Heisman Trophy Predicitons: Predicting the Finalists and Winner so Far

With the release of the first BCS rankings, college football season is starting to heat up. 

And with BCS talk also comes talk of the Heisman Trophy.

We have seen many unbelievable performances out of many players so far this season.

Andrew Luck has been outstanding, as has Kellen Moore, both finalists last season in the Heisman Trophy race.

We have also seen Heisman Trophy candidates go down with injuries in the past few weeks.

Oregon's LaMichael James, a 2010 finalist, dislocated his elbow, and South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore inured his knee.

It may be a bit early to speculate on the finalists who will travel to New York City for the trophy presentation, but there are definitely clear favorites at this point in the season.

Honorable Mention

Kellen Moore

Landry Jones

Tyrann Mathieu

Tajh Boyd

Sammy Watkins

5. Ryan Broyles

You could argue that Ryan Broyles' quarterback, Landry Jones, or Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore should be No. 5, but Broyles has been the best player on arguably the best team in the country so far in 2011.

In six games, Broyles has hauled in 60 passes for 815 yards and nine touchdowns, only failing to reach the 100-yard mark against the nasty Florida State Seminole defense.

If Broyles can keep having performances like he did last week against Kansas—13 receptions, 217 yards and two touchdowns—he will find himself in New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation.

4. Robert Griffin III

If you had asked me if Robert Griffin III would be a top five Heisman candidate before the season, I would have told you that you were crazy, but he has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football on a surprise Baylor team.

RG3 has thrown for 22 touchdowns thus far to just two, yes TWO, interceptions. To go along with 1,950 yards and a 78-percent completion percentage, he has some of the best numbers in college football.

Three times he has thrown for five touchdowns in a game and has only failed to throw multiple touchdowns once, in a 49-26 victory over Iowa State.

RG3 has as good a case as anyone to have a seat in New York City in December at the Heisman Trophy presentation. 

3. Russell Wilson

What Russell Wilson has done for Wisconsin this year has been incredible. 

He was certainly good at North Carolina State, but he has been great for the Badgers, making them a legitimate national championship contender. 

In six games, Wilson has only thrown one interception to 14 touchdowns. He also has two touchdowns on the ground and one receiving touchdown.

You may not have expected Wilson to be on this list at the beginning of the season, but he has definitely earned his spot at No. 3 with his play through six weeks.

Wilson will, without a doubt, have a seat in New York City in December and could improve his position on this list with superior play in the remaining games on the Badgers' schedule. 

2. Trent Richardson

You would think that a team would slip a bit on offense when they lose a player like Mark Ingram to the NFL but not Alabama—they have Trent Richardson.

The man already has 15 touchdowns in just seven games. He averages over two TDs a game to go along with his 912 rushing yards and 179 receiving yards with a score.

He is probably one of the hardest men in college football to bring down and has a good chance to lead the Crimson Tide to another BCS national championship.

His latest performance is probably his best, as he scored four touchdowns against Ole Miss to go along with 183 yards on just 17 carries.

Richardson has only failed to eclipse the 100-yard milestone once this season, in a game against Kent State in which he only got 13 rushes in a blowout victory.

It will be exciting to see Richardson perform down the stretch to see if he can close the gap between himself and the No. 1 player on this list. 

1. Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck is the best player in college football, and he is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

He is also going to win the 2011 Heisman Trophy after finishing second to Cam Newton last season.

Through six games, Luck has passed for 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions to go along with 1,719 yards.

Luck has passed for multiple touchdowns in each of his games this season.

With big games against Notre Dame and Oregon on the horizon, Luck has a chance to separate himself from the competition with superb performances in both of those games.

He is an exciting guy to watch on Saturdays, as he gives it his all on every play, and he should hear his name called on Dec. 10, 2011 as the winner of the 2011 Heisman Trophy.