Trent Richardson

Before Mark Ingram won the Heisman Trophy in 2009, Alabama — surprisingly — had never had a Heisman Trophy-winning player. Now suddenly, it seems as if there is a chance that the Crimson Tide could have two winners in three years.

Widely regarded as the most physical and dominating running back in the nation, Trent Richardson had a season full of highlights and big stat lines, all while helping Alabama (almost assuredly) get to another BCS title game.

Richardson finishes the year with 1,583 yards rushing on the season and 20 rushing touchdowns to go with 327 yards receiving and three more scores through the air. The junior is likely headed to New York City as a Heisman finalist at the very least.

Case Keenum

Twelve wins, FBS passing records and the chance at a BCS bowl were what characterized Case Keenum’s final season in a Houston uniform. Unfortunately for Keenum’s Heisman hopes, however, the final thing that will characterize his season is a loss, and a disappointing one at that.

A victory Saturday would have given Houston a BCS bowl bid and given Keenum a real argument to be included in any Heisman discussion. Who could ignore the records broken and the statistics levied against C-USA opponents by the senior quarterback?

But two interceptions and an inability to close the deal Saturday likely closed the book on Keenum’s hopes for the trophy, as his 373 yards and two touchodwns will likely not be enough to sway voters in his favor.

Keenum finishes the season with an incredible 5,099 passing yards and 45 passing touchdowns, all of which helped him break a variety of FBS records. But a loss of this magnitude is crushing, and although Keenum’s name will be in the record books for some time to come, it won’t likely be because of a Heisman Trophy.

Andrew Luck

From the start of the season, Andrew Luck was the Heisman favorite. Through the first two months of the season, Andrew Luck was the Heisman favorite. To many, his name was already on the trophy after no candidate had presented themselves as contenders for the trophy. Then all of a sudden, the race was tight. Candidates around the country were suddenly on everyone’s mind, as Luck’s story seemed to become old.

But did Luck’s stock fall enough to prevent the Stanford quarterback from winning the trophy? Or do Luck’s nearly season-long support and impressively strong numbers on the season give him what it takes to win the most prestigious trophy in college football? It’s a debate that is not easy to settle.

Luck finished the season with 3,170 passing yards and 35 touchdowns on the season against just nine interceptions. The presumed frontrunner for the trophy has been challenged and will not coast to the trophy in the way many expected earlier this season. But is it still his to lose? We’ll soon find out.

Kellen Moore

The final regular season game of Kellen Moore’s brilliant collegiate career went about the way all of his others had, as Moore picked apart the defense he was faced with in exacting and efficient ways, leading Boise State to another dominating victory and another statement about the strength of the Broncos.

Moore threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns before being pulled in the third quarter. Though a loss to TCU late in the season likely ruined Boise State’s chance at a national title shot or even a BCS bowl bid, Moore completed one of his most effective seasons, finishing with 3,507 yards passing on the season while throwing for a school record 41 touchdowns. He also completed a Boise State best 300 passes this season.

Though Moore likely wont be winning the Heisman Trophy, his success in these past years have shown the ever-improving strength of the offenses in the non-AQ conferences, and the ever-building momentum of those long forgotten schools.

Robert Griffin III

Playing in what could prove to be his last game in a Baylor uniform, Griffin took the opportunity to impress Heisman voters one last time on a national stage with an all-around performance against Texas in the Bears’ 48-24 victory over the Longhorns on Saturday.

The dual-threat quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, while accounting for 352 total yards of offense.

Griffin spent the season entering and leaving the Heisman conversation, but certainly has made his mark on this season recently and has made his Heisman candidacy undeniable.

Griffin ends the season with 3,998 yards passing and 36 passing touchdowns to go with 644 yards rushing and nine rushing scores. Griffin also helped revive a Baylor program that was a factor in the Big 12 all season.

Trent Richardson

Saturday really could not have gone better for Trent Richardson and the Crimson Tide. Knowing that their chances for a spot in the SEC Championship Game had been ruined by LSU’s victory Friday, Alabama was playing for a likely shot in the BCS title game in its annual Iron Bowl matchup with Auburn.

