College Football 2011: 5 Heisman Favorites Who Won't Be Invited to New York

It's summer time and currently most teams around the country are honing their skills under the hot sun.  Players everywhere are hoping that this year can be the year that they have a breakout season.

As the 2011 college football season inches closer, many awards are beginning to announce their preseason favorites to win once the season is over.  The most prestigious of all of the individual awards is the Heisman Trophy.

Although the Heisman does not come out with an official preseason watch list, fans around the country have been concocting their own.

Here is a list of five preseason Heisman favorites who will not be invited to the trophy presentation in New York.

5. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan

Of all of the quarterbacks in the country, there are very few more athletic than Denard Robinson.  Last season as a sophomore at Michigan, Robinson did practically everything offensively for the Wolverines.  

He not only threw for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, but he also ran for 1,702 yards and 14 scores. Robinson’s 1,702 yards ranked second in the country in last season and he did it from the quarterback position. 

Although many believe Robinson will come into his own during his junior season, others are not so sure.  With the arrival of new head coach Brady Hoke, Robinson will be taken out of the spread offense which he ran with such success.  He will also be taking more snaps from under center and taking deeper drops. 

In 2011, I expect Robinson’s rushing yards to go down significantly and, without his run and throw combo, Robinson is not a strong Heisman candidate.

4. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

There is no arguing that without Marcus Lattimore the Gamecocks would not have won the SEC East for the first time in school history.  As a true freshman, Lattimore was a workhorse for South Carolina rushing for 1,197 and 17 touchdowns. 

In 2011, there is little doubt that the Gamecocks will lean on Lattimore even more heavily.  What remains to be seen is how Lattimore will fare with another season of pounding from SEC defenses.  He got banged up at the end of the season which limited his carries. 

If Lattimore can hold up over the course of the season and lead South Carolina back to the SEC Championship game, he will likely be a Heisman finalist.  A lot has to happen for those things to fall in place and I don’t think the Gamecocks and Lattimore are going to strike lightning twice.

3. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

When thinking about quarterback Kellen Moore, one word comes to mind—consistency. Moore has been the starting quarterback at Boise State for the past three seasons during which he has thrown a total of 129 touchdown passes with just 19 interceptions. 

Unfortunately for Moore, that consistency may be tough to keep up in 2011.  This season Moore will have to find new targets to throw to with the graduation of his top two receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young. 

In recent years, it seems that Boise State is just always good and flirts with undefeated seasons; Moore is a big reason why.  But for Moore to win the Heisman in 2011, he may need more than a perfect record. 

Because of the conference he plays in, he will likely get overlooked by many voters.  The last player from a non-BCS school to win the Heisman was BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990.

2. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Now that Mark Ingram has moved on to the NFL, it is Trent Richardson’s turn to carry the load for the Crimson Tide.  With a great deal of valuable experience under his belt, Richardson is expected to have an outstanding 2011 campaign. 

Although many fans believe Richardson is a better running back than Ingram, he will not follow in his footsteps with a Heisman Trophy.  The main reason for this is the unproven passing game in Alabama. 

Currently the Tide have not named a starter for their season opener but it is expected to be A.J. McCarron.  Despite McCarron’s talent, he lacks a go-to receiver with Julio Jones in the NFL which means teams are going to load the box and force McCarron to beat them. 

Trent Richardson will no doubt get a ton of carries this season but it will be tough for him to put up Heisman-type numbers in 2011.

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Going into the 2011 season, Andrew Luck is many peoples’ favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.  Although he will likely be the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, he will not win the Heisman this season. 

Last year was his best shot at the award with an outstanding offensive line and a reliable receiving corps.  This season, the Cardinal will be breaking in three new starting linemen and Luck’s favorite target in Ryan Whalen. 

Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in college football today and he should lead the Cardinal to a great season, but it will be hard for him to produce at the same level as last year with so many new faces on offense.