Kellen Moore

He threw two touchdowns, caught a touchdown, had a 54-yard punt and led his Broncos to another blowout victory, just another another normal day on the field for the Boise State quarterback, although it did come on a Tuesday.

In the Broncos 49-20 victory over Louisiana Tech on a strange Tuesday night WAC showdown in Boise Moore continued his string of efficient performance, throwing for 298 yards on 20-of-28 passing to lead his team to extend its nation-long winning streak to 21 straight games.

Moore did throw an uncharacteristic interception on the night, just his second of the season, but was well in control of the offense at all times against Louisiana Tech.

Somewhat unusually, Moore did play the entire game on Tuesday, as Moore was the only Broncos to attempt a pass other than the one that wide receiver Austin Pettis planted in Moore’s chest on a double hand off pass.

That may have been because the Bulldogs kept it slightly closer than had been expected or that Moore is actively looking to bolster his stat lines as the season comes down the stretch and the need to build stat lines increases in the ever tightening Heisman chase.

In the next few weeks Moore will have the opportunity to build more impressive stat lines, and will need to do just so if he hopes to stay in the chase.

LaMichael James

USC was ready, but obviously not ready enough, as LaMichael James ran all over the Trojan defense in a 53-32 victory — piling up 239 yards and and three scores, continuing a huge year and staying right with Cam Newton in the Heisman race.

It seemed like the Ducks were faced with a tough challenge in the USC defense, and James was not running over the Trojans like he had in previous games.

However, as the game wore on, it became clear that the Trojan defense could not keep up with any of the Ducks, and most importantly, James, giving the running back ample time to rack up the yards once again. Finally, it was James’s touchdown late in the fourth quarter that sealed the Ducks’ victory and topped off his performance.

James will spend the next four weeks hoping to lead the Ducks into a BCS title game bid, and will be needed in every game if the Ducks want to achieve that goal.

Games against Arizona, at California and at Oregon State in the “Civil War” will make or break James’s Heisman candidacy and big numbers in those games could mean a bronze trophy at the end.

Cam Newton

It wasn’t exactly the kind of run and gun stat sheet-filling performance we’re used to from Cam Newton — instead the Auburn quarterback spread his production evenly around the field in the Tigers’ 51-31 win on Saturday evening.

Newton was on the receiving end of a touchdown pass on a trick play from wide receiver Kodi Burns and passed for two more as the Tigers plastered the Rebels.

His numbers don’t exactly jump out of the page — 209 yards passing, 45 rushing and 20 yards on that touchdown catch — but his leadership and ability to create allowed the Tigers to overcome a very game looking Ole Miss team, especially in the first half.

Newton was behind Auburn converting third down after third down, which allowed their offense to stay on the field and take advantage of a somewhat porous Rebel attack.

With some less than stellar opponents coming up, these next few weeks could be a good time for Newton to juice up his production numbers before the Iron Bowl game against Alabama in the final week of the SEC regular season.

If Newton can put together a string of good performances, he’ll be destined to take a trip to the award ceremony in New York, at the very least.

Andrew Luck

Pitted in a duel between NFL-ready quarterbacks, Luck did his best impersonation of a pro quarterback, playing a quietly effective game in the Cardinal rout of Washington and keeping his name in the middle of the Heisman race.

Luck threw for 192 yards and a touchdown, but it was his 51-yard touchdown scramble on his first play from scrimmage that truly set the tone for the night and the Cardinal, the beginning of the kind of gritty performance that leads to Heisman consideration from around the country.

Luck finished the night with 92 yards rushing and helped keep Stanford alive for BCS at-large selection if Oregon keeps winning.

Luck and the Cardinal will be tested next weekend against Arizona and a strong performance there could cement his candidacy and send him on his way to one of the best seasons in Stanford history.

Terrelle Pryor

We can welcome Pryor back into the Heisman race after the Buckeye quarterback led Ohio State past Minnesota in very easy fashion.