Richardson and the Tide made up for a loss to Auburn last year, beating the Tigers 42-14, while the junior running back rushed for a career-high 203 yards on the afternoon.

What will be Richardson’s final impression on the Heisman voters was a good one, topped off with a five-yard touchdown catch.

Richardson finishes the year with 1,583 yards rushing on the season and 20 rushing touchdowns to go with 327 yards receiving and three more scores through the air. The junior is likely headed to New York City as a Heisman finalist at the very least.

Case Keenum

For Case Keenum the Friday after Thanksgiving gave the senior and Houston much to be thankful for.

Houston clinched a spot in the C-USA title game with its dominating 48-16 victory over Tulsa while Keenum passed for five touchdowns and 457 yards to once again fill up the stat sheet and keep his Heisman hopes more than alive.

With a game added to Keenum and Houston’s schedule, the record-breaking quarterback will have yet another opportunity to add to his FBS records and bolster his chances at a finalist spot for the Heisman.

Andrew Luck

Two weeks of substandard performance made many question Andrew Luck’s viability as a Heisman hopeful entering the final month of the week. Luck’s performance on Saturday, though, was more up to his usual effective and efficient numbers.

Luck finished with 233 yards and four touchdowns in what will be his final regular season game and the final performance Heisman voters will have to judge the senior quarterback on.

Luck finishes the year with 3,170 passing yards and 35 touchdowns on the season against just nine interceptions. The presumed frontrunner for the trophy all season will certainly have competition for this trophy, but is likely assured of a trip to New York City for the presentation as a trophy finalist.

Kellen Moore

A somewhat weak start to its game against Wyoming Saturday might have been troubling for Moore’ Heisman hopes and Boise State’s continued hopes at an at-large berth in a BCS bowl.

But a 46-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Matt Miller provided just the spark the Broncos needed, and the Broncos walked off their blue turf with another victory and Moore walked off with another great game under his belt.

Moore passed for 279 yards and three touchdowns against just one interception against the Cowboys defense. Moore has one more shot to impress Heisman voters next weekend against New Mexico. A strong performance there would do wonders for Moore’s chances at being a finalist for a second straight year.

Robert Griffin III

An apparent injury restricted Griffin from playing at all in the second half of Baylor’s game against Texas Tech on Saturday, severely hurting Griffin’s stat line.

Griffin finished with 106 yards passing and 62 yards rushing, to go with two rushing touchdowns. If Griffin’s injury isn’t too bad, he’ll get another chance to impress Heisman voters next weekend against Texas, where the national exposure could do wonders for his Heisman hopes and leave a strong final impression.

Matt Barkley

Admittedly a late addition to this Heisman watch, but junior quarterback Matt Barkley’s performance late Saturday night was one not to be forgotten.

Breaking USC and Pac-12 records time and again, Barkley finished the game with 423 yards and six touchdowns as he led the Trojans to a 50-0 beat down of USC’s crosstown rivals, UCLA.

Barkley finishes the year with 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns. Could Barkley make his way to New York City as a finalist despite USC being ineligible for postseason play? With all of the upheaval in this race recently, it wouldn’t be all too surprising.

Trent Richardson

Alabama’s home finale was all about Richardson as the Crimson Tide defense wasn’t quite up to par, leaving Richardson’s three touchdowns to be the key to another Alabama victory.

Richardson ran for 175 yards against a very game Georgia Southern team in Tuscaloosa to once again prove he (along with Wisconsin’s Monte Ball) is among the the nation’s best running backs. Is Richardson, however, good enough to warrant a Heisman trophy this season? The running back may only get one more chance to prove his worth, however, if the Crimson Tide are unable to make their way to the SEC championship game.

Either way, it will be integral for Richardson to perform well against Auburn next week in the Iron Bowl to leave voters with a good final impression.

Case Keenum

It wasn’t Keenum’s arm or Houston’s offense that shined for the Cougars on Saturday, although Keenum did set the FBS all-time record for completions. Instead it was Houston’s defense that shined Saturday against SMU, somewhat detracting from the very solid performance from Keenum on the day.

