1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama (1): Not only did Ingram log his sixth 100-yard game of the season, but after not scoring in Alabama’s last two games, Ingram got reacquainted with the end zone, not once, but twice, including a 70-yard scamper in the fourth that put the finishing touches on the Tide’s romp in Starkville.
Last Week (31-3 W at Mississippi State): 19 carries, 149 yards, 2 TD, 1 catch, 9 yards
Season Stats: 194 carries, 1,297 yards, 10 TD, 25 catches, 225 yards, 3 TD
2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas (3): I was expecting bigger numbers against the Bears, but it was a solid, mistake-free performance. Not needing to have a bevy of Heisman moments and be the focal point of his team’s success could hurt him in the end, but he’ll be going to New York whether he wins or not.
Last Week (47-14 W at Baylor): 23-34, 181 yards, 2 TD
Season Stats: 254-351, 2,628 yards, 19 TD, 9 INT, rush TD
Stanford's Toby Gerhart leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with 19.
Last Week (55-21 W at USC): 29 carries, 178 yards, 3 TD, 1 catch, 9 yards
Season Stats: 262, 1,395 yards, 19 TD, 8 catches, 87 yards
4. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State (4): The odds are stacked against him, but it sure isn’t for a lack of trying. A monster game against Idaho pushed him past Case Keenum into the nation’s lead in touchdown passes, and he continues to lead the nation in pass efficiency. He should be a finalist, but will he be?
Last Week (63-25 W vs. Idaho): 22-32, 299 yards, 5 TD
Season Stats: 203-300, 2,558 yards, 32 TD, 3 INT, rush TD
5. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson (6): If there is perhaps a wild card in the mix, it’s Spiller. He should be able to pad his ever-increasing stats with big games against Virginia (86th in run defense) and South Carolina (62nd), and if he can follow that up with a big showing in an ACC title game upset of Georgia Tech, he could steamroll his way into a lot of late votes.
Last Week (43-23 W at N.C. State): 18 carries, 97 yards, TD, 3 catches, 48 yards, TD, 17-yard TD pass
Season Stats: 153 carries, 836 yards, 6 TD, 24 catches, 382 yards, 4 TD, 16 kick returns, 543 yards (33.9 avg.), 3 TD, 11 punt returns, 191 yards (17.4 avg.), TD, TD pass
6. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (5): As is the case with McCoy, not really needing to post big numbers could be the difference with him in the end. That being said, three SEC & national championships > two Heismans, so I think he won’t mind much.
Last Week (24-14 W at South Carolina): 14-25, 199 yards, TD, 16 carries, 26 yards, TD
Season Stats: 128-198, 1.730 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT, 171 carries, 604 yards, 10 TD
7. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State (11): Cal slowed him down, but Washington, well, they did the exact opposite. Up next is Washington State, who’s 114th in run defense, so another monster game could be in store for ‘Quizz.
Last Week (48-21 W vs. Washington): 18 carries, 159 yards, 2 TD, 4 catches, -4 yards
Season Stats: 215 carries, 1,148 yards, 17 TD, 62 catches, 397 yards, TD
8. Case Keenum, QB, Houston (2): The luck finally ran out for Houston at UCF, and their departing luck also took Keenum’s Heisman chances with it.
Last Week (37-32 L at Central Florida): 33-56, 377 yards, 3 TD, INT
Season Stats: 358-514, 4,194 yards, 31 TD, 6 INT, 3 rush TD
9. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh (t11): Whether or not the Panthers are able to capture the Big East title, Lewis has firmly and undoubtedly established himself as one of the leading contenders for next year’s award.
Last Week (27-22 W vs. Notre Dame): 21 carries, 152 yards, TD, 1 catch, 8 yards
Season Stats: 224 carries, 1,291 yards, 13 TD, 17 catches, 142 yards, TD
10. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech (14): Dwyer’s coming on strong down the stretch, but it’s all too little, too late.
Last Week (49-10 W at Duke): 14 carries, 110 yards, 2 TD
Season Stats: 183 carries, 1,203 yards, 11 TD, 1 catch, 11 yards
11. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon (15): I hate to be Blount, but LeGarrette’s not going to get too many carries with James running like he has been.