Pryor’s stat line was similar to that of Newton’s on the day, as he passed for 222 yards and two scores and rushed for 55 and another score, showing yet again that his dual threat ability can be as dominant in the Big Ten as Newton can be in the SEC.

Pryor’s candidacy did take a hit these past two weeks after he played poorly against Wisconsin, but two straight strong efforts are good enough to get him right back into the conversation, especially because he was leading the way for a while earlier this season.

The Buckeye’s matchup with Iowa in late November could be a chance for redemption against another highly-ranked team and with a good performance, could vault him right back into the conversation.

Not a good weekend to be a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, as Denard Robinson, Ryan Mallett and Terrelle Pryor all see their Heisman stock fall.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Cam Newton excelled where others failed, and had an impressive game against Arkansas over the weekend.

Newton’s superb performance caused him to take or approach the top of all of the Heisman lists from around the country.

The poor performances also seemed to have opened up the race quite a bit to some new names.

Off to the races!

Heisman Pundit Heisman Poll

1. Cam Newton
2. Kellen Moore
3. LaMichael James
4. DeMarco Murray
5t. Andrew Luck
5t. Terrelle Pryor
5t. Justin Blackmon

ESPN Experts Poll

1. Cam Newton
2. Kellen Moore
3. LaMichael James
4. Andrew Luck
5. Justin Blackmon

CBS Sports Heisman Watch

1. Cam Newton
2. LaMichael James
3. Kellen Moore
4. Justin Blackmon
5. Andrew Luck

Sports Illustrated Heisman Watch

1. Cam Newton
2. LaMichael James
3. Kellen Moore
4. Denard Robinson
5. Terrelle Pryor

BCS Know How Heisman Watch

1. Cam Newton
2. LaMichael James
3. Kellen Moore
4. Terrelle Pryor
5. Denard Robinson

Consensus

1. Auburn QB Cam Newton (25)
2. Oregon RB LaMichael James (18)
3. Boise State QB Kellen Moore (17)
4t. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor (4)
4t. Stanford QB Andrew Luck (4)
4t. Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon (4)

Others Receiving Votes: Michigan QB Denard Robinson (3), Oklahoma RB DeMarco Murray

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!

Terrelle Pryor

Terrelle Pryor did not have what you might call a Heisman-type performance against Wisconsin on Saturday night.

Not that Pryor made the mistakes that doomed the Buckeyes to their shocking loss to Wisconsin just one week after assuming the No. 1 position in the nation, but he did nothing to give the Buckeyes that chance to come back and win.

And if the Buckeyes were to come back, it would have needed to be because of Pryor’s dominance. He just didn’t have it in him on Saturday night.

Pryor finished without any touchdowns and just 212 total yards.

Pryor’s Heisman candidacy is not dead, however the type of performance that the Buckeye quarterback put on against the Badgers will not be enough to even get him an invite to the award ceremony in December.

Many might see this as a regression to what Pryor has been the past few years — a disappointment. Pryor will have to do quite a bit in the coming weeks to prove those doubters wrong.

Cam Newton

We haven’t know Auburn quarterback Cam Newton for long, but its not hard to say that when we look back on his 2010 season, his performance against Arkansas on Saturday will go down as “vintage Cameron Newton.”

Newton did everything needed and more for a Tiger victory on Saturday in a Jordan-Hare Stadium environment that must have felt like attending an Arena Football League game.

The two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense but when Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett unfortunately went out with an apparent concussion, it turned into the Cam Newton show.

The junior quarterback threw for 140 yards and a touchdown while running for 189 more on the ground and three scores in the Tigers’ 65-43 victory over the Razorbacks at home.

But Newton’s performance had another level of significance to it. In victory, the Tigers solidified themselves as BCS title contenders, and if Newton and Auburn can continue their upward progression, there’s no denying the legitimacy of Newton’s Heisman candidacy as the leader of a title-contending team.

Denard Robinson

What we saw against a very strong Iowa defense from Denard Robinson was promising.

Just a week after struggling against Michigan State, Robinson looked like Shoelace once again for moments against the Hawkeyes, but an injury put all of that out of mind for the Wolverine faithful and new-found Robinson fans on Saturday.