Keenum finished the day with 318 yards passing and two total touchdowns — one through the air and one on the ground — to help lead Houston to a relatively easy 37-7 victory. Houston did struggle out of the gate, but its defense shut SMU down in the key second and third quarters to secure the victory.

Keenum will next lead the Cougars against Tulsa, and a victory there would give Houston a chance at the C-USA championship game and then possibly a BCS bowl bid. Strong performances these next few weeks will be key for Keenum’s Heisman hopes.

Brandon Weeden

For weeks, Brandon Weeden and Oklahoma State worked to solidify their spots among the BCS and Heisman contenders. Weeden kept piling up the numbers and the Cowboys kept winning.

On Friday night, Weeden again posted huge numbers, 476 yards and three touchdowns, but his three interceptions and inconsistent play late kept the Cowboys from winning once again, putting a huge gash in the Cowboys’ BCS hopes.

Weeden still remains among the nation’s leaders in many passing categories and his numbers speak for themselves, but Weeden’s hopes at the trophy were certainly not helped by not taking advantage of the Cowboy’s chance in the spotlight.

Andrew Luck

On a day where everything for the favorites seemed to go south, Stanford and Andrew Luck survived an upset bid from California. Luck himself had an ordinary day by his standards, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinal’s 31-28 victory.

Luck continues to be atop many watch lists, but has seen support falter around the country. Saturday certainly wasn’t the clinching game for Luck that it could have been, and if he can’t make his way to the Pac-12 championship game, his time to prove himself above the rest of the field is dwindling. Luck and the Cardinal welcome Notre Dame to the Farm next weekend, and a strong showing there would certainly help Luck bolster his support once again.

Kellen Moore

A week after suffering a huge blow to both Boise State’s hopes at a BCS title game berth and a shot at the Heisman Trophy, Kellen Moore delivered a classic performance against San Diego State, passing for 366 yards and four touchdowns in the Broncos’ big 52-35 victory.

Connecting with 11 different receivers on the night, Moore once again proved one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the FBS, and built upon the all-time FBS career wins record, which he already holds.

Moore has two more games remaining, versus Wyoming and New Mexico, to add to his year’s stat line and bolster his chances at a return trip to NYC for the Heisman presentation.

Robert Griffin III

Somewhat forgotten in the hoopla over Andrew Luck somewhat losing his iron-clad grip on the Heisman race last week was the resurgence of Robert Griffin III.

Then, Griffin’s performance Saturday thrust the Baylor quarterback back into the thick of things. Leading his team in an upset of Oklahoma, Griffin had a classic “Heisman moment” by completing a 34-yard touchdown with eight seconds left to complete a game-winning drive.

Griffin finished with 479 yards and four touchdowns to go with 72 yards on the ground to once again show the nation what a dual threat he is.

Trent Richardson

Proving once again that there are no easy weekend in the SEC, Richardson and Alabama had a difficult time getting in a groove against Mississippi State.

Richardson did, however, record 127 yards and a touchdown on the ground combined with 26 more yards through the air. It was Richardson’s score in the fourth quarter that all but sealed the tough victory for the Crimson Tide.

The junior’s Saturday night performance gives Richardson more than 1,000 yards on the season for the first time in his career to go with his 17 touchdowns.

Case Keenum

When 325 passing yards and three touchdown passes is an off day, you know you’ve put together a statistical season for the ages.

Houston quarterback Case Keenum has posted some of the best stat lines in the entire country this season, but Thursday’s performance from Keenum was uncharacteristically slow. Still, the all-time leader in touchdowns in FBS history had a strong night, and has solidified his name as one to watch as we reach the final portion of the college football season.

Two more games remain for Keenum and the Cougars — SMU and Tulsa — and with two more strong Keenum-esque performances, the Cougar signal-caller might just be able to throw a wrench into the Heisman race.

Russell Wilson

Teetering on the edge of the Heisman race, Russell Wilson had an inspired day against Minnesota, finishing 16-of-17 and passing for a season-high four touchdowns.

