Heisman Watch: How Did Andrew Luck and Other Contenders Do This Past Month?

Andrew Luck remains the Heisman favorite after one month of football, but he isn’t blowing the competition out of the water as other candidates begin to make their cases.  

Luck has 11 touchdowns this year with only one interception, but there’s a man wearing green and white every week who has produced 18 touchdowns through the air and only one interception. Does Robert Griffin III ring any bells?  

And don’t forget about those running backs in the SEC. Chances are an SEC team will be playing for a national championship, so don’t forget that three of the past four Heisman winners were SEC players.

Both Trent Richardson and Marcus Lattimore find themselves high in multiple running back categories.    

Oh, and don’t forget about the guy named Kellen Moore throwing touchdown passes on that god-awful smurf turf.  

After five weeks of college football action, these are the players that I consider the frontrunners for that coveted trophy, and how they did the past month.

Andrew Luck

What we’ve learned:  Well, we learned the man can make a tough catch look easy. Take a minute and watch the video of Andrew Luck’s one handed grab last weekend to the left of this sentence. Yeah, that just happened. That’s how athletically gifted this guy is.  

So far his numbers are great and he’s exactly what we thought he would be, and that’s the best quarterback in the nation.  

I’ve had the pleasure of watching this guy throw and show off his abilities at the past two Manning Camp Passing Academies in Thibodaux, La., and I was blown away both times.

Luck is on an undefeated team that is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the AP Poll, has 11 touchdowns with only one interception, and has a completion percentage of 71 percent so far this year. Because of those reasons, Luck is still the favorite to win the Heisman. 

Robert Griffin III

What we’ve learned: This guy is better than we thought he would be.  

Everyone knew Robert Griffin III would be a dual-threat quarterback with his quick feet and elusiveness to go along with his strong arm, but no one could have predicted this.  

After his last game against Kansas State, RGIII only completed 74 percent of his passes, and now has two more incompletions than touchdowns (18) on the year. Talk about a lackluster performance.

All joking aside, the fact that it’s even close is absolutely unbelievable.  He leads the nation in TD throws this year.

The only problem for Griffin is that Baylor did lose that game against Kansas State, and they’re going to have to go on a winning streak and become relevant in the national title picture again for him to receive Heisman votes.

With future games against Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas, it will be tough for the Bears to make that run.

The Heisman is RGIII’s to take if he can somehow lead his team to a BCS Bowl and continue to post these Xbox-like numbers. 

Marcus Lattimore

What we learned: The South Carolina Gamecocks would be in a world of trouble if they didn’t have Marcus Lattimore.  

Lattimore has proved over the past five games that he can carry his team on his back. Lattimore is second in the nation in rushing yards with 677, and he’s tied for fifth in the nation in rushing touchdowns with nine. 

He’s a powerful back that possesses the will to break tackle after tackle and pick up the tough yards with his strength and amazing balance.

As terrible as quarterback Stephen Garcia has been this season with his nine interceptions, the Gamecocks escaped some early scares this season, and they have Lattimore to thank. 

South Carolina lost their last game, but they’re still the frontrunner in the SEC East. As long as they’re still in contention for the SEC title and Lattimore continues to play at a high level, Lattimore will remain a favorite in the Heisman race.

Tyrann Mathieu

What we learned: Honey Badger takes what he wants, when he wants.  

I know it’s unlikely for a defensive player to win the Heisman, but Tyrann Mathieu is one of those guys that comes along every few years that just stands out.

In the LSU Tigers' 35-7 victory over Kentucky Saturday, Mathieu brought his total number of forced fumbles to eight and has now secured his place in the record books. In only his sophomore season, Mathieu holds the record for most forced fumbles in school history.  

During the Tigers 5-0 start, Mathieu was named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against West Virginia, has three forced fumbles, tallied 1.5 sacks, one interception and two touchdown returns on defense.

Though his chances of being named Heisman are scarce to none, voters should still keep an eye out for this cat.

Trent Richardson

What we learned: Alabama doesn’t need a passing game as long as Trent Richardson is pounding the rock.  

Richardson ranks fourth in the nation in rushing yards as he has gained 622 yards, and is fourth in the nation in rushing touchdowns with 10.

Richardson is in perfect position to follow in the footsteps of his mentor, Mark Ingram, and give the Crimson Tide their second Heisman Trophy winner.

Alabama will continue to establish the run as their first priority, so his stats will continue to be great, and they’re on their way to winning another national championship as long as they can get past LSU on Nov. 5. 

Russell Wilson

What we learned: Russell Wilson on a great team is straight-up scary.  

Is there an offense in all of college football more dangerous than the Wisconsin Badgers?

Yeah, I didn’t think so.  

This team can pound the ball with Montee Ball and James White, and then when the time comes, burn you for a deep pass with Wilson.

So far this season, Wilson has completed 75 percent of his passes and thrown for 13 touchdowns with only one interception.

Given the fact that Wilson’s numbers are so great this year and Wisconsin just passed their toughest test in the Big Ten with a 48-17 victory over Nebraska, voters need to start taking Wilson into serious consideration for the Heisman.

Kellen Moore

What we learned: This guy just isn’t going away.  

Is it just me or does it seem like every year Kellen Moore is in the thick of things when it comes to winning the Heisman?

Moore’s Broncos have already passed one of their two annual tough tests on the year when they beat Georgia, and now Moore can post big numbers on the “little sisters of the poor” schools. 

Moore is tied for fifth in the nation for the most passing touchdowns with 14. He will continue to be in the running all year because of the weak schedule Boise State has.

Because of that, Moore will continue to pour on loads of yards and multiple touchdowns, while Boise State makes their case once again for playing in a national championship game. Yuck.

Robert Woods

What we learned: Dude’s good. Dude’s real good.  

Alright, I haven’t seen too many people giving this guy love when it comes to talking about winning the Heisman, so allow me to plead a case for him.  

Woods is leading the nation in receiving yards with 747 and is tied for third with six touchdowns. Woods made an impact early this season when he had 177 yards receiving and three touchdown receptions against Minnesota in the first game of the season.  

I know USC is an afterthought in most people’s minds because of sanctions, but Woods deserves a little love.

Landry Jones

What we learned: Well, Landry Jones’ start to the season isn’t exactly what Heisman voters thought it would be.  

It’s still early in the season, but Jones is going to have to step up his game the rest of the year if he wants to be recognized as the best player in college football.

Oklahoma has a great team, and they will be contending for a national championship the rest of the year, so the platform is there for Jones.

So far this season, he has completed nearly 72 percent of his passes while throwing for 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.

While those aren’t exactly Heisman-like numbers, Jones still has plenty of games left in the season to pad those stats.

Denard Robinson

What we learned: Robinson is more dangerous with his feet rather than his arm, but we pretty much already knew that.  

Shoelace—you know, the guy that plays quarterback—has rushed for 603 yards while averaging 7.6 yards per carry and rushing for six touchdowns.

To go along with that, Robinson has passed for 793 yards and has eight touchdowns with six interceptions. 

As long as Robinson can keep his interceptions down and keep Michigan winning football games, he’ll be a top candidate for taking home that Heisman trophy.