Trailing Iowa in the third quarter, Robinson was taken out of the game with an apparent arm injury and did not return to action. Backup Tate Forcier took over, but was unable to lead the Wolverines on the comeback trail and Michigan would eventually lose, 38-28.

Before he left, Robinson had thrown another costly interception early and was 13-for-18 passing, but for just 73 total passing yards.

Robinson did eclipse the 100-yard mark rushing once again on Saturday, but his performance was yet again underwhelming for someone hoping to make their way toward a Heisman Trophy.

If Robinson does return in Michigan’s next game — two weeks from now against Penn State — he will need to begin producing at the super-human level he was working at before Michigan’s first loss against Michigan State if he hopes to stay in the Heisman hunt.

Kellen Moore

National title favorites fall apart. Heisman favorites struggle at the strangest times. But Kellen Moore and Boise State just keep rolling along.

Once again, Boise State had no trouble dispatching its foe during a Saturday night WAC tussle, this time throttling San Jose State, 48-0. And once again, Kellen Moore was not needed to play the whole game, yet compiled just enough of a stat line to stay right in the thick of the Heisman race.

Moore finished his night with yet another mistake-free performance, passing for two touchdowns and 218 yards on 13-of-16 passing.

Expect more of the same from Moore in the coming weeks against the likes of Louisiana Tech, Hawaii and Idaho. Moore will likely come in, get his stats, and get out.

But at the rate Heisman hopefuls are dropping out of contention these days, that might be all Moore needs for now.

LaMichael James

James and the Ducks had the weekend off and watched their national title and Heisman challengers fall all over themselves.

Oregon will next hit the field against UCLA in a prime time Thursday night Pac-10 game in Eugene, which could be yet another chance for James to make a statement with the nation watching. A strong performance at Autzen on Thursday could certainly solidify the sophomore’s Heisman candidacy.

On the season, the sophomore running back has 848 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 7.4 yards per carry and seems to be the leading candidate among the nation’s running backs for the Heisman Trophy at the season’s midway point.

Faced with his first true test of the season, Denard Robinson underwhelmed the Heisman analysts and pundits and saw his Heisman stock fall slightly.

Robinson is still in the race — and leading it by some evaluations — but sees the like of Terrelle Pryor, LaMichael James and Kellen Moore pass him in somes of the nation’s Heisman Watches.

Cam Newton makes a big splash with his four rushing touchdowns against Kentucky — all of which were needed in Auburn’s three-point victory on Saturday.

Off to the races!

Heisman Pundit Heisman Poll

1. Denard Robinson
2t. LaMichael James
2t. Kellen Moore
4. Terrelle Pryor
5. Cam Newton

ESPN Experts Poll

1. Kellen Moore
2. Terrelle Pryor
3. LaMichael James
4. Cam Newton
5. Denard Robinson

CBS Sports Heisman Watch

1. Kellen Moore
2. LaMichael James
3. Denard Robinson
4. Terrelle Pryor
5. Cam Newton

Sports Illustrated Heisman Watch

1. Denard Robinson
2. LaMichael James
3. Cam Newton
4. Terrelle Pryor
5. Kellen Moore

BCS Know How Heisman Watch

1. LaMichael James
2. Kellen Moore
3. Terrelle Pryor
4. Denard Robinson
5. Cam Newton

Consensus

1. Oregon RB LaMichael James (20)
2. Boise State QB Kellen Moore (19)
3. Michigan QB Denard Robinson (16)
4. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor (13)
5. Auburn QB Cam Newton (8)

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!

LaMichael James

It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t nearly as explosive as many had expected, but when the final gun sounded on Saturday, Oregon had finished another offensive outburst and LaMichael James had filled up the stat sheets once again.

James, who had a breakout game in the Ducks’ nationally-televised victory over Stanford last weekend, followed that 257-yard rushing performance with a 223-yard total offensive performance along with three touchdowns in the Ducks’ 43-23 victory over Washington State.

