Heisman Watch: Nine Candidates After Week 9
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Klein, the Kansas St. beast, holds the Heisman lead as he's led the Wildcats to an undefeated mark. (The U.S. Army/Creative Commons)
1. Collin Klein – Quarterback (Kansas State)
Klein put himself in the driver’s seat for the Heisman race with a seven-touchdown performance against West Virginia and previous Heisman frontrunner Geno Smith. In Week 9, he added four more touchdowns in a dominant 55-24 win over Texas Tech and rival Heisman candidate Seth Doege. Klein has rushed or thrown for at least one touchdown in every game this season and hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 3. Barring major upsets to Oklahoma State or Texas, Kansas St. has a significant shot at earning a bid to the BCS Championship. Leading the Wildcats to their first national championship berth in school history could cement Klein’s Heisman status.
2. Manti Te’o – Linebacker (Notre Dame)
The only defensive player considered in the running for the Heisman, Te’o continued his dominant and consistent play by reaching double-digit tackles for the sixth game this season. He also notched his fifth interception of the year late in the fourth quarter to stop an Oklahoma drive with Notre Dame only leading 20-13. Manti Te’o has dominated across the board, leading the undefeated Irish in interceptions and totaling nearly twice as many tackles as his closest teammate. Should Notre Dame remain undefeated and earn a spot in the National BCS Title Game, Te’o could have a chance at becoming the first defensive player to win the Heisman trophy in 15 years since Michigan defensive back and special teams stud Charles Woodson.
3. Kenjon Barner – Running Back (Oregon)
Splitting touches with De’Anthony Thomas raised doubts about Barner’s Heisman chances, but the senior running back has not given Oregon a chance to reconsider their top back. Barner has averaged over 120 yards per game this season and added 104 yards with a pair of touchdowns against Colorado this past week. He leads an undefeated Oregon team that ranks third in rushing attack and tops in the country in points scored. The only knock against Barner is that he rarely plays a full game because the Ducks often play second and third-string players in later quarters. Looking forward, three top-25 matchups against USC, Stanford and Oregon State provide Barner plenty of opportunities to make his Heisman case on a national stage.
4. Braxton Miller – Quarterback (Ohio State)
Miller’s three-touchdown game against a good Penn State defense erased all worries that Week 8’s neck injury would slow down the Ohio St. quarterback’s Heisman run. Week 9’s contest marked the sixth game Miller has rushed for over 100 yards and kept his streak alive of at least one touchdown every week. Ohio St.’s current undefeated record and odds of going 12-0 make Braxton Miller a prime candidate for the Heisman, but the Buckeyes’ bowl ban could potentially derail any such honor.
"Johnny Football" has surprised everyone with a stellar freshman year. (Shutterbug459/Wikimedia Commons)
“Johnny Football,” as he is more commonly known in College Station, Tex., took a step back in the Heisman race after his three-interception performance against LSU a week ago. Then he followed it up with five total touchdowns in a blowout of Auburn. The Aggies’ quarterback has reached double-digit touchdowns in both passing and rushing this season, and LSU marked his only game without a rushing touchdown. A remaining slate of games including matchups with Mississippi State and Alabama give Manziel plenty of opportunities to continue to prove himself.
6. AJ McCarron – Quarterback (Alabama)
The only thing more consistent than McCarron may be the team he plays for. Alabama’s junior quarterback has thrown a touchdown in all but one game. Even more impressive, however, is his ability to protect the ball. Through Week 9, McCarron has yet to throw an interception and has lost only one fumble. His lack of big games (only one game with over 300 yards passing) may prove fatal to a Heisman run, but his consistency could win a national championship.
7. Geno Smith – Quarterback (West Virginia)
A bye week in Week 9 may have been what Smith needed after consecutive losses to Texas Tech and Kansas State. Smith followed up a poor performance against the Red Raiders with a dismal two-interception, 143-yard performance against the Wildcats. Smith’s dominant performance during his first five games keeps him in the hunt as a long shot, but it will take several Heisman leaders falling to put the West Virginia quarterback back into serious contention.
Barkley will need to go off against 2 top-5 teams to have a prayer for the Heisman. (James Santelli/NT)
In Week 8, Barkley threw six touchdowns en route to a school and conference record. Week 9 proved big for the Trojans’ senior quarterback with another school record of 493 yards in a game, but two interceptions and a loss to Arizona most likely put an end to his hunt for a Heisman. Barkley will get several chances for redemption later this season against two top-5 teams in Oregon and Notre Dame; yet, even with big performances in these games, the loss to Arizona may have been the nail in the coffin for Barkley’s Heisman hopes.
9. Seth Doege – Quarterback (Texas Tech)
Two losses, including a three-interception game against Oklahoma, may keep the Red Raiders’ quarterback out of immediate Heisman talks. However, Doege shredded opposing secondaries in his other six games. He leads all of college football through Week 9 with 30 touchdowns and ranks fifth in completion percentage. In fact, Doege has only thrown for under 300 yards in just two games this season. Had Texas Tech beaten Kansas St., Doege would be getting significantly more Heisman hype; he currently lacks wins against ranked opponents beyond West Virginia and TCU. A rivalry game next week against Texas could be an opportunity to record such a win.
