College Football Heisman Race: Week Four

Each week, I'll break down who I think are the top 10 contenders for the Heisman and let you know who may have fallen out of contention. There was a lot of moving and shaking after Week One, so let's get to it. (Previous ranking in parenthesis)

1. (2) Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

It was a good week for UTEP to come to town. McCoy still hasn't lived up to the ridiculously high standards of all UT fans, but he is starting to show some grit and find a groove. He threw only seven incomplete passes en route to a 28-35 day with 286 yards and 3 TD's. Of the big name passers right now, he seems the most NFL ready.

2. (3) Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

It's debatable whether I should be putting "RB" up there next to Tebow's name because that's what has been saving him so far. He threw for only 103 yards against Kentucky, but rushed for another 123 and two TD's. We'll see how he rebounds from being knocked unconscious because any serious time missed could hurt his Heisman chances.

3. (1) Jahvid Best, RB, California

Not a good week to have your worst game of the season. Best was only able to muster 55 yards on the ground and 14 through the air as Cal got manhandled by Oregon. The good news is, the huge deficit caused Cal to go away from Best, so his bad stats were also attributed to lack of chances. He is still eighth in the nation in yards and second in rushing TD's.

4. (6) Max Hall, QB, BYU

BYU's likely failure to crack a BCS bowl will hurt Hall's chances of getting an invite, but his interceptions lately aren't helping much either. He threw another two this weekend. Still, with his 241 yards, he now has 1185 yards on the season, which is good for fifth in the nation. 

5. (10) Case Keenum, QB, Houston

As Houston keeps proving that they are a team to take notice of, Keenum is doing the exact same. Texas Tech doesn't exactly boast a world class defense, but Keenum's 435 yards and a TD were impressive. Not to mention another TD on the ground. On the season, he's thrown for 1,160 yards, which is good for eighth in the nation.

6. (8) Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State

It's a shame Oregon State isn't a ranked team because then more people would see how truly talented Rodgers is. He is a gifted runner and very talented out of the backfield as well. In a tight loss to Arizona, he piled up 82 yards and two TD's on the ground to go along with 13 catches for 70 yards. On the season he's totaled the 13th most yards in the nation on the ground.

7. (NR) Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh

Pitt is proving to be a team on the rise and Dion Lewis has been carving up every opponent in his path so far this season. One of the more underrated players in the Big East, Lewis is sure to garner some attention now. He's amassed 497 yards on the year, good for fourth in the nation, to go along with seven rushing TD's.

8. (NR) Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati

Another player that is vaulting up the board thanks to quality performances against quality opponents. Pike threw up 300 yards and three TD's this weekend, while missing on only eight passes to lead Cinci to another win. For the season, he's thrown for 1,223 yards, which is good for fourth in the nation, and 11 TD's.

9. (5) Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

Bryant missed this weekend due to injury and is only on this list based on the potential he has flashed this year and in previous seasons. His stats haven't backed up the ranking, but he has been able to find the end zone in every single game, and has two multiple TD games. 

10. (NR) Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

Everybody thought Missouri was going to be down and out after losing Daniel, Maclin and Coffman (to name a few), but Gabbert has taken the team on his back and propelled them to a 4-0 start. His 1,161 yards rank sixth in the nation and his 11 TD's are good for third. We'll see if he can keep it up when the competition heats up in the Big 12.

Dropped out: (4) Darryl Clark, (6) Jake Locker, and (9) Jacory Harris

Dark Horses:

Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State

Another kid who is fun to watch, but nobody ever really gets to see him. He has great power to go along with a surprising burst. Altogether its helped him lead the nation with 592 rushing yards to go along with five TD's in only four games.

Taylor Potts, QB, Texas Tech

Another week and another just miss for Potts. Because he is a system QB I think it's going to be a real uphill battle for him to be invited to NYC, but his stats are there. He leads the nation with 1,602 yards passing and 13 TD's in four games so far.