Heisman Watch 2011: Projecting Legitimate Trophy Finalists

It's hard to remember a time when the Heisman race was this wide open so late in the season. With the season coming to a close, it's impossible to pick a front-runner.

The upcoming games are going to be critical, and though the field has been cut down significantly, Andrew Luck's performance against Oregon proves that it only takes one game to completely turn the Heisman race upside down.

There are a number of potential finalists still lurking in the race. Here are seven players who are in contention to be a Heisman finalist.

UPDATE: Saturday, Nov. 19 at 3:45 p.m. ET by Tim Daniels

Wisconsin running back Montee Ball kept his Heisman hopes alive with another huge game against Illinois. Ball ran for 221 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass. He has scored at least two TDs in every game this season.

Because the Badgers have lost two games, Ball isn't getting the hype he deserves in the Heisman race, but his stats are undeniable. If Wisconsin can storm back and win the Big Ten, he's definitely earned serious consideration.

Hopefully the voters took notice of his performance. Just because his team isn't in the top 10 doesn't mean he shouldn't be recognized for his consistently terrific games.

UPDATE: Saturday, Nov. 19, 3:25 p.m. ET by Donald Wood

It’s been a first half message for the Heisman voting committee today from Alabama Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson.

Richardson has run the ball 15 times for 92 yards and a touchdown while adding a touchdown reception before the half.

At this pace, Richardson could achieve almost 200 yards combined by the end of the game with as many as four touchdowns.

Numbers like that could make the choice for Heisman Trophy winner much tougher.

Update: November 19th at 2:35 p.m. ET

Andrew Luck's loss against Oregon is nothing compared to the knockout blow Brandon Weeden and Oklahoma State were dealt last night in their loss to Iowa State.

Not only did the Cowboys completely blow it and lose in overtime, Weeden's three picks were a contributing factor.

Throwing 476 yards and three touchdowns in the affair means absolutely nothing. It appeared as though Weeden's season was going to be defined next week against the Sooners. Who knew the Cyclones would rob him of that chance?

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Brandon Weeden has become the Heisman front-runner. He put up an insane 502 yards through the air and four touchdowns against Kansas State and followed it up with a 423-yard performance and five touchdowns against the Texas Tech team that fed Landry Jones a loss.

Weeden still has Oklahoma lying in front of him. Oklahoma State's offense has been unstoppable this season, and if he takes down Jones and the Sooners, he's not just a lock to be a finalist, he's a lock to win the award.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

So Andrew Luck is human. Somebody sound the alarm.

All of the hype surrounding Luck has people completely caught off guard when he makes a bad throw. Chris Owusu going down has made it so Stanford has virtually no true playmaker wide receivers in the offense.

Luck still has a chance to bounce back, but he faces an uphill battle in competing with Weeden. Weeden is throwing to Justin Blackmon in Oklahoma State's high-octane offense.

That doesn't mean that he's out of contention though. He's thrown 29 touchdowns on the season, and one bad game against the Ducks shouldn't define his season. Luck is a shoo-in for one of the finalist spots.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Trent Richardson is an absolute beast. He's the most complete back in the nation and with an incredible seven games of over 100 yards, he's the best player on one of the best teams in the entire nation.

While the No. 1-ranked Alabama defense is deservedly soaking up a lot of the attention, Trent Richardson has been the best player on the field in every game he's played in this season, including the one against LSU, where Richardson had 89 yards rushing and another 80 receiving.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

It's unclear if Case Keenum is just a product of the Houston offense, and frankly, it doesn't matter. He's the driving force behind the No. 1 offense in the nation and is putting up numbers that put Luck and Weeden's numbers to shame.

Is he taking advantage of weak Conference USA opponents, picking apart defenses with the offense that has perfected spacing out defenses and putting up insane numbers that would be impossible to attain in a major conference?

Yep.

Even so, he has to be given credit for throwing 37 touchdowns and just three picks. He's just 49 yards away from hitting the 4,000-yard mark, and his historic nine-touchdown performance against Rice launched him right into the thick of the Heisman race.

Houston is on the verge of cracking the top 10. How long is the "system quarterback" connotation going to be used as an excuse to write off ridiculously productive quarterbacks who make all the right decisions?

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

LaMichael James isn't going to let a little missed time knock him out of the Heisman race. Battling back from an ugly dislocated elbow makes his season even more unforgettable.

It's incredible that his brief time away didn't deter him from racking up 1,207 rushing yards this season. His three touchdowns and 146 yards against Stanford are even more impressive than the 288 yards he racked up against Arizona.

Many felt James was out of the race the moment he dislocated his elbow. Apparently, he didn't get the memo.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Kellen Moore took a huge hit in the Heisman race when Boise State lost to TCU. If he had managed to bring Boise State within striking distance of a national championship, he may have had a shot at winning the award.

While he's got no chance at winning the award now, he's still got a chance to be a finalist. Keenum's numbers dwarf his, and he isn't having the season that Oklahoma State is.

A win over Georgia to start the season should outweigh the one-point loss to TCU, but voters have to be stingy with the talented group of candidates in the race.

His numbers, 2,549 and 31 touchdowns, are impressive, Moore is just up against it with the crop of quarterbacks he's up against.

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Landry Jones gets to square off against Robert Griffin III and Brandon Weeden before the season ends. Jones lost to Texas Tech, but taking down those talented quarterbacks after demolishing Kansas State will make voters have a quick memory.

Jones has a chance to finish out this season with a bang and even with their ugly loss, they aren't out of the national championship picture.

He's got a solid chance at finishing the season with over 4,000 yards, and if he is able to win out, he's going to be a dark horse to win the award outright.