After scoring a touchdown to cap the Ducks’ opening drive, James collected most of his 87 receiving yards on a single 84-yard interception that included some of James’s nifty and agile moves that have made him one of the nation’s most dangerous backs.

In the coming weeks James will tested by the surprisingly deep Pac-10 every week, but if he can put up solid numbers like he did in Pullman on Saturday, he’ll be in the Heisman race for the long haul.

Terrelle Pryor

Injury and consistency concerns filled the lead up to this game for Terrelle Pryor, but Pryor did what he does best — rip apart porous defenses — and stayed near the top of the Heisman Watch for yet another week in 2010.

An in-tune Pryor passed for nearly 300 yards in the first half alone, and when he was pulled for backup Joe Bauserman in the third quarter, he had already amassed 334 yards passing, a career high.

His three touchdowns in the first half helped the Buckeyes jump out to a early lead against Indiana and they didn’t look back, finishing off the Hoosiers 38-10.

Pryor, who did struggle in the pocket and on the ground — rushing for a total of negative 19 yards and taking two sacks — will need to work on his decision making and pocket timing as the Buckeyes continue their Big Ten schedule, which gets more difficult next week against Wisconsin at Camp Randall.

Pryor is likely not the front runner after week six but with a few adjustments and the continued success of the Buckeyes, Pryor will be in the Heisman discussion for the foreseeable future.

Denard Robinson

Shoelace finally came undone.

After five weeks of offensive mastery, Denard Robinson was unable to match up with the defense of Michigan State and had a game that threatens his place on the Heisman Watch list just a week after claiming his place as the national Heisman favorite.

Against instate rival Michigan State — what amounted to the Wolverines’ first true test — Robinson could not find his groove.

The signs were there early, as an interception in the end zone cost the Wolverines points after a strong drive. Then Robinson overthrew a wide open receiver in the end zone on another first half drive. Robinson just didn’t have on Saturday, and to make matters worse, his Wolverines looked over-matched against the Spartans.

There were a few bright spots for Robinson on Saturday, as he broke into the 1,000-yard rushing and passing club, and scored both through the air and on the ground.

His statistical line wasn’t terrible — completing 17-of-29 for 215 yards and a touchdown along with 86 yards rushing — which should be enough to keep him in the conversation. However, his three interceptions and comparatively paltry rushing day spell a real hit on the sophomore’s Heisman hopes.

Cam Newton

It seems like in this year’s Heisman Trophy chase, if you’re a quarterback, you’d better know how to run.

Cam Newton is no exception. And on Saturday night in Lexington, Kentucky, it was his feet that allowed him to vault into the Heisman Watch, and in the process keep the Auburn Tigers undefeated.

Newton, who now famously went from Florida to community college to Auburn, ran for four touchdowns and 198 yards in the Tigers’ 37-34 victory on Saturday night over Kentucky.

His 210 yards passing were an afterthought, as was his lone interception on 13-of-21 passing on the night.

Auburn continues to shine brightly as the rest of the SEC seems doomed to beat each other up, and Newton and the Tigers can take serious advantage. With LSU and Arkansas on the docket for the next two weeks, if Newton can continue his offensive output, his Heisman hopes can only improve.

Kellen Moore

In truth the Boise State Broncos probably didn’t need Kellen Moore in their blowout victory over Toledo on Saturday night, but as is usually the case for the Broncos, they got him his numbers and took care of the opponent in the way that Boise State is used to doing.

Moore had another efficient and effective night, passing for 268 yards on 16-of-22 passing and three touchdowns against — guess what — no interceptions.

Yet again, the Broncos put their opponent away early, so Moore’s night was less stat-filled as the night wore on, but his numbers remain impressive through the Broncos first portion of the season.

In the coming weeks, the Broncos will not be tested very heavily as they run through the WAC conference schedule, so Moore will have a chance to make a big impact with his numbers on this still wide-open Heisman chase.

Another week gone by, another round of Heisman Watch lists.

