rec 944yd 11TD 0fmb; 16rsh 106yd 6.6av 1TD 0fmb;  -2retYd 0TD 1fmb
11. [dn 3] Marqise Lee, WR USC (4-2; beat Arizona 38-31)
    LW:  DNP; injury
    TOT: 30rec 385yd  1TD 0fmb;  5rsh   1yd 0.2av 0TD 0fmb; 145retYd 0TD 1fmb
12. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (5-1; beat Arkansas 52-7)
    LW:   2 tackle 0 sack + 0 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 blocked kicks
    TOT: 14 tackle 2 sack + 1 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 blocked kicks

Up to five players make the trip to New York, and if there's a fifth it could be one of the following quarterbacks, but they all have to up their game as last week wasn't a good one. Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois completed just 46% of his passes in a narrow win over Akron, the kind of team a Heisman candidate should feast on. His rushing totals are impressive and his team is 6-0 so there's a chance he starts to get noticed like last year, but he needs to make it happen.

The only reason Lynch doesn't drop a spot is because Aaron Murray had an even worse outing with a fumble returned for a touchdown and two interceptions. Of course, just a week after calling him a front-runner some are saying he's dead in the water but if Georgia wins out they'd probably face Alabama in the SEC title game, so the chance is still there for Murray to be relevant, but everything has to go his way. He's a good example of why we don't jump players up to the top willy-nilly. And then there's Braxton Miller, whose team didn't play so he and his meager stats couldn't take advantage of the others' misfortunes. For Miller to get to New York he needs to have about 350 passing yards per game, about 3 touchdowns, and maybe 100 rushing yards wouldn't hurt. Then, if Ohio State is the only undefeated team, people will be talking about his candidacy again.

At #8, up one, is Jameis Winston of Florida State. Idle last week, this next game will determine whether he remains in the race. A win would give him a huge boost of course while a loss means he gets lost in the shuffle of the endless supply of quarterbacks available. And there are quite a few that aren't on the list yet. Bretty Hundley of UCLA is getting some attention, but his stats are nothing special; unless UCLA wins its big Pac-12 games don't expect to see him here. Bryce Petty of Baylor is putting up huge numbers but he's got to be the ultimate "system" quarterback given Baylor's offense. Sean Mannion of Oregon is way out in front with over 2,500 passing yards in essentially a passing-only offense. And at some point A.J. McCarron will get buzz as the "best player on the best team" candidate if #1 Alabama remains undefeated while other teams take losses.

The top running back continues to be Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin who had 172 yards against Northwestern and moves up to #9. He very nearly held onto his 10-yard-per-carry average, too. Other RBs that we might consider include Bishop Sankey of Washington; if the Huskies had defeated either Stanford or Oregon he'd be here already. Lache Seastrunk looked strong until he had just 54 yards against Kansas State, and Mike Davis of South Carolina is making waves in some quarters but again, let's see him lead his team to a big victory or get to the top 5 in stats.

Instead of adding a running back—or yet another quarterback—this week we chose Sean Mannion's top target, Brandin Cooks. He's the only receiver in the country averaging over 150 yards per game and last week he had 2 TD catches and one rushing touchdown. He averages over 10 catches per game and 2 TDs per game. Cooks moves in at #10, one spot above the fading Marqise Lee, who missed another game with injury and has no hope of getting back into the mix.

And at some point we may want to add another defensive player since it looks like Jadeveon Clowney won't even be the token top-10 player this season. He had just two tackles vs. Arkansas. Vic Beasley of Clemson is getting some notice, but we prefer Anthony Barr of UCLA at this point. With only three more players to add before we start cutting, we're not sure a D-only player will make the list, but it's looking like Clowney will be the first cut.

Heisman Race, week 6: Boyd, Bridgewater, Mariota have strong weekends

After somewhat of a slow start, solid performances for the Heisman front-runners are becoming commonplace as we get into the heart of the season, meaning those who don't produce can get left behind. This week there is quite a bit of a shuffle as those who didn't have the best of games get passed up.