Wilson’s day could have been perfect, but receiver Nick Toon dropped Wilson’s final attempt mid-way through the third quarter, even though the pass was on the money. The performance likely keeps Wilson in the conversation at least for another week, but what is truly helping Wilson’s candidacy is the resiliency of Wisconsin after losing two straight. The senior’s performance will likely be weighed against the Badgers’ overall performance in the weeks to come.

Andrew Luck

Seemingly the leader in this race for weeks and weeks, Andrew Luck once again had a strong night against a tough Pac-12 foe. This time, however, Stanford was not able to pull of victory. And Luck’s stat line somewhat belied the actual performance he left on the field. Luck finished the night with 227 yards and three touchdowns.

Uncharacteristically, he also threw two interceptions, although the blame for one did not fall squarely on Luck’s throw. So now the question becomes, is the race open once again?

Luck still seems to be the prohibitive favorite here, and by a large margin. With a loss and a less-than-stellar performance, however, the question remains. Who, if anyone, will challenge Luck for this trophy?

Kellen Moore

Year in and year out, Boise State looks to break into the BCS conversation as a school with an outsider’s shot and an outsider’s mentality. Kellen Moore also has spent the past few seasons trying to break into the Heisman conversation and win the trophy from a non-AQ conference, something that is becoming more and more difficult to do. Moore, however, did make his way to New York City as a Heisman finalist last year, and Boise State seems just on the edge of breaking into the title game every season.

Unfortunately for both hopes, losses do no favors in terms of making the rest of the country believe you’re on the same level as the more well-exposed teams and quarterbacks. And when TCU beat Moore and the Broncos Saturday, both hopes were seemingly dashed.

Of course, Moore had another strong statistical performance, passing for more than 320 yards and two touchdowns, but the loss will certainly hurt his chances at the trophy itself.

Andrew Luck holds on tight to the top spot in all of the polls, but suddenly we have a very interesting race for the No. 2 spot in the Heisman race, as well as new and surging candidates in Case Keenum and Brandon Weeden who could make plenty of noise in the closing weeks of this season.

With a chance to solidify his spot at No. 2 or even jump Andrew Luck in at least a few ballots, Trent Richardson didn’t put on the all-out performance he likely needed against LSU. As a result, Luck is well ahead of the rest of the pack. Kellen Moore even moves up into the No. 2 spot in a few ballots this week, leaving room for the winningest quarterback in FBS history to possibly make a late run at the trophy.

Off to the races!

Heisman Pundit Heisman Poll

1. Andrew Luck
2. Trent Richardson
3t. Kellen Moore
3t. Case Keenum
5. Brandon Weeden

ESPN Experts Poll

1. Andrew Luck
2. Kellen Moore
3. Trent Richardson
4. Case Keenum
5. Brandon Weeden

CBS Sports Heisman Watch

1. Andrew Luck
2. Trent Richardson
3. Brandon Weeden
4. Kellen Moore
5. Case Keenum

Sports Illustrated Heisman Watch

1. Andrew Luck
2. Trent Richardson
3. Kellen Moore
4. Case Keenum
5. Brandon Weeden

BCS Know How Heisman Watch

1. Andrew Luck
2. Kellen Moore
3. Trent Richardson
4. Landry Jones
5. Russell Wilson

Consensus

1. Stanford QB Andrew Luck (25)
2. Alabama RB Trent Richardson (18)
3. Boise State QB Kellen Moore (17)
4. Houston QB Case Keenum (8)
5. Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden (6)

Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson (2); Oklahoma QB Landry Jones (1)

Again a first-place vote is worth five points, a second-place four, and so on until a fifth place vote is worth one point.

Any other suggestions of Heisman Watches to add? Let me know!

This Heisman Watch is from Aug. 19. To see the most recent edition of BCS Know How’s Heisman Watch, scroll down to the end of this post. Thanks!

Trent Richardson

Back-up to a Heisman winner. Replacement for an injured Heisman winner. At times, out-performing a Heisman winner.

This was Trent Richardson’s 2010. What can he do to make 2011 even more special? Well compete for a Heisman of his own, of course.

As backup to Mark Ingram, Richardson’s profile was somewhat diminished at the beginning of last season, but this year, Richardson comes into the season with the gig and the hype to match.

