Heisman Watch 5th Edition

It was a flat out unbelievable week in college football. Maybe one of the best ever in college football. I wrote this later than usual mainly because I was emotionally drained from last week. Along with a great week of college football, we had unbelievable play from some Heisman contenders.1. Vince Young, QB, Texas, Jr.

This is Vince’s 5th consecutive time at number one on my list. With every game he plays, I feel like he deserves the Heisman more and more. His play last week was overshadowed by the wild games last week but Vince really played very well. Against Colorado he completed 25-29 for 336 yards and 2 TD’s. He also ran 10 times for a total of 58 yards and 3 TD’s. He can beat you with his arm, he can beat you with his legs and he can beat you with his heart. The fact is Vince comes up big in big games and leads his team to victory week in and week out. When big plays are needed, he is looked to by his teammates and his coaches; Texas just isn’t the same team without Vince Young. This I think is were him and Reggie Bush are separated. Yes Bush can do amazing things and is a very exciting player but can he lead his team to victory? Can his team depend on him? Can he play big when there’s 2 minutes left on the clock when USC needs a touchdown? This is where Vince Young and Reggie Bush are separated.

2. Reggie Bush, RB, USC, Jr.

Bush was one of the players involved in that unbelievable game between USC and Notre Dame. Reggie Bush will probably be remembered not only for his great play in the game, but for the “Bush push” which won USC the game. And rightfully so. He did cheat and that still gnaws at me when considering Reggie for the Heisman. Bush rushed for 15 times for 160 yards and 3 TD’s. He saved the day for Matt Leinart and USC. As said earlier, I’m not sure Bush has the intangibles or the leading ability quite yet. But he’s really made sure that USC hasn’t fallen too far with the average play of Matt Leinart. The Heisman race is heating up!

3. Matt Leinart, QB, USC, Sr.

Matt Leinart seems to have disappointed up to this point. He came back for his senior year to enjoy his last year of college and I don’t think it’s turning out as planned. Last week, he completed 17 of 32 passes 302 yards and 2 INT’s. The only real bright points of the game for him were the gutsy audible and the great pass to Dwayne Jarrett. Other than that his play was pretty dismal. I think if he continues with this play he could move down to #4. He’s not playing like the leader he’s supposed to be for USC. We will have to watch him closely next week to see if he can rebound from his horrible play.

4. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame, Jr.

Brady is one of the most improved players from last year. He’s been a great QB so far and has played incredibly well in Charlie Weis’ system. In last week’s game against USC he played like a champion. He led his team down the field late in the 4th quarter and played great for the entire game. He threw for 264 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He also rushed for a TD but his stats don’t show all he did in that game. He led his troops against the #1 team in the nation and fought valiantly. Hopefully Brady will keep his head high and go into the next game full of confidence. If he plays as valiantly as he did last game, he could be taking Leinart’s spot as #4 in the Heisman race.

5. Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota, Jr.

Laurence and Minnesota suffered an absolutely devastating loss against Wisconsin. I will spare the hearts of Minnesota fans by not repeating what most of us saw and get down to business. You can’t fault Maroney for the loss after he rushed for 258 yards on 43 carries and scored a TD. Maroney is the epitome of a workhorse. Day in and day out, he gets out there and rushes for 40+ carries which most college backs don’t do. He gets yardage and can pound at opposing defenses. The coaching staff goes with him as much as they can because of his sheer ability. With the amount of carries he gets, the 2,000 yard mark is definitely in sight. Next week, Minnesota will be playing Ohio State and Laurence Maroney will be facing some of the best linebackers in the country. If he can grind out for as many yards as he has been gaining in the past few games, he is definitely the real deal.

Outside looking in:

Maurice Drew, RB, UCLA, Jr.
Maurice, unfortunately, is the odd man out this week with great play from other players in the nation. Drew is becoming a premiere dual-threat back and is tearing apart defenses. He’s playing great for UCLA and is making the matchup between UCLA and USC more and more exciting.

Cody Hodges, QB, Texas Tech, Sr.
Hodges is a 5th year senior and has been in the Texas Tech system for years. He’s making his way into the Heisman race with his unreal amount of passing yards. Last week, he threw for 643 yards and 5 TD’s. Enough said.

Brian Calhoun, RB, Wisconsin, Jr.
Calhoun is quietly doing the little things for Wisconsin. He rushed for 110 yards in a thrilling win against Minnesota. Calhoun is against all odds, going up against many other great backs but I must commend him for his play so far this season.