BCS Standings: Week 9 Games That Will Affect the Heisman Trophy Race

It's the Heisman countdown.

With only five weeks remaining in the 2011 college football regular season, there are just a smattering of chances for the Heisman candidates to solidify their profiles for contention.

All eyes will be on the contenders from week to week, and the upcoming slate of games provides little deviation.

We saw two teams with Heisman hopefuls lose on Saturday in Wisconsin and Oklahoma, but both will have opportunities to reclaim some luster this weekend.

Here is a look at some Week 9 games that will impact that Heisman race.

Oklahoma at Kansas State

Landry Jones and the Oklahoma Sooners were shocked Saturday night in Norman by Seth Doege and the Texas Tech Red Raiders 41-38.

The Sooners will have a chance to knock off a stout Big 12 opponent next weekend, as Jones looks to climb back into the Heisman picture.

The trip to Manhattan to face Kansas State will be no easy task for Oklahoma, but a top performance—and more importantly a win—for the Sooners will serve as some atonement for their shortcomings this past Saturday.

Quite fittingly, for a trophy that rewards the individual that most recipients would deem a team award, both Jones and Oklahoma have a chance to bounce back in an impressive way against Bill Snyder's tenacious Kansas State team.

Wisconsin at Ohio State

Much like Landry Jones and Oklahoma, Russell Wilson and Wisconsin experienced their own dramatic defeat this past weekend.

The Badgers were victimized by a last-ditch, Hail Mary effort from Kirk Cousins, as the Spartans benefited heavily from the replay booth.

But Bret Bielema will have his Badgers re-focused and re-energized for their trip to the Horseshoe.

By the statistics, Wilson had his worst game of the season. But against a traditionally powerful college football program, the senior will have his chance to respond in a tough road environment.

Like Jones, Wilson may have fallen a couple of rungs down the ladder, but he will have several opportunities to rebound with force.

Baylor at Oklahoma State

Back to the Big 12, a conference that features a wealth of talented quarterbacks, Baylor's trip to Stillwater will feature a couple of the conference's best.

Baylor's Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden have put together a couple of the more statistically-impressive campaigns so far in 2011, as both have upheld their Heisman profiles.

This one figures to be a highly offensive contest, as both teams boast prolific offenses, but neither have a defense that rates very well.

Next weekend's matchup could provide quite the bump in stats for either quarterback.

But how will that sway the Heisman voters?

Stanford at USC

Stanford's Andrew Luck has the benefit of a spotless record in his Heisman resumé.

The senior put up another solid—but not sparkling—game against No. 25 Washington, arguably the Cardinal's stiffest test yet.

Nevertheless, Luck has shown great decision-making and composure in his final season. In next weekend's rivalry game against USC, Luck will have another chance to show his slow and steady pace.

At the rate other Heisman candidates are faltering, Luck could find himself in a position to win by default.

While that is hardly the admirable quality in Luck, he still has a handful of games to dazzle the voters. A bright spot in Pasadena could be the start of that.