Richardson hit the ground running at Alabama with a key performance in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, one that keyed the Crimson Tide’s victory over Texas. Now in 2011, the junior has a chance to lead his team all season, and with the national media electing Alabama as the preseason favorite for a return bid to BCS glory, Richardson will be squarely in the viewfinder of the media, in prime position for a Heisman run of his own.

Landry Jones

Sam Bradford’s shoulder and Landry Jones’s career will forever be linked. But with the right kind of 2011, Jones could see another link appear between the two Sooner legends — Heisman Trophy recipients.

Jones’s early days at Oklahoma were marked by his substitution for Bradford after rough hits against BYU and Texas in 2009. But ever since that Red River Rivalry game in ’09, the Sooners have been Jones’s team.

After an up-and-down 2011 for the senior that did result in a BCS bowl victory, Oklahoma’s first since 2002, but little Heisman consideration.

Expect that to change in 2011 as Jones and Oklahoma are favored to join Alabama in the national title game. If Jones is able to lead his Sooners to New Orleans in January, it would surprise no one to also see his face in New York in December.

LaMichael James

Speed, speed and more speed. That was Oregon’s offensive attack in 2010. Expect more of the same in 2011.

At the heart of this Duck plan of attack is of course LaMichael James, the speedster who finished 2010 with a nation’s-best 1,682 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

James will be the dangerous Pac-12 back everyone expects him to be, but will his national profile continue to be as large as it was while Oregon was on its way to a BCS National Championship Game berth? The answer to that question will be key to whether James can jump from a third-place finish in last year’s balloting for the Heisman to lifting the trophy come December.

Don’t be surprised to see James’s name atop many of those Heisman watch lists (this one included) if the Ducks can march back to the title game in 2011.

Andrew Luck

After Andrew Luck spent 2010 staking his claim as the nation’s best pro-style quarterback, the NFL called to Andrew Luck. With pro scouts drooling over Luck’s arm and intellect, he was projected as the year’s No. 1 overall pick.

But Luck wanted to stay in school. To many, it seemed foolish. But now, Luck returns to college football as the de facto favorite for the Heisman trophy in 2011 after finishing second to Cam Newton in 2010.

Luck will take on the new Pac-12 in 2011, but don’t expect different results. Luck is sure to once again pick apart the best the expanded conference can offer, and will be in the Heisman conversation for the long haul.

Did Luck make the right decision? Many might say no, unless Luck is to win the trophy. But don’t be surprised if he ends up doing just that.

Kellen Moore

Idaho is not exactly a bastion of quarterbacking legend. Rare is it that the nation’s premiere passer — and winner — resides in the state. But there Kellen Moore is, with just two losses to his name, a BCS bowl victory and all kinds of scintillating passing numbers.

Moore returns in 2011 as a household name of college football, ranked by the Sporting News as the very best college football player in the country. With that comes the expectation that on the iconic blue field he will once again make a run at the Heisman Trophy.

Moore spent much of last year near the top of Heisman watch lists, but never could quite push past the sheer domination of Cam Newton, the eventual trophy recipient. For his redshirt senior year, Moore will be at the top of the list again, but this time as the old guard — and to some the favorite.

His Boise State team is once again ranked in the top 10 in preseason balloting, and Moore will certainly look to break the Broncos into the national title discussion again. If he can finally break that barrier for the non-AQ schools, there will be no denying Moore’s place among the all-time great winners in college football history, and might just mean a Heisman is waiting in New York City for him.

Others to Watch

Matt Barkley

Now in his third year as the starter at USC, Barkley will look to lead the Trojans despite the postseason ban continuing as part of the NCAA sanctions against the school. A second year under the tutelage of Lane Kiffin might give the junior a better grasp on the offense, and a possible Heisman run may await.

Justin Blackmon

Blackmon did quite a number on Big 12 defenses last season, and returns in 2011 looking to do more. A DUI charge likely halted his Heisman hopes in 2010, but with a new season comes possibility for this junior.