Boyd wipes out Syracuse, but still isn't quite #1

Tajh Boyd had a 5-touchdown passing performance against Syracuse so he now matches Johnny Manziel's passing TD total and has one more rushing touchdown. His yardage is almost exactly the same through the air. Only his completion percentage and rushing totals lag Manziel, and he has two fewer interceptions. We're almost ready to move him ahead of last year's winner but not quite; we can't do it on a game where Boyd was intercepted twice. This performance puts them almost even, but tie still goes to the defending champ. If Clemson beats Florida State in two weeks Boyd will be on top for sure.

Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville moves up a spot after a strong showing vs. Temple, with 348 yards, 2 touchdowns and no turnovers. He completed 71% and is at a 72% clip for the year. There is a huge gap between #2 Boyd and #3 Bridgewater, however; the latter doesn't run the ball much, and if you don't do that you're going to need Sam Bradford-like numbers. And while we wait for Boyd's next big game to pass judgement on him, Bridgewater doesn't really have any big games this year at all. It will take some major effort for Bridgewater to finish higher than he is right now.

Marcus Mariota continues to impress and moves up 2 spots to #4. He accounted for 7 touchdowns against Colorado. So far his opposition isn't much better than Bridgewater's, but it will be and it will be in those cases where he is judged the most. The only major advantages Bridgewater has over Mariota are: 1) completion percentage (72% to 59%) and the fact that, without Bridgewater, Louisville would probably be a much less successful team; it's hard to say the same about Mariota and the Oregon football machine. Mariota now has 21 total touchdowns, and 0 total turnovers, the best of any of the candidates.

Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch falls a couple of spots as the others surge. The most productive runner of the duel-threat QBs, his passing numbers are generally less impressive. And in his latest game he threw as many picks (2) as he did touchdowns. He shares a problem with Bridgewater (poor competition) and in the win over Kent State he can't claim to be the reason they won the game—that was running back Cameron Stingely who had 266 yards. Darkhorse candidates like Lynch need to make it clear they are the reason their team is having success; generally Lynch can claim that and if he can't, he suffers. He'll need to post bigger numbers now that the MAC season has started.

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (4-1; no game last week)
   LW:  DNP; no game last week
   TOT: 100-140 71.4% 1489yd 14TD 4int 48rsh 314yd 6.5av 3TD 0fmb
2. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (5-0; beat Syracuse 49-14)
   LW:   20-27  74.1%  455yd  5TD 2int  8rsh  -5yd -.6av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT:  93-141 66.0% 1449yd 14TD 2int 57rsh 154yd 2.7av 4TD 0fmb
3. [up 1] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (5-0; beat Temple 30-7)
   LW:   25-35  71.4%  348yd  2TD 0int  3rsh   2yd 0.7av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 104-145 71.7% 1562yd 16TD 1int 15rsh  38yd 2.5av 0TD 0fmb
4. [up 2] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (5-0; beat Colorado 57-16)
   LW:   16-27  59.3%  355yd  5TD 0int  7rsh  43yd 6.1av 2TD 0fmb
   TOT:  76-134 56.7% 1358yd 14TD 0int 28rsh 338yd  12av 7TD 0fmb
5. [dn 2] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (5-0; beat Kent State 38-24)
   LW:   21-35  60.0%  244yd  2TD 2int 14rsh  94yd 6.7av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 102-160 63.8% 1113yd 12TD 4int 91rsh 533yd 5.9av 3TD 1fmb
6. [up 2] Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (4-1; beat Tennessee 34-31 OT)
   LW:   19-35  54.3%  196yd  3TD 0int  3rsh  53yd  18av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT:  98-151 64.9% 1534yd 14TD 3int 24rsh  73yd 3.0av 3TD 1fmb
7. [dn 2] Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (6-0; beat Northwestern 40-30)
   LW:   15-28  57.7%  203yd  0TD 1int 17rsh  68yd 4.0av 0TD 2fmb
   TOT:  49-75  65.3%  609yd  6TD 2int 57rsh 233yd 4.1av 0TD 2fmb
8. [dn 1] Marqise Lee, WR USC (3-2; no game last week)
   LW:  DNP; no game last week
   TOT: 30rec 385yd 1TD 0fmb 5rsh  1yd 0.2av 0fmb 145retYd 0TD 1fmb
9. [new] Jameis Winston, QB Florida State (5-0; beat Maryland 63-0)
   LW:   23-32  71.9%  393yd  5TD 0int  7rsh  24yd 3.4av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT:  90-123 73.2% 1441yd 17TD 2int 36rsh 135yd 3.8av 2TD 0fmb
10. [dn 1] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (3-2; no game last week)
    LW:  DNP; no game last week
    TOT: 68rsh 698yd 10.3av 7TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYd
11. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (4-1; beat Kentucky 35-28)
    LW:  DNP; injury
    TOT: 12 tackles 2 sacks + 1 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 kBlock