Denard Robinson obviously did enough in weeks one through four to be tied with Terrelle Pryor in last week’s edition of “Watching the Watchmen” but when the Ohio State quarterback didn’t shine brightly against Illinois, Shoelace took advantage.

Against Indiana, Robinson compiled his second 200/200 game, rushing and passing for more than 200 yards and rocketed himself to the front of the Heisman Watch pack around the country.

Pryor, Kellen Moore and Mark Ingram did enough to stay in the conversation, while Andrew Luck and LaMichael James tested their wares against each other.

So lets take a look at the bigger picture.

Off to the races!

Heisman Pundit Heisman Poll

1. Denard Robinson
2. LaMichael James
3. Kellen Moore
4. Terrelle Pryor
5. Cam Newton

ESPN Experts Poll

1. Denard Robinson
2. Kellen Moore
3. LaMichael James
4. Terrelle Pyror
5. Mark Ingram

CBS Sports Heisman Watch

1. Denard Robinson
2. Kellen Moore
3. LaMichael James
4. Cam Newton
5. Terrelle Pryor

Sports Illustrated Heisman Watch

1. Denard Robinson
2. LaMichael James
3. Kellen Moore
4. Terrelle Pryor
5. Mark Ingram

BCS Know How Heisman Watch

1. Denard Robinson
2. Terrelle Pryor
3. LaMichael James
4. Kellen Moore
5. Mark Ingram

Consensus

1. Michigan QB Denard Robinson (25)
2. Oregon RB LaMichael James (17)
3. Boise State QB Kellen Moore (15)
4. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor (11)
5t. Auburn QB Cam Newton (3)
5t. Alabama RB Mark Ingram (3)

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!

LaMichael James

Saturday night’s Oregon-Stanford showdown could have been an early BCS title game elimination showdown, but it was also a Heisman test for two major players on the field in Autzen.

Stanford’s quarterback Andrew Luck and Oregon’s LaMichael James are both legitimate Heisman contenders in 2010, however when James broke a 76-yard run at the end of Oregon’s 52-31 victory over the Cardinal, it was clear James got the best of the showdown in Oregon.

In total James rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns in the Ducks’ important victory at home and in the process put his name squarely in the Heisman race.

His performance caps off a streak of four great games for the sophomore running back — 712 yards on just 89 carries — and his eight yards per carry average is among the nation’s best.

If James can continue his production level it wont be hard to imagine James taking a trip to New York City in Decemeber for the Heisman trophy presentation as a finalist.

Terrelle Pryor

Every Buckeye fan in the country cringed simultaneously.

Terrelle Pryor was down, and needed help to get back to the Ohio State locker room.

Just minutes earlier Pryor had blasted off a 66-yard rush — the longest of his career — to help the Buckeyes tie the score and then had followed that drive up with another scoring drive.

But now the Buckeye quarterback was down, and with Illinois keeping close, Ohio State looked like it was in trouble. To make matters worse, backup Joe Bauserman threw a pick on his first attempt.

The injury could have sent shock waves throughout the college football landscape. But Pryor returned, and Ohio State would eventually prevail over the Illini, 24-13.

Pryor did not have his best on Saturday and his passing statistics were underwhelming — nine-of-16 for 76 yards, two touchdowns and a pick — but his Buckeyes prevailed and opened their Big Ten season with a victory, however unconvincing it might have been.

Pryor would finish the day with 104 yards on the ground, which should be good enough to keep his name at the top of most Heisman lists around the country, but as the Buckeye’s schedule gets tougher in October and November Pryor will have to bring more than just his legs to keep the Buckeyes undefeated and keep himself in the midst of a wide-open Heisman race.

Denard Robinson

No one man can lead a team to an undefeated season. But Denard Robinson sure is trying his best.

Of Michigan’s 574 total yards of offense on Saturday, Denard Robinson had an astounding 495 of them. Yes that’s 86% of the Wolverines’ offensive output against Indiana — which had been undefeated in 2010 until Saturday.

In his Big Ten debut Robinson did it all, rushing for 218 yards and passing for 277 while accounting for five of the Wolverines’ six touchdowns.

