College Football 2011: The Top 10 Heisman Hopefuls to Watch in Week 2

The race for the Heisman Trophy has only just begun, and yet we’ve already had some major statements from top candidates.

Last week, we saw Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III come up with the most eye-opening performance, as he threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns in leading the Bears to a wild 50-48 upset of TCU.

Sadly, Baylor has a bye this week, so we’ll have to wait to see what Griffin has in store for an encore.

Although we won’t get the chance to see Griffin or Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones this weekend, we will see many other Heisman candidates strut their stuff.

Here’s a look at 10 Heisman hopefuls that you need to keep an eye on this weekend.

1. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

After being hyped up nonstop all summer long, Andrew Luck came out and had a solid showing in his first outing of the season, completing 17 of his 26 pass attempts for 171 yards and two TDs in a 57-3 blowout of San Jose State.

This weekend, Luck and the Cardinal will make the trip across the country to play Duke, a team that had a surprisingly stout defense a year ago.

You have to wonder if the 2,800 mile trek and the afternoon start time in the Eastern Time Zone will have an effect on Luck and his West Coast brethren this week.

Luck is still the Heisman favorite for now, but he’s got a lot of challengers on his heels, so he has to keep performing at a high level.

2. QB Kellen Moore, Boise State

Kellen Moore knew he had the stage to make a statement to the college football world last weekend, and Moore certainly made the most of it.

The senior signal-caller methodically outplayed Georgia's Aaron Murray, the supposed best quarterback in the SEC, as he guided the Broncos to another victory over a BCS foe.

Moore, who is now 39-2 as a starter, will never do enough to please his critics, but that’s fine by him.

He’ll just keep on winning and maybe, just maybe, this could be the year he finally gets his team to the big game.

3. RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech

Frank Beamer had to be a little concerned when his top two running backs, Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, declared for the NFL draft after last season, but whatever worries Beamer had were alleviated when he got a glimpse of new budding star back David Wilson against Appalachian State last Saturday.

Wilson, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry as a sophomore in 2010, showed off his remarkable speed and athleticism, rushing for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the 66-13 win.

The junior speedster will have another great shot to pile up big numbers against a very shaky East Carolina defense this weekend.

4. WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Another game, another 100-plus yard receiving effort for Justin Blackmon.

What else is new?

The Oklahoma State receiver picked up right where he left off after his breakout campaign in 2010 by notching his 13th straight 100-plus receiving yard game.

Blackmon is in the conversation for the title of best receiver in college football, and with QB Brandon Weeden back to toss him the ball, he’ll have a great chance to put up big numbers again this season.

Tune into ESPN on Thursday night to see Blackmon and Weeden shoot it out with Arizona’s dangerous passing combination, Nick Foles and Juron Criner.

5. RB Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

Some wondered if Marcus Lattimore’s 15 pounds of added muscle would slow him down a bit this season, but as Lattimore demonstrated on Saturday night, he sure hasn’t lost a step.

The sophomore star carried the ball 23 times and rumbled his way to 112 yards and three touchdowns in South Carolina’s 56-37 win over East Carolina.

This weekend, Lattimore will be going up against better competition when the Gamecocks travel to Athens for an SEC showdown with division rival Georgia.

I have a feeling, though, that those Bulldog defenders still remember what Lattimore did to them last year (37 carries for 182 yards and two touchdowns) and they may not be so eager to stick their shoulder down and get run over again.

6. QB Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

Russell Wilson’s much-awaited debut in Madison was a rousing success.

Wilson looked nearly flawless in his first game as a Badger, completing 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 255 yards and two TDs.

The senior signal-caller also showed off the scrambling ability we saw from him during his time at North Carolina State, adding 62 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The dual-threat slinger will have to face some tougher competition this week when Oregon State rolls into town, but with reliable offensive weapons all around him and one of the biggest offensive lines in the country in front of him to keep him safe, Wilson should flourish in 2011.

7. RB LaMichael James, Oregon

LaMichael James didn’t have the start to his 2011 Heisman campaign that he was hoping for.

James only managed to run for 54 yards against a stingy and athletic LSU defense in the Duck’s loss to the Tigers at Cowboys Stadium last Saturday night.

Last year’s third-place Heisman finisher will be looking for a big rebound effort when Oregon hosts Nevada this weekend.

If James can’t get back on track soon, his name is only going to continue to slide down the favorites list.

8. RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

Alabama RB Trent Richardson had his best game of the 2010 season against Penn State, rushing for 144 yards and a TD in place of an injured Mark Ingram.

Now Ingram’s gone and Richardson will once again have a chance to do some damage to the Nittany Lions defense this year, when Alabama heads up to Happy Valley on Saturday.

The Tide still have some uncertainty at quarterback, so the offense is likely going to rely heavily on Richardson to guide them down the field.

The powerful junior back only averaged 2.8 yards per carry in Alabama’s season-opener but the three touchdowns he scored are a nice addition to his Heisman resume.

9. QB Denard Robinson, Michigan

QB Denard Robinson wasn’t asked to be a superstar in Michigan’s 34-10 win last Saturday but Robinson was still efficient nonetheless.

Although Robinson is still working at perfecting his passing skills, he did a quality job throwing the football against the Broncos, completing nine of his 13 passes for 98 yards with no interceptions.

He also added 46 yards on the ground.

Now comes the big showcase game under the lights against Notre Dame on Saturday night.

Robinson, who totaled over 500 yards of offense against the Irish in last year’s meeting, has a great stage to show the college football world he can flourish as both a runner and a passer.

10. RB Vick Ballard, Mississippi State

Here’s an under-the-radar name to keep an eye on this weekend, Mississippi State RB Vick Ballard.

Ballard, who finished second in the SEC with 19 rushing TDs last season, started off the 2011 season strong by running for 166 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries in Mississippi State’s big win over Memphis last Thursday.

The 5’11’’, 220-pound former JUCO transfer should flourish in Dan Mullen’s spread offense this season and he should open up a lot of people’s eyes in the coming weeks.

Ballard has a a great opportunity to continue putting up big numbers against a soft and inexperienced Auburn defense this weekend.

Also Keep an Eye On....

QB Taylor Martinez, Nebraska

QB Darron Thomas, Oregon

RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin

QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

RB Edwin Baker, Michigan State

QB Case Keenum, Houston

QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

QB Nick Foles, Arizona

WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

QB E.J. Manuel, Florida State

QB Matt Barkley, USC