2010 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Denard Robinson Leads Again
It's time for the latest edition of Bleacher Report's 2010 Heisman Trophy Rankings, presented by Heismanpundit.com.
The Heismanpundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for three players each week. Tabulations are made on a 3-2-1 basis, with three points awarded for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote.
The past two years, the Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote in 2008 and the top four in 2009.
Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.
Chris Huston, owner of Heismanpundit.com and a Bleacher Report contributor, coordinates and also votes in the weekly poll.
The poll is featured here on Bleacher Report each Tuesday during the college football season.
Here are the top players in the poll heading into Week 4...
6th (tied): Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama — 1 Point
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It didn't take long for defending Heisman winner Mark Ingram to get back on this list, as he lands in a tie for sixth place with one point.
After missing the first two games of the season because of minor knee surgery, Ingram bounced back in a big way, rumbling for 48 yards on his first carry of the season against Duke on Saturday.
Ingram finished with 151 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. And now the Tide must play a hot Arkansas team, giving Ingram another chance to shine in a big game.
His chances of winning the Heisman are probably nonexistent, but he can definitely have an impact on this race if he finishes the season strong.
6th (tied): Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska — 1 Point
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Nebraska freshman sensation Taylor Martinez makes his debut in this week's poll, notching one point to tie for sixth.
It's been a while since a Nebraska player has been relevant in the Heisman race and it's surprising that a freshman quarterback is the guy who might do it. Martinez is off to a fantastic start thus far, rushing for 421 yards and eight touchdowns while passing for 392 yards and a score through three games.
He's fresh off a monster game against Washington, as he rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns (including an 80-yarder) and passed for 150 yards and a score, as the Cornhuskers won going away.
"T-Magic", as he is known in Nebraska, has a long way to go to be a factor in this race, but keep an eye on him.
5th: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon — 2 Points
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Oregon running back LaMichael James has bounced back quickly after being suspended for the season opener. He takes fifth place in this week's poll with two points.
The Ducks have been rolling over people and James is a big reason why. He has 361 yards and three touchdowns in six quarters of play. He is averaging an astounding 12 yards per carry.
Last weekend, he ran for 227 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. With Pac-10 play about to heat up, he has a chance to keep moving up in this poll and become the main running back contender for the Heisman Trophy.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
4th: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas — 7 Points
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Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett moves into a solid third in this week's poll with seven points.
Mallett's candidacy enjoyed a big boost last Saturday as he threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns—including a last-minute game-winner to Greg Childs—to beat Georgia, 31-24, in Athens. It was Mallett's first road win in the SEC.
On the season, Mallett ranks fifth nationally in passer rating (186.50) and has thrown for 1,081 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
The win over Georgia is just an appetizer for the main course coming up this week, as Mallett and the Hogs host No. 1 Alabama in Fayetteville. If he can lead Arkansas to the upset, he might be on top of this poll next week.
2nd (tied): Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State — 18 Points
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Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore continues to show strength in the poll, tallying 18 points to tie for second.
Moore had a bye week following the Broncos' thrilling win over Virginia Tech, but he came back last week to throw for 370 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Wyoming.
For the year, Moore has 585 passing yards with five touchdowns and just one interception. He is now 28-1 as a starter in his career and has a 44-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last 16 games.
His candidacy will be put to the test on Thursday as Boise hosts Oregon State. It may be the last time we'll see him on national television for a while, so Heisman voters will be watching closely.
2nd (tied): Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State — 18 Points
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Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor holds down second place for the third week in a row, totaling 18 points and three first-place votes.
Pryor led the Buckeyes to their third win last Saturday, a 43-7 romp over Ohio. Pryor threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns (with two interceptions) and rushed for 35 yards and another score against the Bobcats.
On the year, Pryor has completed 63 percent of his passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions. He has also rushed for 165 yards and two scores.
Pryor will be in position to win the Heisman as long as Ohio State keeps winning and he keeps playing like he has been. If all goes right, we may even get to see a mega-Heisman-showdown on that last Saturday in November between the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
Wouldn't that be something?
1st: Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan — 31 Points
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Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson sits atop the poll for the second-straight week, as he collected 10 first-place votes and 31 total points from the panel.
The sophomore phenom threw for 241 yards and rushed for 104 in Michigan's win over Massachusetts on Saturday. Through three games, he leads the nation in rushing with 559 yards. He is on pace to rush for over 2,200 yards, which would likely make him the first player ever to rush and pass for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
He continues to show he has an able and accurate arm, with 671 yards and a 158 passer rating, to go with four touchdowns and just one pick.
Robinson's numbers are so impressive that they may overcome whatever deficiencies Michigan displays as a team. It certainly isn't Robinson's fault that the Wolverine defense is so porous. As long as he is a one-man gang keeping Michigan competitive, he'll probably stay on top of this poll.
With a soft schedule coming up in the next couple weeks, this means Mr. Robinson is likely to still be your Heisman front-runner once we hit the season's midway point.
Complete Results of Poll
Total Points (with first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan — 31 (10)
2. (tie) Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State — 18 (3)
2. (tie) Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State — 18
4. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas — 7
5. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon — 2
6. (tie) Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska — 1
6. (tie) Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama — 1
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