He even made a little history in the process.

Robinson’s second game with 200+ yards both on the ground and through the air makes him the first player in NCAA history to do it twice in a single season.

The Hoosiers certainly aren’t the strongest of Big Ten foes for the Wolverines, but Denard Robinson subdued the critics who doubted his ability to carry the Wolverines in Big Ten action. In the coming weeks Robinson will be tested again and again, this time against stronger and stronger conference foes.

If Robinson is going to lead Michigan back to national importance, he’ll need more help, but for now his one-man show is certainly going to attract a ton of Heisman hype. And for now, its pretty well deserved.

Mark Ingram

A Heisman already in his pocket, Mark Ingram probably isn’t too fussed that he wasn’t Alabama’s leading rusher during Saturday’s blowout victory over Florida.

But if he wants to keep his hopes for a repeat alive, Ingram will need to step up as the Tide make their way through another tough SEC schedule.

Ingram got 15 touches on Saturday night, rushing for 47 yards and catching three passes for 19 yards, along with rushing for two touchdowns.

But in a Heisman race that seems to have high-octane front runners, Ingram’s numbers just don’t stack up.

His two scores do help his case for staying in the conversation, but Ingram will need to bring it to another, 2009-style level if he wants another bronze statue in his trophy case.

Kellen Moore

The plan was pretty obvious from the beginning of Boise State’s late-night tussle with New Mexico State on Saturday — get out in front by a lot, get Kellen Moore his stats then pull him when it victory is assured.

And as had been the case in the Broncos’ other blowout victories in 2010, the plan works to perfection.

Moore’s 197 yards and three touchdowns were enough to comfortable keep the junior quarterback in the Heisman conversation, while playing just enough to keep him sharp down the stretch.

Moore only attempted 18 passes on the night, but that was more than enough to overcome the Aggies on the clear New Mexico night as the Broncos put New Mexico State away early.

Boise’s schedule is not daunting in the coming weeks, so this may become a familiar pattern for Moore. It may end up hurting Moore’s chances at the trophy, but if the Broncos can get Kellen his stats every time out like they did tonight, he may have a shot at the trophy yet.

Try saying that five times fast…

Lets start a new series of posts here.

Yes, BCS Know How might be a good place to get your Heisman punditry but there are countless others who are handicapping the race week by week.

From the Heisman Pundit himself to the world wide leader ESPN, there are places all over the internet to take a look at who is in the drivers seat in the race each week.

So from now until the end of the season we’ll be taking a look at some “Heisman Watch” races around the internet to give a wider perspective on the Heisman race, although BCS Know How’s own Heisman Watch isn’t half bad, if you ask me…

Then we’ll have a consensus which is awarded by reverse points — five points for a first-place vote, four for a second, three for a third, two for a fourth and one for a fifth. I’m hoping to get a good look at the national consensus in the race, which is always close and hard to call, especially in the early parts of the season.

Off to the races!

Heisman Pundit Heisman Watch

1. Terrelle Pryor
2. Denard Robinson
3. Kellen Moore
4. Andrew Luck
5. LaMichael James

ESPN Experts Poll

1. Denard Robinson
2. Kellen Moore
3. Terrelle Pryor
4. Mark Ingram
5. Andrew Luck

CBS Sports Heisman Watch

1. Kellen Moore
2. Denard Robinson
3. Terrelle Pryor
4. Mark Ingram
5. Patrick Peterson

Sports Illustrated Heisman Watch

1. Denard Robinson
2. Kellen Moore
3. Terrelle Pryor
4. Mark Ingram
5. Cam Newton

BCS Know How Heisman Watch

1. Terrelle Pryor
2. Kellen Moore
3. Mark Ingram
4. Denard Robinson
5. Ryan Mallett

Consensus

1t. Michigan QB Denard Robinson (20)
1t. Boise State QB Kellen Moore (20)
3. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor (19)
4. Alabama RB Mark Ingram (9)
5. Stanford QB Andrew Luck (3)

Also Receiving Votes: Oregon RB LaMichael James (1), LSU CB Patrick Peterson (1), Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett (1), Auburn QB Cam Newton (1)

We’ll be adding vote collector extraordinaire Stiff Arm Trophy in next week’s Heisman Watch Watch as his ballot collection stats don’t come out until Thursdays.