Aaron Murray had an interesting game vs. Tennessee. It appeared Georgia might lose that game until Murray pulled out another winning drive at the end—at the time, a tying drive. That saved him from dropping off the face of the earth here, and when Tennessee fumbled away the game in overtime that made Murray a "clutch winner" who pulled off another miracle win. It helped him more than his pedestrian stats for the game would suggest, though for the year he's on track with the others. He even ran for over 50 yards, essentially tripling his season's production in just 3 carries. He moves up 2 to #6.

Braxton Miller, on the other hand, had a disastrous game he couldn't afford. After missing several games he was barely hanging on to the prospect of going to New York, but if Ohio State had emerged the only undefeated team he still had a shot at the trophy—but he had to be extraordinary. Even though Ohio State beat a ranked team in Northwestern, it was almost despite Miller rather than due to him. Carlos Hyde's 168 yards did most of the work while Miller threw an interception and fumbled the ball away twice. He shockingly overthrew a wide-open receiver in the end zone and an ill-advised shovel-pass could have easily cost them the game (it fell harmlessly "incomplete" though everyone around thought he'd fumbled). All of that, combined with his lack of stats for a 6-0 team, drops him two spots to #7, with little chance to get back into the upper echelons.

Marqise Lee didn't have a game this week and might not play next week. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon was idle, too, one week after losing to Ohio State. And Jadeveon Clowney missed the Kentucky game with injured ribs, with coach Steve Spurrier practically questioning his committment to the team. All of these fall a spot into the also-ran area, with only Gordon having enough stats for a practical chance to move in the upward direction in the futute.

But Jameis Winston pops into the rankings with a bang. The FSU freshman QB had a field day against Maryland in a 63-0 romp. For now he hasn't done anything the rest of the field hasn't so he starts relatively low, but his stats are as strong as anyone's; should FSU beat Clemson two weeks from now with Winston leading the way, he could be among the front-runners in short order.

Heisman Race, week 5: Miller is back; are Lee, Clowney done?

Nothing startling happened in the Heisman race this week. The top four remain the same while Braxton Miller makes a big comeback. But is it already too late for him?

The race did get tighter at the top. Johnny Manziel had a good game with 2 touchdown passes and decent passing and rushing production in an A&M win. Tajh Boyd did even better with 3 TD passes and 1 rushing touchdown, topping 300 yards through the air. But that was against Wake Forest in a blowout so it evens out. For the season Manziel has bulkier stats and stays on top. Boyd's edge right now is his lack of turnovers and, most importantly, Clemson's undefeated status. If it's close at the end that will probably be the difference-maker.

While Boyd would get a huge boost from going undefeated, for the #3 and #4 quarterbacks it's probably necessary if they want to have any hope of winning. Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois wouldn't survive a loss, and it would probably consign Teddy Bridgewater to NY-at-best status, too. Lynch's team finally had a comfortable win against Purdue (55-24) and the QB had 4 total touchdowns. Bridgewater was idle.

Braxton Miller also needs his team to go undefeated, now that he's missed several games and is way behind in stats. He essentially doubled his season's stats against Wisconsin, throwing 4 touchdown passes and rushing for 83 yards. His comeback in the big 31-24 win was important; while Kenny Guiton had great stats while Miller was out, he didn't do it against ranked teams. Miller had a great moment on the last play of the 1st half on a 4th and 7 when he hit Corey Brown for a 40-yard touchdown as time expired; it ended up being the difference in the game. Miller moves back up to #5, but he's got a mountain of stats to scale before he gets in the real thick of the race.

