1.) Cameron Newton – Jr. – Auburn – Quarterback
Last week: 10-16 passing, 86 yds – 28 rush, 217 yds, 2 TD – Beat LSU
Season: 90-138 passing, 1,364 yds, 13 TD, 5 INT – 157 rush, 1,077 yds, 14 TD – 1 rec. 22 yds
Newton is a bit of an untouchable at the top after what the junior has done in SEC play as of late. Against South Carolina Newton rushed for 176 yards. Against Kentucky he rushed for 198 yards. Arkansas felt the wrath of 188 yards. Last week, Newton saved his best rushing performance of the year against one of the nation’s best defenses, rushing for 217 yards against LSU. Auburn didn’t even need to use Newton’s arm to win the game. His 49 yard touchdown run in the third quarter against LSU showed speed, balance, vision, power and elusiveness on one play. Every attribute a coach could want in a player, let alone their quarterback.
2.) LaMichael James – Soph. – Oregon – Running Back
Last week: 20 rush, 123 yds, 2 TD – 1 rec. 25 yds – Beat UCLA
Season: 114 rush, 848 yds, 7.4 avg. 9 TD – 3 rec. 96 yds, 1 TD
James put on another impressive performance against UCLA Saturday but was limited in the game following a stinger in the second quarter. He still managed 123 yards and two scores on the night. James currently leads the nation with 161.8 rushing yards a game. His performance, however, hasn’t been enough to knock Newton out of the top spot. Something that may be a hard task to accomplish. James will get his chance, though, this week against a porous USC rush defense.
3.) Kellen Moore – Jr. – Boise State – Quarterback
Last Week: Bye
Season: 105-151 passing, 1,567 yds, 16 TD, 1 INT
Moore spent the week soaking up the will they or won’t they Boise talk surrounding his team. At this point there’s not a whole lot the Broncos or Moore can do at this point but continue to win games. Moore’s Heisman chances may be slimmer than the Broncos National Championship game chances, something I’m sure he’s fine with. Moore has played only two full games this season, against Virginia Tech and Oregon State and should continue to sit in the second half of many of the Broncos conference games.
4.) Justin Blackmon – Soph. – Oklahoma State – Wide Receiver
Last week: 5 rec. 157 yds, 2 TD – Lost to Nebraska
Season: 62 rec. 1,112 yds, 14 TD – 3 rush, 8 yds
Blackmon’s stock continues to rise on the field. As of Tuesday, the sophomore’s off the field stock is falling. Blackmon was arrested early Tuesday morning on DUI charges when the receiver was on his way home from the Dallas Cowboys Monday night game. On the field Blackmon had one of his more impressive performances of the year Saturday, not stat wise, but because of who he was facing. Against one of the country’s best cover men, Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara, Blackmon still managed 150+ yards and two scores. He’s putting together a better season than past Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant, who Blackmon was watching for the Cowboys Monday night. It remains to be seen, however, if Blackmon will serve any suspensions following the arrest.
5.) Andrew Luck – Jr. – Stanford – Quarterback
Last week: 20-28 passing, 190 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT – 4 rush, 11 yds – Beat Washington State
Season: 133-200 passing, 1,728 yds, 19 TD, 5 INT – 35 rush, 253 yds, 2 TD
Luck had a big chance against Washington State last week to pile on the stats. He did just that with three touchdowns and a 71 percent completion percentage. It may take quite a bit more than Saturday’s performance for Luck to find himself moving up too far on the Heisman board. Luck is having a fine season, but in the PAC-10 right now, he’s a dime a dozen.
6.) John Clay – Jr. – Wisconsin – Running Back
Last week: 24 rush, 91 yds, 3.8 avg. 2 TD – 1 rec. 9 yds – Beat Iowa
Season: 160 rush, 887 yds, 5.5 avg. 13 TD
One week after rushing for over 100 yards against the tough Ohio State rush defense, Clay found himself being tested yet again, this time by the Iowa defense. The Hawkeyes are one of the nation’s best against the run and held Clay to 91 yards on the ground. He still managed to find the endzone twice, however. The problem as of late for Clay has been stolen carries and touchdowns by running back James White. Saturday, in a circumstance where Clay had been the primary back, running back Montee Ball was given a touchdown carry over Clay. As long as the Badgers continue to spread the yards and touchdowns out, Clay’s stock may continue to drop ever so slightly.
7.) Denard Robinson – Soph. – Michigan – Quarterback
Last week: Bye
Season: 97-143 passing, 1,319 yds, 9 TD, 5 INT – 137 rush, 1,096 yds, 9 TD
Robinson finally had a week off to rest. Before the Wolverines bye, it was becoming evident the burden of carrying the Michigan offense was becoming too heavy for his shoulders. He may benefit from a week off more so than any other player this season. With games against Penn State, Illinois and Purdue in the next three weeks, Robinson has a chance to bring in some of the stats viewers become accustomed to early in the season. He may just find himself moving back up many Heisman watch lists.
8.) Terrelle Pryor – Jr. – Ohio State – Quarterback
Last week: 16-22 passing, 270 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT – 4 rush, -2 yds – Beat Purdue
Season: 134-203 passing, 1,775 yds, 18 TD, 6 INT – 79 rush, 408 yds, 3 TD – 2 rec. 19 yds, 1 TD
Pryor revenged the 2009 loss to Purdue and took out a bit of anger from the Wisconsin loss on the Boilermakers. Terrelle Pryor the passer showed up against Purdue, a player we may see more towards the end of the season, as it’s believed an earlier quad injury continues to give the quarterback problems. Pryor has another chance this week to add to his impressive season statistics against Minnesota but it is at Iowa, Nov. 20, which should be circled on Pryor’s calendar.
9.) Taylor Martinez – rFr. – Nebraska – Quarterback
Last week: 23-35 passing, 323 yds, 5 TD – 19 rush, 112 yds – Beat Oklahoma State
Season: 66-111 passing, 1,046 yds, 14 TD, 5 INT – 100 rush, 870 yds, 12 TD
One week after being benched because of his passing and being dropped from many Heisman lists, Martinez shows he’s got an arm attacked to his body. Although the Oklahoma State pass defense has been exploited my numerous players this season, a 300 yard and five touchdown performance from Martinez Saturday, with his arm, was nice to see. His 66 percent completion percentage has to give the young QB confidence heading into later weeks, while the 112 yards on the ground gave Martinez a complete game. He’ll need every bit of confidence next week facing off against a Missouri defense that just gave the Sooners offense a headache.
10.) Edwin Baker – So. – Michigan State – Running back
Last week: 10 rush, 73 yds 7.3 avg. 1 TD – 1 rec. 13 yds – Beat Northwestern
Season: 115 rush, 779 yds, 6.8 avg. 7 TD – 2 rec. 15 yds
It seems every week since I’ve added Baker to the watch list I’ve been waiting for a breakout game. It wasn’t last Saturday against Northwestern and I would almost highly doubt it would be against Iowa this Saturday. If Baker does turn in his breakout performance against the Hawkeye’s consider him moved from the bottom of the list. The problem for the sophomore rusher as of late has been Michigan States slow starts. There haven’t been a lot of carries given out to the running backs when the Spartans passing attack has been used to get MSU back into games.
On the brink…Nick Fairley, Auburn, DT – Andy Dalton, TCU, QB – Robert Griffin III, Baylor, QB – Out of sympathy: whatever injury riddled quarterback faces the New York Giants defense next.
*Stock up – Stock down – Neutral
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