College Football: Heisman Trophy Watch After Week 1

It took a while for the college football season to get here, but it finally arrived and Week 1 is all but in the books.

During the first week of the season came some fantastic individual performances; including a big Friday night from Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin that could have possibly jumped him into the rankings.

So let the Heisman Trophy talk begin as we dive into this week's look at our Heisman watch.

10. Taylor Martinez

Last Game: 116 passing yards; 134 rushing yards; three touchdowns in 40-7 win over Chattanooga.

The Nebraska sophomore signal caller showed why Cornhuskers fans should be excited about the future. Martinez will get the opportunity to show off his dual threat ability in the Big Ten this season. We will see if he has similar success.

Up Next: Sept. 10 vs. Fresno State

9. Denard Robinson

Last Game: 98 passing yards; 46 rushing yards in 34-10 win over Western Michigan.

While still one of the most talented players in the nation, Robinson could find himself heading in the wrong direction on this list.

While he looks like he can handle running a pro-style offense, his overall numbers are likely to go down a great deal and with the Michigan likely to be just a middle of the pack team, his chances may be slim.

Up Next:  vs. No. 16 Notre Dame

8. Justin Blackmon

Last Game: Eight receptions, 144 yards in 61-34 win over LA-Lafayette.

It's a very difficult decision deciding which Oklahoma State Cowboy belongs on this list. Is it Blackmon, clearly the best wide receiver in the nation, or the guy responsible for getting him the ball, quarterback Brandon Weeden.

Quite possibly they both do, but for now Blackmon cracks the list. He is the definition of a game changer and it's a scary thought for any cornerback in the nation to have to cover him one on one.

Up Next: September 8 vs. Arizona

7. Robert Griffin

Last Game: 359 passing yards; five passing touchdowns; 33 rushing yards in 50-48 win over No. 14 TCU.

Griffin cracks the list largely in part to a big statistical night in a thrilling victory for his Baylor Bears over a ranked TCU team. He has all the talent in the world and could continue to have a few more nights like Friday.

He will need a few more to move farther up the list.

Up Next:  Sept. 17 vs. Stephen A. Austin

6. Trent Richardson

Last Game:  38 rushing yards; three touchdowns in 48-7 win over Kent State.

Richardson has a good chance to move back up this list soon. The low number of rushing yards doesn't bother me. Saturday was more about Nick Saban seeing what he has in his inexperienced quarterbacks instead of feeding his Heisman hopeful running back the ball.

Richardson's stats will come in meaningful SEC games instead of a blowout win against Kent State.

Up Next:  Sept. 10 at Penn State

5. LaMichael James

Last Game: 53 rushing yards, 62 receiving yards, one touchdown in 40-27 loss to No. 4 LSU.

Saturday night ended early for James, who sat out the second-half matchup with LSU with cramping. Not exactly the way to begin a Heisman campaign.

While healthy, James had some success against a very tough Tigers defense, totalling over 100 combined yards and finding the end zone once.

Overall though, it was a disappointing evening for both James and the Ducks, so he falls to the fifth spot overall. He can't be punished too much for losing to an SEC power like the Tigers.

James will have the opportunity to put up some huge numbers the rest of the season, so there's no doubting he can climb back up the list.

Up Next: Sept. 10 vs. Nevada

4. Marcus Lattimore

Last Game: 112 rushing yards; 32 receiving yards; three touchdowns in 56-37 win over East Carolina.

You can make a case for several guys when discussing the best running back in the nation, but Lattimore's name should be at or near the top of each list.

If he accomplished anything Saturday night, he proved that his outstanding freshman season was no fluke. He could be in for a big sophomore campaign and will get plenty of touches to put up huge numbers.

He gets the slight bump to the fourth spot in the rankings due to having the best opening game of the other backs in question.

Up Next:  at No. 19 Georgia

3. Kellen Moore

Last Game: 261 passing yards, three touchdowns in 35-21 win over No. 19 Georgia.

How impressive is this guy? Quarterbacks with the accuracy, precision and decision making skills that Moore has don't come along the college game frequent enough. There is no doubt he's a special player.

Even more impressive was his performance Saturday night when he led his Broncos into SEC country and made a statement.

Moore was fantastic and don't forget that he did it without his top two receivers from a year ago and without the guy who was supposed to be his top target this season. It doesn't matter who's in the huddle with him. He will spread the ball around the field and is very hard to game plan against.

Moore will stay in the Heisman race all season, but may need another high profile win or two, something he won't have the chance to get.

Up Next:  Sept. 16 at Toledo

2. Landry Jones

Last Game: 360 yards passing, 2 yards rushing, one touchdown in 47-14 win over Tulsa.

If you are voting for the Heisman Trophy based solely on numbers, then there is no doubt that Jones is your guy.

Playing on the No. 1 team in the nation and in such a high powered offense, he will be in a position to have another monster statistical season. He attempted 46 passes Saturday night against Tulsa and there may be weekends where he puts it up more than that.

One knock on Jones has been that both he and the Sooners have played poorly against good teams on the road. If he can overcome that obstacle, there may be no stopping him from winning the Heisman. He gets that chance in two weeks.

Up Next: Sept. 17 at No. 6 Florida State

1. Andrew Luck

Last Game: 171 passing yards; nine rushing yards; three total touchdowns in 57-3 win over San Jose State.

Luck was the favorite to win the Heisman going into the first week of the season and I see no reason why he shouldn't remain the favorite heading into Week 2 of the season.

He's so talented and his decision making is near flawless. Barring an injury or sudden stretch of poor play, the Heisman Trophy is Luck's to lose.

Up Next: Sept. 10 at Duke