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (4-1; beat Arkansas 45-33)
   LW:   23-30  76.7%  261yd  2TD 0int  9rsh  59yd 6.6av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 100-140 71.4% 1489yd 14TD 4int 48rsh 314yd 6.5av 3TD 0fmb
2. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (4-0; beat Wake Forest 56-7)
   LW:   17-24  70.8%  311yd  3TD 0int 17rsh  69yd 4.1av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT:  73-114 62.2%  994yd  9TD 0int 49rsh 159yd 3.2av 4TD 0fmb
3. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (4-0; beat Purdue 55-24)
   LW:   18-25  72.0%  207yd  3TD 0int  9rsh  35yd 3.9yd 1TD 0fmb
   TOT:  81-125 64.9%  869yd 10TD 2int 77rsh 439yd 5.7av 3TD 1fmb
4. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (4-0; no game last week)
   LW:   DNP; no game last week
   TOT:  79-110 71.8% 1214yd 14TD 1int 12rsh  36yd 3.0av 0TD 0fmb
5. [up 1] Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (5-0; beat Wisconsin 31-24)
   LW:   17-25  68.0%  198yd  4TD 0int 22rsh  83yd 3.8av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT:  34-49  69.4%  406yd  6TD 1int 40rsh 165yd 4.1av 0TD 0fmb
6. [up 1] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (4-0; beat Cal 55-16)
   LW:   11-25  44.0%  114yd  2TD 0int  6rsh  33yd 5.5av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT:  60-107 56.1% 1003yd  9TD 0int 21rsh 295yd  14av 5TD 0fmb
7. [dn 2] Marqise Lee, WR USC (3-2; lost to Arizona State 62-41)
   LW:   7rec  92yd 0TD 0fmb 0rsh  0yd 0.0av 0fmb  54retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 30rec 385yd 1TD 0fmb 5rsh  1yd 0.2av 0fmb 145retYd 0TD 1fmb
8. [new] Aaron Murray, QB Georgia (3-1; beat LSU 44-41)
   LW:   20-34  58.8%  298yd  4TD 1int  3rsh   9yd 3.0av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT:  79-116 68.1% 1338yd 11TD 3int 21rsh  20yd 1.0av 3TD 1fmb 
9. [dn 1] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (3-2; lost to Ohio State 31-24)
   LW:   15rsh  74yd  4.9av 0TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYd
   TOT:  68rsh 698yd 10.3av 7TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYd
10. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (3-1; beat UCF 28-25)
    LW:   2 tackles 0 sacks + 0 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 kBlock
    TOT: 12 tackles 2 sacks + 1 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 kBlock

Also moving up a spot is Oregon's Marcus Mariota, who will continue to climb as long as Oregon keeps winning and he stays productive. His completion percentage is a bit soft at 56%, and he completed just 44% against Cal in a driving rain. His numbers were fairly low this weekend but he had 3 touchdowns and for the year his stats are excellent; his 15:0 TD:TO ratio even beats Boyd's 14:0, but Oregon has yet to play an important game.

Marqise Lee had a game of highs and lows, ending on the latter. He had one of his better games with 92 receiving yards, putting him #1 on USC's all-time list. But he had no touchdown catches again, his team lost, his coach was fired, and to add injury to insult, he was injured and may miss games. With just 1 touchdown catch on the year after 5 games and probable reduced effectiveness going forward, it's safe to say Lee is unlikely to be a factor in this year's race. It's been a while since his name was mentioned as a possible winner, but now he would need a superhuman final 8 games (USC has a 13-game schedule) just to make it to New York.

Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon had 74 yards against Ohio State in a losing effort. While averaging around 5 yards per carry against the Buckeyes is nothing shameful, a Heisman winner needs to shine in big games, not have mediocre performances in close contests. He's still averaging 10 yards per carry (as he did all last season) so he could recover, but this game will be used against him if he gets back into the fray.

Finally as usual we have Jadeveon Clowney at the bottom, falling another spot to #10. Clowney had just 2 tackles against Central Florida, and ranks 10th on the team in that stats. Defensive linemen don't normally lead the team in tackles but still, that underscores how far his candidacy has slipped. At this rate, once someone else comes along from his side of the ball he won't even be the leading token defensive candidate.