Case Keenum

Injuries decimated Keenum’s run at a Heisman last season, but the gaudy passer in Houston’s air-attack offense is back for another year, and if he can withstand the injury bug, could put up numbers that will shock voters in considering the sixth-year senior.

Marcus Lattimore

A breakout freshman year in a Steve Spurrier offense did wonders for Lattimore’s national recognition, and helped South Carolina win the SEC East. Now in 2011, Lattimore, along with Richardson, is one of the premiere offensive players in the SEC. That’s been a good thing to say these past couple years — Cam Newton and Mark Ingram will tell you that — can Lattimore do more of the same?

Denard Robinson

Michigan’s dual-threat quarterback was all the rage in 2010 while his team was undefeated and Robinson looked like an early-season favorite for the award. The meat of the Big Ten schedule certainly returned Robinson to earth. Can 2011 be different for the dynamic athlete?

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 season preview, we will be breaking down our ten favorite Heisman hopefuls to get you ready for this season’s edition of the Heisman Watch.

Here’s our No. 7 selection, Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum.

It’s a question that faces Heisman voters and prognosticators ever year.

Can a quarterback in an overwhelmingly pass-happy offense be given legitimate Heisman consideration even if their statistics are an obvious product of their system?

In years past, Graham Harrell, Timmy Chang, Colt Brennan and Kliff Kingsbury have seemingly been hurt by a perception of statistical inflation despite their unbelievable offensive output.

In 2010, the thought process of Heisman voters will once again be put to the test when they have to evaluate another in a line of gaudy passers, Houston’s Case Keenum.

Keenum, as the face of both his Cougar squad and Conference USA, gained some Heisman support down the stretch of the 2009 season, eventually seeing his grassroots support campaign and 5,000-plus passing yards garner him an eighth place finish in last year’s Heisman voting.

But if Keenum wants to make an even bigger impression in 2010, he’s going to have to do more than just throw for 5,000 yards for a record third-straight season and bring Houston to another ten-victory season.

He’ll have to do it at an even higher level than he has in seasons past, which means eclipsing the 44 touchdowns he’s thrown each of the past two seasons and throwing far fewer than the 15 interceptions he submitted in ’09.

Keenum has the targets on offense to help him towards his goal, as the Cougars return three 1,000-yard receivers, but some may argue the only reason the receivers are as productive as they are is because of Keenum’s efficiency and production.

Still, senior James Cleveland and juniors Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards will have a lot to do with whether Keenum can improve on his two second-place and three third-place votes from last year’s Heisman balloting.

Bottom Line: Keenum will likely need to approach a variety of single-season passing records — including touchdowns (58) and passing yards (5,833) — if he wants any shot at the trophy this season. Even the people who hold those records, Colt Brennan and B.J. Symons respectively, were never realistic Heisman contenders in their record setting years (although Brennan was a finalist), so it’ll be an uphill climb for Keenum.

But if he can put together a season where the numbers come close to records, while keeping his interceptions down and leading the Cougars to an 11-win or better season, it would be truly hard to keep Keenum out of the Heisman conversation in 2010.

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 college football season preview, we will be breaking down each week’s most important games that could have BCS and postseason implications in the “Road to Glendale 2011″.

Let’s move on to week eight where the nation’s best can begin to truly separate themselves from the pack.

Oklahoma at Missouri: Saturday Oct. 23, TBA

A young, unproven Missouri team put in a surprisingly good 2009 season, leading many to believe the Tigers are a legitimate Big 12 North contender despite their continued relative youth.

It’s not a stretch to think of the Tigers as co-favorites in the North with Nebraska, especially with junior quarterback Blaine Gibbert leading the way. Full of potential and of the classic quarterback mold, only Colt McCoy was better than Gibbert in terms of Big 12 passing efficiency in ’09.

Equipped with a stable of talented receivers, Gibbert is poised to break out in 2010.

If Missouri can make its way to a Big 12 North title, this game could be a Big 12 Championship Game preview, as Oklahoma is favored to return to the top of the always-competitive Big 12 South.

Quarterback Landry Jones and running back DeMarco Murray will take to the task of replacing the lost talent from the 2009 Sooners, and could be on their way back to a BCS bowl.

