Heisman Trophy Watch: Andrew Luck and the 7 Other Top Contenders

The Heisman Trophy and its annual presentation are the apex of college football; a timeless night for all in attendance. The Nokia Theatre at Times Square is packed year in and year out with the current and past faces of the college game.

The award, having been around longer than The Grammys or The Emmys, has a rich history. The Heisman does not just stand for the nation’s best player, but it represents a charismatic leader, a determined winner and a potential national champion.

Before dissecting and analyzing a current Heisman race, you have to understand some of the history of the award. Through 76 presentations, only three times has someone other than a quarterback or running back won the award. The last time it was won by a wide receiver was Desmond Howard of Michigan in 1991. On the defensive side of the ball, the award has only been won once by current Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.

Keeping all of that in consideration, here are my six top Heisman Trophy Contenders.

8. Robert Griffin III, Baylor Quarterback

Griffin III put his stamp on this college football season early on with his September 2nd performance against favored TCU. Griffin through for 359 yards that night and five touchdowns completing 77.8 percent of his passes.

He has led the Baylor Bears to a 4-1 record thus far, while throwing for 19 touchdowns and only one interception. Griffin III has Denard Robinson evasiveness in the backfield and the ability to throw the ball deep down field as well.

Baylor still has to play #21 Texas A & M, #6 Oklahoma State, #3 Oklahoma and #22 Texas but if Griffin III can lead his team to a few upsets throughout the fall, his offensive numbers and the team’s record will be undeniable. 

7. LaMichael James, Oregon Running Back

Few players in the nation are as exciting to watch as James. He has the quickness needed to be a star on the nation’s quickest team. Oregon prides themselves on being fast and aggressive and the tone is set by their star back James.

Despite his gruesome looking injury against Cal last week, rumor has it James will be back this season possibly as soon as this Saturday against #18 Arizona State meaning he will keep on rolling along.

With over 1,000 yards of total offense this season and 9 touchdowns, his numbers are strong. That, in addition to his prolific ability to break any run for a big gain has him in great position (given a strong Oregon finish) for Heisman consideration.

6. Denard Robinson, Michigan Quarterback

Denard Robinson’s explosiveness and innate ability to keep plays alive is what makes him so special. His agility and speed are unparalleled at the quarterback position and he also has a cannon for an arm.

In 2010, Robinson had a total of 32 touchdowns (14 rushing, 18 passing) and recorded over 4,200 yards of total offense. He completed 65.2 percent of his passes, showing that he could sit back in the pocket and deliver the ball with accuracy. 

Through six weeks of the season, Michigan is 6-0, winning their games by an average of 25 points a game. They have yet to play a ranked opponent, but just like last year, Robinson is an offensive wrecking ball. He has 18 total touchdowns through six weeks (eight rushing, 10 passing) and nearly 2,000 yards of total offense.

Robinson leads the Wolverines to in-state rival #23 Michigan State this weekend and the Wolverines still have #16 Illinois and #14 Nebraska on their schedules, but if Robinson keeps this up, he will definitely be in discussion. 

5. Trent Richardson, Alabama Running Back

With the departure of Mark Ingram Jr. for the NFL, Trent Richardson, after buying his time and splitting carries with the former Heisman winner, was given the keys to the backfield.

Richardson gets set behind the line of scrimmage standing at only 5 foot 11 inches and weighing 224 pounds. He doesn't let his size phase him by running down field and angry. He has incredibly quickness and side to side mobility that consistently makes defenders miss in the open field but if he needs to finish a run, he is more than willing to drop his head and run through someone as well.

Statistically speaking, Richardson is having a tremendous season thus far. He has nearly 900 total yards of offense (729 rushing) and his carries go for an average of 6.3 yards. He has found the end zone 12 times and if the Crimson Tide keep on rolling he just may get an invitation to New York in December.   

4. Landry Jones, Oklahoma Quarterback

Jones is in a great position through six weeks. He’s on a national championship contender, he plays the most vital position on the field and most importantly, he plays that position well and with ease.

Jones numbers through five games have only gotten better week in and week out. His best performance of the season came last Sunday in the highly anticipated Red River Rivalry against Texas where he threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns while completing 67 percent of his passes.

Overall this season Jones has only thrown 13 touchdowns, not the nation’s best output, but he does have over 1,800 passing yards, a completion percentage of 69.3 and a quarterback rating of 159.6

If Oklahoma stays hot, and Jones leads them to an undefeated season, he will get plenty of Heisman consideration.

3. Kellen Moore, Boise State Quarterback

No matter what your stance is on the BCS system and the way it ranks teams and decides the bowl games and national championship, you cannot deny what Kellen Moore has done since 2008.

He is now a senior at Boise State and in three and a half seasons, has netted 12,258 passing yards. He’s thrown 119 touchdowns and only 23 interceptions. His completion percentage on average since 2008 is 70.75.

Boise State seems poised for another undefeated season and a top-five finish in the BCS rankings meaning Kellen Moore is going to get the credit and recognition he deserves.

He will definitely be in the room when the winner is announced.

2. Russell Wilson, Wisconsin Quarterback

Wilson was the water cooler talk of the college football off season because of his move to Wisconsin from North Carolina State. He is talked about as an impressive leader both on the field and off the field and he has the charisma and swagger of former Heisman winner, Cam Newton. Newton, coincidentally also transferred, played one year, and won both a national championship and a Heisman.

Wilson had three solid years at NC State but was never seen or talked about as anything special primarily because he didn’t have a tremendous team around him. He thus made the switch to Wisconsin for his senior year where he would be immersed in a better system, with better coaching and support.

Wilson this year is doing a few things incredibly well. He is completing 74.8 percent of his passes, has a 13:1 touchdown to interception ratio, a 216.9 quarterback rating.

The most impressive part of Wilson’s Heisman resume is his team’s 5-0 record and barring some SEC and Big 12 drama, he may have a serious shot at a national championship. 

1. Andrew Luck, Standord Quarterback

When you’re the talk of the town and you are the subject of the current NFL “sweepstakes”, you’re doing something right. That is just where Luck sits right now, the talk of the town. NFL teams are already considering finishing the season with the league’s worst record, earning the number one overall pick in an effort to draft Luck.

Luck’s resume speaks for itself of course. His first two years at Stanford were beyond solid. He threw for an average of 2,957 yards, 23 touchdowns and only threw 12 interceptions over both seasons.

This year, he has Stanford clicking on cylinders and the team is playing as good of football as their Pac-12 foe Oregon in addition to other national powerhouses like Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU and Wisconsin.

Stanford is winning games by an average of 35 points per game this season and depending on how their Nov 12th matchup with #9 Oregon goes, they could be in contention for a national championship as well.