New candidate: QB, RB, WR, defense?

It was tough picking someone to add this week. Since Gordon slipped, do we need a new running back? Or a receiver to replace Lee, or another defensive player since Clowney is going nowhere? There really isn't another prominent defensive candidate at this point, so do we just add yet another quarterback?

If so, Aaron Murray of Georgia won the big game last week and did it in style, throwing 4 TD passes and beating LSU 44-41. Murray's only drawback is his first game against Clemson, where he threw no touchdown passes and had an interception.

Looking at receivers, Oregon State's Brandin Cooks has amazing stats, averaging over 10 catches and 150 yards per game, and he won a duel against Colorado's Paul Richardson last week. The Beavers are 4-1 but had a bad loss to FCS Eastern Washington in the opener. Either Cooks or QB Sean Mannion, or both, will get into the act if they win a few tough Pac-12 games.

At running back, Bishop Sankey of Washington is now the nation's leader, averaging over 150 yards per game. The Huskies face Washington next and a big game there would make him a shoo-in for consideration. But if he sinks against Stanford like Gordon did against Ohio State, he takes too big of a hit. In other words, this time we're going to make the running back earn it, and if he does well against the Cardinal in a win, he'll be in.

So we're going to yield to popular opinion and add Aaron Murray. We don't like to add playerswith a loss this early—especially quarterbacks—when there are so many undefeated teams to choose from, but Georgia is a special case, having played three top 10 teams and gone 2-1. Note that he has to be considered well below Tajh Boyd, whose Clemson team beat him head to head. That game will be a big comparison point if the two are in New York together come December.

2013 Heisman Race, week 4: time for a running back

Back in the 70s the Heisman Trophy was a running back's award, with every award from 1973 to 1983 going to a rusher. The tide started to turn in the late 80s and in the 90s it was even, with 4 running backs and 4 quarterbacks taking the award (with one WR and one CB, both of whom returned kicks). The quarterback era started in 2000, and since then 11 QBs and just 2 RBs have won the Heisman (just one RB if you don't count Reggie Bush's returned award).

And lately, it's not even enough to be a great passing quarterback—dual-threat QBs have won the last three awards.

This year's consideration list is replete with dual-threat quarterbacks, and last week we didn't even have a running back on the list, so it was time we added one. First, though, let's take it from the top:

Johnny Manziel holds on at #1. His TD:int ratio was just 1:1 last Saturday but he ran for two touchdowns. Again, the award is his until someone takes it away, and no one seems all that eager. #2 Tajh Boyd of Clemson had a decent outing against NC State in a 26-14 win with three TD passes, but he has half of Manziel's passing yards and 1/3 of his rushing yards. His TD/TO ratio is 9:0, however.

Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois is still high on our list at #3. Once again he had to pull out all the stops against an inferior opponent (FCS Eastern Illinois), resulting in 189 rushing yards and 235 passing yards. He had just 1 TD against 2 interceptions but he was ultimately the reason for their win. Offsetting that is the fact that he faced an FCS opponent. Where do you strike the balance between heroics and strength of schedule? NIU's soft schedule will be taken into account as the year goes on, and any losses by the team will reflect harshly on Lynch. It may be an uphill battle to hold his position here or for the rest of the nation to take his candidacy seriously this season unless the numbers are other-worldly.

Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville also faced some easy competition (FIU) but he breezed through it with four TD passes; he has a 14:1 ratio this year so far. He moves up to #4, leaping over Marqise Lee who has been a disappointment thus far. His numbers are fairly pedestrian for a superstar receiver and he keeps losing ground—but weakness among the candidates helps him hold at #5. He better make a big move, fast, as he can't live off potential much longer.