It wont be easy, but both the Sooners and Tigers could be undefeated coming into this late-October matchup in Columbia, meaning this could end up being among the most important games of the Big 12 regular season.

Wisconsin at Iowa: Saturday Oct. 23, TBA

Ohio State may rule the roost when the conversation turns to Big Ten favorites in 2010, but these two squads might have something to say about it once the 2010 season actually gets started.

Beside being considered co-favorites along with the Buckeyes, the Badgers and Hawkeyes feature two skill players who are more than capable of taking over a game and making sure their team wins. And if either wants a real shot at the Big Ten conference championship, they’ll have to bring their best to this midseason clash at Iowa City.

Making things all the more interesting is the Badgers will be fresh off the marquee matchup of the Big Ten season against Ohio State just seven days earlier at Camp Randall. If the Badgers can pull the upset, this could turn into a must win for either team if they want the Big Ten championship to themselves.

The obvious key to the game will be offense, as Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi and Wisconsin running back John Clay are among the early favorites for the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. However, defense will likely play a larger role in trying to shut down the game’s skill players, and there Wisconsin might have a slight advantage—especially in the back seven.

Houston at Southern Methodist: Saturday Oct. 23, 3:30 p.m. ET

The two names you might know in this matchup—Houston quarterback Case Keenum and SMU coach June Jones—will be vitally important to each team’s success in 2010. However, in this game, the unheralded players and coaches might play the key in a game that will likely decide the C-USA West Division champion.

Houston’s stable of wide receivers and running backs, anchored by senior wideout James Cleveland and junior running back Bryce Beall, will need to step up against an SMU defense that made huge strides in 2009 and is always ready to take on the pass-happy offenses of the C-USA.

Houston could easily make its way to this matchup undefeated, while SMU will have a more difficult road, but will also likely be undefeated in early C-USA play. Both likely will be favored in all of their remaining conference battles, so this matchup is vitally important to both teams’ hopes of a C-USA championship.

SMU went from 1-11 in 2008 to 8-5 in 2009 after just one year of tutelage from June Jones. Now among the C-USA favorites, can Jones continue the improvement and bring the Mustangs to where Hawaii was when Jones took them into the national spotlight?

This game will definitely be a window into how far the Mustangs have come and whether they have made enough strides to hang with the conference’s most nationally visible program in Houston.

Other Games of Note: LSU at Auburn, Wyoming at BYU,  Notre Dame at Navy, Alabama at Tennessee.

This is seventh in a series of conference profiles as part of BCS Know How’s season preview. Today’s conference is Conference USA.

Conference: Conference USA (C-USA)

Active Since: 1995

Current Member Schools: Houston Cougars, Rice Owls, Southern Methodist (SMU) Mustangs, UTEP Miners, Tulane Green Wave, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, UAB Blazers, Central Florida Knights, East Carolina Pirates, Marshall Thundering Herd, Memphis Tigers, Southern Mississippi (USM) Golden Eagles. (12)

Bowl Affiliations: New Orleans Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, EagleBank Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl, Liberty Bowl. (6)

2009 Results:
Conference Champion – East Carolina
Conference Runner-up – Houston
Overall Bowl Record: 2-4
AP All-Americans: Memphis P Matt Reagan
Heisman Vote Recipients: Houston QB Case Keenum

2010 Outlook: Do you enjoy offense? Well, if you do, Conference USA would be a conference to watch in 2010. Every major contender in the conference has threats on the offensive side of the ball, and that conversation starts with Houston and their nationally recognized quarterback, Case Keenum.

Keenum put together a statistically brilliant season in ’09, passing for more than 5800 yards and 48 TDs. For his performance, he was rewarded with a variety of honors, but Keenum was unable to bring his Cougars a C-USA championship. Expect Keenum and Houston to be motivated to give the conference crown another shot.

Two-time defending conference champion East Carolina will be trying to string together a third title under the tutelage of new coach Ruffin McNeill, but it will be difficult to maintain their recent success with a defensive roster that was depleted by graduation.

