College Football Heisman Race: Week 11

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.

I base my rankings on what the Heisman Committee tends to value when honoring its winner, so I'll be ranking based on what I think the committee is considering. (Previous rankings are in parentheses).

1. (1) Mark Ingram - RB, Alabama

In another week where top contenders seemed to spin their wheels, gaining no traction, Ingram exploded for another huge performance. The nation's fifth leading rusher took 19 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns in a win against Mississippi State.

He's now rushed for 1,297 yards and 10 TDs on the season, and appears to be the clear front-runner. But the big hurdle will be that SEC championship game against Tebow and Florida.

2. (2) Tim Tebow - QB, Florida

With Colt McCoy unable to put together an eye-popping game and Houston and Notre Dame losing, Tebow still sits at No. 2 because of the strength of his persona and his team.

His seasonal performance has left a lot to be desired, but voters are going to make somebody take the award from him.

After throwing for 199 yards and a TD and rushing for less than 2 yards per carry on 16 carries against South Carolina, Tebow is making is easier for Ingram to run away with the award. But if he has that one big game...

3. (3) Colt McCoy - QB, Texas

Another pre-season front-runner whose play has not matched expectations. McCoy has done enough recently to lead his team to big victories and his lack of big stats have more to do with Texas winning in blowouts, than sub-par play.

Last week's throttling of Baylor was a microcosm of the season, seeing Colt throw for 181 yards and two TDs before the passing attack toned it down for the second half of the game.

He's put together a solid season with 2,628 yards and 20 TDs, but he's gonna need to finish the season with big games to stand a chance.

4. (6) Kellen Moore - QB, Boise State

Sometimes consistency can pay off in the long run. Moore has continued to play solid every week, while staying under the radar and positioning Boise State to possibly crash the BCS party again.

The lefty had another spectacular game against Idaho, completing 22 of 32 passes for 299 yards and five touchdowns.

That put him ahead of Keenum for the most TDs on the season with 32, to go along with his 2,558 yards passing. Another big win could give him an outside shot.

5. (10) C.J. Spiller - RB, Clemson

This guy just seems to do it all. As Clemson has begun to put together some consistent wins, Spiller has seen the likelihood of him capturing the trophy improve as well.

The versatile back was exceptional in a solid victory over North Carolina State, rushing for 97 yards and a TD, while also catching three passes for 48 yards and a TD and throwing a 17 yard touchdown pass as well.

He's 42nd in the nation with 836 yards rushing, but its his big-play ability and versatility that give him a shot.

6. (4) Case Keenum- QB, Houston

Another bad loss and Keenum may have just seen his Heisman chances flushed down the toilet. In fact, the only reason that he even stands a chance is because he is so far ahead of most QBs in a wide variety of statistical categories.

His 377 yards and three TDs in the loss to UCF gave him a nation-leading 4,192 yards, which is now officially over 1,000 more yards than the second-place passer. He's gonna need other people to slip to stand a chance, but he might sneak an invite.

7. (7) Dion Lewis - RB, Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is now starting to get into the toughest part of its schedule and Lewis met the first test head on without so much as a hesitation.

He put together 152 yards on 21 carries and crossed the goal line once in a close victory over Notre Dame, helping keep Pitt in the BCS picture and himself on the outside of the Heisman race.

He's not likely to get an invite, but he is certainly announcing his presence.

8. (5) Jimmy Clausen - QB, Notre Dame

The last few weeks have been tough for Clausen and his Heisman hopes. In the loss to Pitt, a slightly better effort from Clausen may have helped get his team over the hump and give him the big win that could have really boosted his chances of grabbing the trophy.

His 283 yards, one TD and one INT were by no means sub-par, but if you're team is unranked you need to be spectacular to stand a chance.

He's had a great season and is a big name, so he has a chance of getting an invite, but the losing is really starting to hurt.

9. (NR) Toby Gerhart- RB, Stanford

And here's the example of how a big win can put you firmly in the picture. Gerhart was simply a very talented RB on a mediocre team who was going to miss getting an invite to NYC.

Then something strange happened, he and his Stanford teammates ran all over USC and suddenly became a strong football team.

His 28 carries for 178 yards and three TDs made a statement, and his teams sudden relevance give him an outside shot because his stats (1,395 yards and 19 TDs) speak for themselves.

10. (NR) Jacquizz Rodgers- RB, Oregon State

Welcome back, Quizz Show! Another solid win and now Oregon State has become a ranked team and we know how committee members feel about the best players on strong teams.

Rodgers has been a beast all season, playing #2 in versatility to CJ Spiller. But this past week, he did all of his damage on the ground, tacking up 159 yards and two TDs on only 18 carries.

He's 13th in the nation with 1,148 yards and is third in the nation in points scored.

Dropped out: (8) Dalton, (9) Masoli

Darkhorses

Under-Appreciated

It's time to give some credit to the people who don't stand a chance of receiving the award, but deserve some recognition for their incredible seasons.

Tyler Sheehan - QB, Bowling Green

Bowling Green hasn't made the dent on the college football world that some teams on its schedule have, but nobody has matched Sheehan's production. He is second in the nation, behind Keenum, with 3,189 yards passing, to go along with 19 TDs.

Donald Buckram - RB, UTEP

UTEP announced itself briefly with an upset win over Houston, but teams have been taking note of Buckram all season. The Junior is second in the nation with 1,422 yards on 6.6 yards per carry, to go along with 14 TDs.

Greg Salas - WR, Hawaii

Hawaii has always had a pretty prolific offense and some eye-popping statistics and Sals' season is no different. He is the nation's leading receiver with 1,360 yards on 85 catches with eight TDs. Which equates to a ridiculous 136 yards receiving per game. average.