2013 Heisman Race, week 4:

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (3-1; beat SMU 42-13)
   LW:  14-21  66.7%   244yd  1TD 1int 12rsh 102yd 8.5av 2TD 0fmb
   TOT: 77-110 70.0%  1228yd 12TD 4int 39rsh 255yd 6.5av 3TD 0fmb
2. Tajh Boyd, QB Clemson (3-0; beat NC State 26-14)
   LW:  24-37  64.9%  244yd  3TD 0int 13rsh  38yd 2.9av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 56-90  62.2%  683yd  6TD 0int 32rsh  90yd 2.8av 3TD 0fmb
3. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (3-0; beat E. Illinois 43-39)
   LW:  21-30  70.0%  235yd  1TD 2int 23rsh 189yd 8.2av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 63-100 63.0%  662yd  7TD 2int 68rsh 404yd 5.9av 2TD 1fmb
4. [up 2] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (4-0; beat FIU 72-0)
   LW:  17-22  77.3%  212yd  4TD 0int  3rsh   1yd 0.3av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 79-110 71.8% 1214yd 14TD 1int 12rsh  36yd 3.0av 0TD 0fmb
5. Marqise Lee, WR USC (3-1; beat Utah State 17-14)
   LW:   6rec  72yd 0TD 0fmb 1rsh  8yd   8av 0fmb 34retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 23rec 293yd 1TD 0fmb 5rsh  1yd 0.2av 0fmb 76retYd 0TD 1fmb
6. [dn 2] Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (4-0; beat FL A&M 76-0)
   LW:  did not play; injury
   TOT: 17-24  70.8%  208yd  2TD 1int 18rsh  82yd 4.6av 0TD 0fmb
7. Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (3-0; no game last week)
   LW:  no game
   TOT: 49-82  59.8%  889yd  7TD 0int 15rsh 262yd 17+av 4TD 0fmb
8. [new] Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin (3-1; beat Purdue 41-10)
   LW:  16rsh 147yd  9.2av 3TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYds
   TOT: 53rsh 624yd 11.8av 7TD 0fmb; 0rec 0yd 0TD; 0retYds
9. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (2-1; no game last week)
   LW:  no game
   TOT: 10 tackles 2 sack 3 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 kBlock

Speaking of "better make a big move, fast," Braxton Miller is going to be out of the race if he doesn't get back on the field. Already backup Kenny Guiton is putting up Heisman-worthy numbers himself, albeit against poor competition. This week the Buckeyes face Wisconsin and if Miller misses a "big" game he's dead in the water. He's almost become an afterthought around the nation as it is. A big comeback game could reignite his hopes but a lot of damage has been done to his potential stats line.

Marcus Mariota didn't play this week and holds at #7; he's the leader on many boards, but we're giving it some time. Oregon always scores bazillions of points early on—it's the big games Mariota has to win to prove he's Heisman-worthy and not just another QB cog in the Oregon/Nike football machine. He thus far lacks the highlight reel plays of Manziel, the big wins of Boyd, and the game-saving performances of Lynch, but he will soon be right up there with Bridgewater if Oregon keeps dominating.

Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin is our token running back this week. As we noted our under-representation of RBs, we looked and saw that only one player is averaging over 150 yards per game, and Gordon has topped 100 yards for four games so far, one of those being a game against a top 25 team and one against a conference foe. Though the Badgers lost to Arizona State it wasn't Gordon's fault as he rushed for a season-high 193 yards. Most impressive of all? He's averaging 11.8 yards per carry. He debuts at #8, pushing past Jadeveon Clowney who was idle. Clowney may yet see his Heisman candidacy "reignite" as for a defensive player all it takes is a few good games and highlight reel hits, but for now he's been largely forgotten.

This week's key Heisman games:

• Wisconsin at Ohio State: Can Braxton Miller reignite his candidacy, or will Kenny Guiton establish his own? Can Melvin Gordon take the big leap forward and put a running back among the top candidates?
• Texas A&M at Arkansas: Johnny Football, 'nuff said.
• Wake Forest at Clemson: A good chance for Tajh Boyd to shine against a weak foe.
• Cal at Oregon: Could be another easy Oregon win; what will Marcus Mariota's numbers look like?
• Northern Illinois at Purdue: Can Jordan Lynch make it 2-0 vs. the Big Ten this season?

2013 Heisman Trophy - week 3: If not Johnny Football, then who?

Normally a loss is harmful to a Heisman hopeful quarterback, and a loss in "the Big Game" moreso. There's no doubt that losing to Alabama hurts Johnny Manziel's chances of repeating as the trophy winner, but damn did he put on a good show against the Tide last Saturday.