Rice running back Sam McGuffie could make an immediate impact on C-USA play after sitting out a transfer-required year after leaving Michigan behind in 2008, only strengthening the conference’s overall offensive prowess.

Coach June Jones at SMU seems to moving the Mustangs in the same direction he pushed Hawaii when he was overseeing some of the most production quarterbacks and offenses of the past few decades, and with a large contingent of returning starters from last year’s 8-5 squad, SMU could be poised to make a move into national prominence.

A mid season meeting between SMU and Houston may hold the key to the West Division crown and the winner may be on the fast track to the C-USA conference title.

Marshall, Tulsa and Southern Miss are also all improved and are are a part of what could be a very strong conference come the end of the 2010 season.

2010 Heisman Hopefuls: Houston QB Case Keenum, Rice RB Sam McGuffie, Southern Miss WR DeAndre Brown

BCS Know How’s 2010 Predictions:
Conference Champion – Southern Methodist (9-3, 8-0)
Conference Runner-up – Central Florida (8-4, 6-2)
Heisman Finalists: None

Mark Ingram

There’s a lot to be said of the mediocrity of this year’s crop of Heisman candidates. It seems like no one really wants to assert themselves. Save one.

Mark Ingram continued a dominating season on Saturday, rushing for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He even was helped off the field after suffering a pretty painful looking gash on his forehead on his first TD run, sat out just the remainder of the quarter, and got back into the action without missing a beat starting in the third quarter. Do you know anyone capable of that?

There is little doubt now who the Heisman frontrunner is, and Ingram’s 70 yard dash midway through the fourth quarter is the stuff of Heisman highlight reels, it’s his trophy to lose.

Case Keenum

True, his statistics continued to shine at the helm of one of the nation’s most pass happy offenses, but Houston’s devastating loss to Central Florida will likely hurt Case Keenum’s Heisman hopes. Rare in recent Heisman history have non-BCS school candidates made the trip to NYC, but in nearly every case, those participants were part of highly ranked, BCS buster-type squads, making noise on the national stage. Now that the Cougars are no longer in that category, Keenum might find it more difficult to see NYC in his future.

Keenum did perform well on Saturday, but was unable to bring his team back from a third straight second half deficit, his 377 yards and three touchdowns were simply not enough to overcome a UCF offense that caught fire after a scoreless first period.

Colt McCoy

It’s strange that Colt McCoy leads one of the nation’s most prolific offenses, but continues to struggle to put up the big numbers that we saw all of last year from the senior quarterback’s arm. On Saturday, his Longhorns plastered the Baylor defense for 47 points, but McCoy was only responsible for two first half touchdown passes, and passed for less than 200 yards for the second time in three games. McCoy is still among the Heisman favorites in this weak field, but even his big name might not be enough if he continues to fill scorecards with mediocre numbers.

Tim Tebow

Tebow and his Gators made some history on Saturday against South Carolina, but the senior quarterback did nothing truly great to boost his Heisman candidacy. Tebow tied the career touchdown record in SEC history, accounting for two on the day – one through the air and one on the ground. This year’s edition of the Gators is also the first squad to finish the SEC regular season undefeated since 1996.

That’s all well and grand for the Gator’s national title hopes and record books, but for Tebow, he continues to see his second Heisman trophy slip away. Tebow continues to put in games that lack the statement quality of his games in year’s past. But as we have discussed many times before, no one is truly out of this year’s race until it’s over – Tebow has hope yet.

CJ Spiller

Preseason Heisman hopeful CJ Spiller has had a string of strong performances lately and has slowly but surely crept up watch lists all around the nation to become a real player in the trophy late in the season. His performance Saturday only vindicated what many had said about the Clemson running back before season’s start, that the senior is the nation’s best running back.

And on Saturday, Spiller set out to prove that he is also the nation’s most versatile running back. Accounting for three Clemson touchdowns, Spiller scored in three different ways – passing for one, rushing for one and catching one in the end zone for a big statement game against NC State.

Important too was the fact that the Tigers are now in control of their own destiny for a BCS bowl bid, if they can beat Virginia and then Georgia Tech, they will make their way to the Orange Bowl, important for Spiller’s Heisman hopes.