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

Ryan Mallett

Mallett was on top of the world headed into Saturday’s action.

After leading his Arkansas Razorbacks to a last-minute victory over Georgia last weekend, Mallett seemed to be atop most of the country’s Heisman Watch lists.

Then when he started his important showdown with Alabama on fire, he looked ever more like the Heisman candidate he had been hyped up to be all season.

However, after looking sharp to begin and entering the locker room at halftime with a ten-point lead, Mallett and the Razorbacks all but disappeared. The junior quarterback ended up throwing two interceptions in the second half — including a very costly one on third down in his own territory in the fourth quarter with the Razorbacks clinging to a lead — and likely cost his team a chance at an upset victory.

Mallett still finished the day with 357 yards passing, but his three interceptions proved very costly both to his team and to his immediate Heisman future.

Although by no means out of the race, Mallett will need to bring the heat against his next few opponents to stay in the thick of this very even Heisman chase down the stretch.

Terrelle Pryor

Yes, the competition was mediocre, and yes, anything other than a blowout would have been a real surprise. But the show that Terrelle Pryor and the Ohio State Buckeyes put on on Saturday was a true testament to their offensive capabilities in 2010.

Pryor threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns to go along with another on the ground and yet another as a receiver to cap a masterful performance against an over-matched Eastern Michigan team in the Horseshoe on Saturday.

When Pryor finally came out of the game on Saturday he had accounted for 348 yards of total offense and led the team in both rushing and passing in the Buckeyes’ blowout 73-20 victory over the Eagles.

In his first few games, Pryor has looked like a legitimate Heisman contender, but it will be his performances against the defenses of the Big Ten that will truly spell his potential for the trophy and the Buckeyes’ chances at a national title.

Denard Robinson

Last week Michigan got a real scare from a FCS school in UMass. This week, against a FBS school in Bowling Green, the only real scare came at the expense of Robinson himself, as the star quarterback went down with what looked like a serious injury.

Robinson would eventually recover and spent the latter parts of the game walking around the Wolverine sideline with a grin on his face, telling the AP, “They said I’m good.” They being the Michigan staff.

So Robinson got very little game time in Michigan’s lopsided 65-21 victory over Bowling Green, but in the time he did spend in the game, he looked like the “Shoelace” we’ve all grown to love and think of as a Heisman hopeful, passing for 60 yards and rushing for 129.

And all of that came on just four passes and five rushing attempts in less than nine minutes of game time.

So we got a glimpse of Robinson on Saturday, and if it weren’t for the blowout nature of the game, we would have probably seen more. Of course now that next week spells the start of the Big Ten season, Robinson will truly be challenged and put to the test against some of the nation’s toughest defenses, and will be expected to play through bangs like the one he suffered on Saturday.

His name remains squarely in the Heisman race, but the level of competition is about to get a whole lot tougher. Is Robinson ready?

Mark Ingram

Slowly, but surely, Mark Ingram is back into the Heisman conversation. And now we have more than just one game against a paltry Duke defense to prove it.

Ingram’s two touchdowns and 157 rushing yards against Arkansas in Saturday’s marquee matchup proved invaluable during the Crimson Tide’s come-from-behind victory against the Razorbacks, as Alabama continued its march towards another national championship.

Ingram ripped off a 54-yard touchdown run in the first quarter — the Tide’s only score of the half — to keep Alabama in it early, and then helped them put it away late, bruising in for a one-yard score.

For most of the final Alabama drive, Ingram took the direct snap and yet was still able to get the yards he and the Tide needed in order to complete the comeback and retain their place atop the college football rankings.