Even in losing he had more "Heisman moments" in the game than most of the other candidates have had all season so far. And while he threw two crucial interceptions—one in the end zone and one pick six—that were probably the difference in the game, without him the Aggies wouldn't have been in the game in the first place. The defense wasn't going to win it for them.

So while Manziel gets docked for the loss and it may ultimately be the reason he doesn't win the Heisman, for now we see no reason to drop him from the top spot. Who is going to replace him, Tajh Boyd who was idle and has 439 passing yards for the season—25 fewer than Manziel passed for against Alabama? I don't think so.

Nor Braxton Miller, who missed the Cal game with an injury and sees his trophy chances dwindling with every week he's out of the spotlight. Not Marqise Lee, who also drops a spot after catching just two passes in USC's win over Boston College. One was a highlight-reel 80-yard touchdown catch but his game is clearly off last year's. And even though Jordan Lynch moves up two spots it's mainly because of weakness above him, and the fact that Northern Illinois' defense was bad enough to allow lowly Idaho to stick with them. Lynch both passed and rushed for over 150 yards in the win; we'll see if his team can keep winning to keep him in the race.

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (2-1; lost to Alabama 49-42)
   LW:  28-39 71.8%  464yd  5TD 2int 14rsh  98yd 7.0av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 63-89 70.8%  984yd 11TD 3int 27rsh 153yd 5.7av 1TD 0fmb
2. Tahj Boyd, QB Clemson (2-0; no game last week)
   LW:  idle
   TOT: 32-53 60.4%  439yd  3TD 0int 19rsh  52yd 2.7av 3TD 0fmb
3. [up 2] Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (2-0; beat Idaho 45-35)
   LW:  17-29 58.6%  152yd  3TD 0int 23rsh 159yd 6.9av 2TD 1fmb
   TOT: 42-70 60.0%  427yd  6TD 0int 45rsh 215yd 4.8av 2TD 1fmb
4. [dn 1] Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (3-0; beat @Cal 52-27)
   LW:   did not play; injury
   TOT: 17-24 70.8%  208yd  2TD 1int 18rsh 82yd 4.6av 0fmb
5. [dn 1] Marqise Lee, WR USC (2-1; beat Boston College 35-7)
   LW:   2rec  90yd 1TD 0fmb 0rsh  0yd  0av 0fmb  0retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 17rec 221yd 1TD 0fmb 4rsh -7yd -2av 0fmb 42retYd 0TD 1fmb
6. Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (3-0; beat Kentucky 27-13)
   LW:  16-28 57.1%  250yd  1TD 0int  6rsh  35yd 5.8av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 62-88 70.5% 1002yd 10TD 1int  9rsh  35yd 3.9av 0TD 0fmb
7. [new] Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon (3-0; beat Tennessee 59-14)
   LW:  23-33 69.7%  456yd  4TD 0int  6rsh  27yd 4.5av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 49-82 59.8%  889yd  7TD 0int 15rsh 262yd 17+av 4TD 0fmb
8. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (2-1; beat Vanderbilt 35-25)
   LW:   4 tackle 1 sack 1 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 kBlock
   TOT: 10 tackle 2 sack 3 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 1 ffmb 0 kBlock

Teddy Bridgewater's recent buzz seems to be fading already, but such is the nature of the race. He had just one touchdown pass against Kentucky. The new QB du jour is Oregon's Marcus Mariota, who jumped to #1 on some lists, just like that....we'll wait until he plays someone. We do bring him on board this week as his 5 TD performance against Tennessee was pretty great, and notice that after three games—two against BCS-conference foes—Mariota is averaging over 17 yards per carry. Falling a spot, as usual, is Jadeveon Clowney, who did have a forced fumble to go along with a sack and another tackle for loss in the Vanderbilt win. But nothing suggests that's enough to get him back among the leaders.

This coming week: #2 Tahj Boyd's Clemson faces North Carolina State on Thursday night. On Saturday #1 Johnny Manziel's Texas A&M takes on SMU. #3 Jordan Lynch's Northern Illinois hosts Eastern Illinois while Ohio State also faces an FCS team (Florida A&M) with Braxton Miller listed as "probable." Marqise Lee's USC faces a decent test as the Trojans host Utah State. Meanwhile Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville have a breather against lowly FIU, while Marcus Mariota and Jadeveon Clowney literally have breathers as Oregon and South Carolina are idle.

