Week 3 Heisman Overview: Pretenders and Contenders

Though it's awfully tempting, I stand by my refusal to rank the candidates. Still a bit too early for that...

Dropped Out

John David Booty, QB, Southern California

Booty's stats have been surprisingly pedestrian thus far.

Whether that's more attributable to the emergence of the Trojan running game or Booty's inability to capitalize on opportunities, I don't pretend to know. It's probably a combination of both.

Either way, Booty should be out of the discussion for now. He'll need a couple great performances back-to-back to get in again.

New Kids in Town

Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky

At last, Woodson is receiving some of the recognition he's deserved for quite some time.

How many of you are about to learn, by reading this sentence, that Woodson tossed 31 TDs last year?

I'm willing to bet quite a few.

The Kentucky signal caller looked brilliant on Saturday, completing passes to eight different receivers and tossing four TDs.

I was particularly impressed by Woodson's early fourth quarter touchdown pass, when he had to backpedal under intense pressure but still was able to deliver a catchable ball to tight end Jacob Tamme.

The only thing working against Woodson at this point is the league he plays in. I'm willing to bet Kentucky's back-to-back contests against LSU and Florida in October will take away his chances of winning. An invite is still a possibility, though.

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

The sophomore sensation was stellar on Saturday vs. the Vols, throwing for 299 yards and 2 TDs on just 14 completions. He also steamrolled his way to 61 yards and 2 TDs on the ground.

Florida's October 6th matchup with LSU will be the defining game for Tebow's campaign. Life just isn't fair, huh Tim?

So it goes in the SEC.

Tebow does have an outside shot, I suppose, but I don't think this will quite be his year. I could definitely see him being invited to New York.

Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville

Douglas's tremendous performance (13 catches, 223 yards) against Kentucky on Saturday marked his sixth consecutive game with at least 100 yards receiving.

The Louisville senior has virtually no shot at taking home the hardware in December, but it's starting to look like an invite might be possible.

Douglas is arguably the most polished receiver in college football, and Louisville's relatively soft schedule (particularly their next six games) will make it easy for him to continue his torrid pace.

Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

Ryan's stats are good, but his performance vs. Georgia Tech is what has him in the mix. There's nothing like stepping it up in a big game to tantalize the voting contingent.

BC faces four cream puff opponents in the next month, and I expect Ryan to go into the Eagles' October 25th game against Virginia Tech game with some impressive numbers. His performance vs. the Hokies will be huge for his campaign.

Middle of the Pack

Mike Hart, RB, Michigan

Hart's legs keep churning, and the Michigan senior is now D-IA's leading rusher.

A big-time performance this weekend against the Nittany Lions would work wonders for his campaign.

His chances of winning are basically nil...but a trip to the Apple isn't out of the question if more than three players get invited.

Pat White, QB, West Virginia

White's stock took a small hit last Thursday after an uninspiring performance vs. Maryland, but he's still in the thick of things.

White is a candidate with a legitimate shot to win if he doesn't miss a beat from here on out and the Mountaineers go undefeated—a scenario that is in the realm of realistic possibilities.

Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

Brohm was considered by some to be the consensus #2 going into Saturday's matchup with Kentucky.

He performed well, throwing for 286 yards and 2 TDs—but he was outperformed by Andre Woodson, so his stock has dipped.

It's looking like Louisville isn't quite the dominant team many thought they were going to be. If they lose another game or two, Brohm's shot at winning will be gone.

DeSean Jackson, Playmaker, Cal

Jackson was awfully quiet in Cal's 42-12 rout of Louisiana Tech. He caught only five passes for 28 yards and was sidelined in the return game because of an ailing thumb.

A player like Jackson will always have a little bit of trouble being consistent from week to week because so much of his success is self-made. Such is the life of a "playmaker."

I expect Cal to make a more concerted effort to get the ball to Jackson downfield, so his receiving numbers should improve. As I said last week, his chance at winning is nearly nonexistent, but voters will reward him with an invite to NYC if he's got the gaudy, diverse stat line I expect him to have by season's end.

Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon

Dixon hasn't lost any of the momentum from the Michigan performance that launched him into the race. He's looking more and more like an NFL-ready QB in the mold of Vince Young.

If Dixon can lead the Ducks to victory with a great performance on the 29th vs. Cal, he'll no longer be in the middle of the pack—he'll be a legitimate frontrunner.

Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii

I'm always bored when talking about Brennan's Heisman chances, because I don't think his status in the race will ever change.

Every week, like clockwork, he'll put up big-time numbers against a marginal squad. Because the competition he plays against is usually subpar, voters won't give him a legitimate shot to win.

If five players are invited, I expect that Brennan will most likely be one of them.

Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma-Bradford has exploded onto the college football scene and is very much in the thick of the Heisman discussion, despite only being a freshman.

He's got top-notch pocket passing skills with a poise that belies his age.

Right now, his numbers are ridiclous. He's got an 80% completion percentage and has thrown 11 TD's with one 1 pick. I expect his stats to slide a little once conference play opens, but as long as they're still in the ballpark of what they are now, it will be very, very hard for voters to ignore Bradford. 

Knockin' on the Door

Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers

Rice has been one of the most consistent players in college football, scoring touchdowns and grinding out yards at will.

He isn't the most versatile or flashy of backs, which will make him less appealing to voters, but there's no denying his production.

Rutgers is another team with an outside shot to go undefeated. Realistically, they lose either one or two games. If Rice has a jaw-dropping statistical season and his team continues to excel, the trophy just might be his.

That's unlikely—but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him at the ceremony.

Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia

Slaton is one of those backs who's simply impossible to hold down for an entire game. His running style fits perfectly in Rich Rodriguez's spread attack.

Slaton's best-case Heisman scenario would be for Pat White to play well, but not too well. That way, West Virginia will have a great shot at winning every game, and Slaton's play won't be overshadowed by White's. Vice versa, this applies to White.

Holdin' It Down at the Top

Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Going into the season, the primary question surrounding McFadden was the effect an inexperienced offensive line would have on his play.

I think that question has been more than sufficiently answered.

Stewart Mandel of SI said it best:

"Arkansas may have lost the game, but if any Heisman voter docks (McFadden) because of it, they ought to have their ballot revoked."

Against Alabama, McFadden put his team on his shoulders in a way that few if any in the nation could. He's the best player in college football, and the only things holding him back are Arkansas' struggles and the politicized voting process that sometimes fails to reward the best individual player.