Heisman Trophy Race 2010: Cam Newton Stands Above the Rest
The Army-Navy game notwithstanding, the 2010 college football regular season has come to a close, leaving the Heisman Trophy ceremony as the biggest event in the sport until bowl season begins in earnest.
The 76th edition of the trophy is due to be handed out on Saturday, and Auburn's Cam Newton looks to be the runaway favorite to strike the pose this year.
However, there are still plenty of other student-athletes across the college football landscape who deserve inclusion in the conversation, which Newton, of course, would moderate.
With that in mind, here's a list of Cam Newton and nine other Heisman Trophy "contenders."
Each of the other players will be accompanied by a "Newton scale score (NSS),"a number anywhere from one to 10 indicating how the individual would measure up to Cam Newton, with a 10 being "Newton himself" and a one being, well, "not Cam Newton."
10. Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
1 of 10
2010 was undoubtedly the year of the dual threat quarterback in college football, with Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor far from the least among them.
The senior from Hampton, Virginia, accumulated the types of numbers for Frank Beamer's team that, just about any other year, would have him on a plane to New York City this weekend.
Through the air: 2,521 yards, 23 touchdowns, only four interceptions, and a quarterback efficiency rating of 159.04.
On the ground: 637 yards, five touchdowns, and an average of 4.9 yards per carry.
Oh, and Taylor led the Hokies to an undefeated season in the ACC, a conference championship, and a berth in the Orange Bowl.
Not bad for a guy who's gotten nary a word in edgewise in the Heisman conversation.
NSS: 5.4 (out of 10)
9. Andy Dalton, TCU
2 of 10
All Andy Dalton does is win, which certainly counts for a lot in a Heisman race.
The senior from Katy, Texas has led TCU consecutive undefeated regular seasons and BCS bowl berths, including a spot in the 2011 Rose Bowl Game against Wisconsin.
Team accomplishments aside, Dalton has been pretty darn good in his own right this season.
Dalton currently sports the nation's fifth-highest quarterback efficiency rating of 167.0, thanks in large part to his 2,638 yards passing and 26 touchdowns against only six interceptions.
Additionally, though not noted for his feet, Dalton has rushed for 407 yards and five touchdowns on 77 attempts this season.
He'll have a chance to prove his Heisman worthiness, albeit after the fact, against the Badgers in Pasadena.
NSS: 5.6
8. Landry Jones, Oklahoma
3 of 10
How often is it that a quarterback from Oklahoma puts up 4,289 yards and 35 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions while leading the Sooners to a Big 12 title and ISN'T firmly in the Heisman mix?
Any other year, Landry Jones would be at or near the front of the pack.
Unfortunately for Jones, he picked a "bad" year to assert his Heisman candidacy.
However, the sophomore from New Mexico will have an excellent shot at the award next year, now that he has established himself as one of the best at his position for one of the nation's premiere football programs.
NSS: 5.9
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Kellen Moore, Boise State
4 of 10
It certainly didn't take long for the college football world to forget about Kellen Moore and Boise State after the Broncos fell in heartbreaking fashion to Nevada.
BCS bowl berth or no, Moore still deserves consideration as one of the best players in the college game.
His numbers this year (3,506 yards, 33 touchdowns, just five interceptions) suggest that he is among the most efficient quarterbacks in the country, a fact borne out further by his QB rating of 185.04.
Had the Broncos come through with another perfect season, Moore would undoubtedly be right up there among the nation's most prominent Heisman hopefuls.
NSS: 6.0
6. Darron Thomas, Oregon
5 of 10
The second-best player on the nation's second-best team is certainly entitled to a comment or two in the Heisman conversation.
Darron Thomas has been nothing if not steadily brilliant (or brilliantly steady?) for second-ranked Oregon this entire season.
His 2,518 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air, along with 488 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, are as much a reason for the Ducks playing in the BCS National Championship as any.
Either way, the sophomore from Houston, Texas will be among the preseason Heisman favorites before the 2011 college football season kicks off.
NSS: 6.5
5. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
6 of 10
Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon is one of just two players on this list whose primary position is not quarterback, which is a distinction that he has rightfully earned.
The sophomore wide receiver from Ardmore, Oklahoma had a season for the ages, as he tied the NCAA record for most consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving (11).
Amidst that steady brilliance, Blackmon racked up 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns, while adding a touchdown on the ground and another on a punt return.
All the while, Blackmon's Cowboys were among the most surprising teams in the country, competing for the Big 12 South title when everyone and their mother had the Pokes pegged as a bottom of the barrel team in the conference.
NSS: 6.8
4. Andrew Luck, Stanford
7 of 10
Stanford's Andrew Luck is arguably the best pro-style quarterback, if not the best quarterback period, in the country, but he doesn't even crack the top three on this list.
Not that he hasn't had a spectacular season in his own right.
Luck's numbers (3,051 yards passing, 28 touchdowns against only seven interceptions, with 438 yards and three touchdowns rushing) describe only in part the greatness displayed by the junior from Houston this year.
After losing star running back and last year's Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart to the NFL, Luck needed to take his game to the next level in order for the Cardinal to build on 2009's 9-4 success.
And he did just that.
Thanks to his stellar play, Jim Harbaugh's Stanford squad is back in a BCS bowl for the first time since 2000, when Tyrone Willingham was still at the helm.
NSS: 7.2
3. LaMichael James, Oregon
8 of 10
At five-foot-nine, LaMichael James may be the shortest of the serious Heisman contenders this year, but his height belies just how big he has been for Oregon on the field this season.
Since missing the Ducks' season opener against New Mexico due to suspension, James has been a little man on a mission, ducking and dodging his way 1,682 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Both top in the nation.
Even so, James has had to share the winning mojo with quarterback Darron Thomas, though James certainly owes Thomas for distracting opposing defenses enough to open up huge running lanes for the sophomore from Texarkana, Texas.
Should Cam Newton bolt for the NFL after the season, expect James to be the preseason favorite for the 77th Heisman trophy.
NSS: 7.7
2. Denard Robinson, Michigan
9 of 10
If Rich Rodriguez's Wolverines had better than a 7-5 record, Denard Robinson be a lot closer to Cam Newton in the Heisman race than he is now.
And considering how close Robinson already is, that's saying something.
The sophomore from Deerfield Beach, Florida, became the first player in college football history to throw AND run for at least 1,500 yards.
Yes, that's right, he's the first...EVER!
Of course, Robinson didn't just settle for the "minimum." He finished the season with 2,316 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air to along with his 1,643 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
Not bad for a guy who spent much of the season splitting time under center with Michigan's other quarterback, Tate Forcier.
NSS: 8.5
1. Cam Newton, Auburn
10 of 10
As good as Robinson has been, he's still not in Cam Newton's league.
Nor is anyone else.
Newton's numbers this year are absolutely phenomenal and speak for themselves:
A passer rating of 188.16 (best in the nation), 2,589 yards, 28 touchdowns (10th in the nation) and just six interceptions through the air.
1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground, good for tenth and second in the nation in those categories, respecitvely.
Oh, and his team, the Auburn Tigers, is undefeated at 13-0 after surviving the gauntlet that is the SEC, and is set to play Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game.
The Heisman Trust would do well to save money by skipping the whole ceremony and express mailing the trophy to Cam Newton.
Because, on the Newton Scale, this one goes to 11.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