2013 Heisman Trophy, Week 2: More poor showings...

Week two has passed and it was another fairly dull showing by the Heisman favorites, especially those favored at the beginning of the season. 

Johnny Manziel was an exception as he threw for 426 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another TD. Others have been quick to downgrade Manziel due to off-field issues and not starting in his team's first game, but if he beats Alabama again they'll change their tune. If Alabama wins it's definitely a big blow to his hopes of repeating.

After that things get pretty sad. Tahj Boyd, who joined last week at #4, jumps to #2 despite a rather pedestrian performance. But even pedestrian was a lot better than #3 Braxton Miller and #4 Marqise Lee managed. Boyd had a touchdown run in limited action, while Miller threw only two passes before leaving the Ohio State-SDSU game with a knee injury. His 30 passing yards topped Marqise Lee's 27 receiving yards and Lee played the whole game against Washington State in USC's loss. Therefore, Lee drops two spots, Miller remains at #3, and Boyd is lifted as he still feels the benefit of his performance against Georgia in week one. Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch was idle.

1. Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M (2-0; W Sam Houston 65-28)
   LW:  29-42 69.0% 426yd 3TD 1int  7rsh 36yd 5.1av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 35-50 70.0% 520yd 6TD 1int 13rsh 55yd 4.2av 1TD 0fmb
2. [up 2] Tahj Boyd, QB Clemson (2-0; w SC State 52-13)
   LW:  14-23 60.9% 169yd 0TD 0int  6rsh 10yd 1.7av 1TD 0fmb
   TOT: 32-53 60.4% 439yd 3TD 0int 19rsh 52yd 2.7av 3TD 0fmb
3. Braxton Miller, QB Ohio State (2-0; W SDSU 42-7)
   LW:   2-2 100.0%  30yd 0TD 0int  1rsh  5yd 5.0av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 17-24 70.8% 208yd 2TD 1int 18rsh 82yd 4.6av 0TD 0fmb
4. [dn 2] Marqise Lee, WR USC (1-1; L Washington State 10-7)
   LW:   7rec  27yd 0TD 0fmb 3rsh -3yd -1av 0fmb 12retYd 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 15rec 131yd 0TD 0fmb 4rsh -7yd -2av 0fmb 42retYd 0TD 1fmb
5. Jordan Lynch, QB N. Illinois (1-0; idle)
   LW: No game
   TOT: 25-41 61.0% 275yd 3TD 0int 22rsh 56yd 2.6av 0TD 0fmb
6. [new] Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville (2-0; beat E Kentucky 44-7)
   LW:  23-32 71.9% 397yd 4TD 0int 1rsh -1yd -1av 0TD 0fmb
   TOT: 46-60 76.7% 752yd 9TD 1int 3rsh  0yd  0av 0TD 0fmb
7. [dn 1] Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina (1-1; L to Georgia 41-30)
   LW:  3 tackle 1 sack 2 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 kBlock
   TOT: 6 tackle 1 sack 2 tfl 0 pbu 0 int 0 ffmb 0 kBlock

New this week is Teddy Bridgewater; he did well in week one and added four more touchdown passes in week 2 against Eastern Kentucky. Jadeveon Clowney had a somewhat better outing against Georgia but 1/2 sack per game isn't going to win him the first pure-defensive Heisman; he falls to #7 as Bridgewater claims the #6 spot.

Next week: Alabama vs. Texas A&M is huge for Manziel's chances, and for every player on Alabama that might have a chance (QB A.J. McCarron, RB T.J. Yeldon, or WR Christion Jones).

Ohio State's Miller is questionable for next week and if he doesn't play that hurts his chances, while Marqise Lee and Clowney both need a huge game to get themselves going in the right direction. None of those three players led their team to a win last week (Miller was out and the other two lost). There is a long list of players who excelled in week 2 and will fight for inclusion on our rankings, and if the performances continue to be weak at the top then the newcomers can quickly move up.