Last Week (44-21 W vs. Arizona State): 22 carries, 150 yards, 3 TD
Season Stats: 171, 1,193 yards, 11 TD, 11 catches, 128 yards
12. Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada (10): Kaepernick didn’t post up the kind of numbers against Fresno State that he’d been putting up in the games prior, but he didn’t need to. He’s hit the 1,000 yard mark on the ground for the second straight season, and with New Mexico State ranked 104th in the nation in run defense, he could top last season’s total of 1,130 yards with ease on Saturday.
Last Week (52-14 W vs. Fresno State): 6-12, 45 yards, 12 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD
Season Stats: 134-220, 1,638 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT, 123 carries, 1,015 yards, 14 TD
13. Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh (t11): Another day, another efficient outing for Stull.
Last Week (27-22 W vs. Notre Dame): 15-27, 236 yards, TD
Season Stats: 163-236, 2,115 yards, 18 TD, 4 INT, rush TD
14. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame (8): If Clausen had been able to lead the Irish to comeback wins over Navy and Pittsburgh in the last two weeks, he might be the frontrunner, and Charlie Weis wouldn’t have to be fielding questions about his job security. Such a thin line between what if and what is, isn’t there?
Last Week (27-22 L at Pittsburgh): 27-42, 283 yards, TD, INT, rush TD
Season Stats: 236-350, 3,053 yards, 21 TD, 4 INT, 2 rush TD
15. Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan: LeFevour bounced back from his struggles at Boston College to put up big numbers against Toledo. With as many as four games left for the Chippewas, LeFevour has an excellent chance to finish out his collegiate career with at least 100 touchdown passes (he’s at 92) and 50 rushing touchdowns (currently 45).
Last Week (56-28 W at Toledo): 29-36, 341 yards, 2 TD, 14 carries, 19 yards, 4 TD
Season Stats: 205-293, 2,189 yards, 18 TD, 5 INT, 137 carries, 567 yards, 13 TD
Dropped Out
Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State (9): Mathews exited Saturday’s loss at Nevada in the second quarter with a concussion, but it wasn’t his fault the Bulldogs were the latest victim of Nevada’s prolific rushing attack.
Last Week (52-14 L at Nevada): 8 carries, 32 yards, 1 catch, 10 yards
Season Stats: 213, 1,491 yards, 14 TD, 11 catches, 122 yards
Honorable Mention
Donald Buckram, RB, UTEP: Buckram has proven that his fantastic performance in UTEP’s upset win over Houston was no fluke. The senior is going out in style, topping 200 yards in back to back games and logging an astounding 804 yards on the ground in his last four games, with 11 total touchdowns in that span. Unfortunately for him, the Miners don’t have much of a defense, so we won’t get to see Buckram in action come postseason time.
Last Week (35-31 L at SMU): 33 carries, 241 yards, TD, 5 catches, 66 yards, TD
Season Stats: 217 carries, 1,422 yards, 14 TD, 25 catches, 344 yards, 3 TD
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU: Dalton threw his first interception in more than a month against Utah, but it was another quality outing for him in the Horned Frogs’ rout of the Utes.
Last Week (55-28 W vs. Utah): 17-29, 207 yards, TD, INT, 9 carries, 48 yards
Season Stats: 149-236, 2,088 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT, 86 carries, 389 yards, 2 TD
Max Hall, QB, Brigham Young: As I expected, Hall had a big game at New Mexico, but if not for an atrocious day for New Mexico’s kicking unit (two missed field goals, one blocked field goal, and a missed extra point), the Cougars would’ve been on the receiving end of a rather embarrassing defeat.
Last Week (24-19 W at New Mexico): 21-33, 314 yards, 2 TD, INT
Season Stats:
Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple: Pierce had a quiet game by his recent standards, but he didn’t need to have a big game, as a total team effort blew Akron away on the road for Temple’s eighth straight win. This week, Pierce goes up against Kent State, who has a fairly solid run defense, so yards may well be hard to come by, but it’d be silly to doubt him even the slightest bit at this point.
Last Week (56-17 W at Akron): 19 carries, 97 yards, TD
Season Stats: 223 carries, 1,308 yards, 15 TD, 5 catches, 6 yards
Joe Webb, QB, UAB: Thanks in no small part to Webb’s exploits, the Blazers (5-5, 4-2 C-USA) go into their final two games with a chance to win the C-USA East Division title if they can win their final two games and to go bowling for only the second time in the program’s short I-A history.
Last Week (31-21 W at Memphis): 18-25, 378 yards, 3 TD, 21 carries, 52 yards, TD
Season Stats: 123-209, 1,730 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT, 184 carries, 1,158 yards, 10 TD