It wont get much easier for the Tide and Ingram, as they will head back home to welcome Florida to Tuscaloosa and then will traverse another tough SEC schedule. Not an easy proposition, but if Ingram continues to play the way he did against the Razorbacks, we could have our selves a real shot at a repeat Heisman winner.

Kellen Moore

Afforded another shot to prove his Heisman worth to the nation, Kellen Moore did not disappoint — throwing for three touchdowns and 288 yards to help Boise State win another game over a BCS conference opponent and continued his early season domination.

As has become the norm from the junior quarterback, Moore captained the Boise offense with ease and poise throughout the night, leading them up and down the field for a bevy of points against Oregon State, while keeping his attempts and misses in check. His 19-of-27 passing was effective enough to keep Boise State out ahead of the Beavers all night, and showed once again that Moore is a legitimate Heisman candidate.

Although not every drive ended in a touchdown, Moore was effective enough to bring Boise State another victory before they enter the heart of WAC play.

Moore will get a shot to show some real offensive fireworks in the weeks to come, and must do so if he is to be a contender for the long haul.

Ryan Mallett

Every Heisman candidate hopes for that chance.

A chance to bring their team a victory from the jaws of defeat or break a tie late to get his team a victory.

On Saturday, Ryan Mallett was afforded that chance, and boy oh boy did he take advantage.

With 54 seconds left and faced with a tie game, Mallett and the Razorbacks got the ball on their own 27-yard line. Just three plays and 73 yards later, Mallett had the first true “Heisman Moment” of the season and the Razorbacks had a third consecutive victory to start the 2010 season. Mallett threw three times and completed all three — the final being a pass to a wide open Ryan Childs who ran it in for the winning score.

Mallett played up and down all day on Saturday — going cold on certain drives — but the results were stellar. His 380 yards and three touchdowns were just enough to sneak the Razorbacks by the Bulldogs 31-24 and give Mallett a leg up on the early Heisman Trophy race.

Terrelle Pryor

Ohio State had not lost a home game to an instate team in more than a half-century. Terrelle Pryor was not about to let the Buckeyes let Ohio break that streak on Saturday, and delivered a measured performance for Ohio State, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another in the Buckeyes’ 43-7 victory on Saturday.

Pryor’s performance spoke measures about his growth in the past few years, as the junior quarterback completed 16 straight passes during the win.

Although masterful out of the gate, Pryor’s knack for interceptions reared its ugly head once again, as he threw two interceptions despite showing mastery over the Ohio defense early in the game.

After another gimme game against Eastern Michigan next weekend, Pryor and the Buckeyes will finally have to prove themselves against Big Ten teams, and Pryor will have a chance to prove his true Heisman worth.

Denard Robinson

UMass put a scare into Robinson and the Michigan Wolverines, but the speedy sophomore quarterback was able to get his team by the Minutemen and avoid another Appalachian State-type FCS shocker on Saturday, accounting for 345 total yards in the 42-37 victory.

Robinson didn’t quite get off to a hot start, throwing an interception on his first attempt of the game, but after that miscue, Robinson continued to look like the most dangerous man on a football field in America right now.

In topping 300 total yards yet again, Robinson helped Michigan get off to a 3-0 start and bring some hope back to Ann Arbor for the 2010 season. His two touchdown passes in 45 seconds helped the Wolverines keep the Minutemen at bay in the first half, while his output in the second half was just enough to bring the Wolverines a victory over an FCS school.

Next week Robinson will test his wares against Bowling Green before — like Pryor and the Buckeyes — starting Michigan’s trek through their Big Ten schedule.

Mark Ingram

What did Mark Ingram need to do on Saturday to keep his name on the Heisman Watch list?

Well there were a few necessary steps. First and most importantly of course, he’d have to play for the first time this season. He would also have to post some big numbers — as any Heisman candidate needs to in order to stay on the mind of the nation. However, Ingram needed to do it on a minimal number of touches.

See Ingram was coming off two weeks of rest following some knee troubles. So everyone knew that Ingram would see limited action. Add to the facts that the Crimson Tide was taking on lowly Duke, and you knew Ingram wouldn’t be in for long.

So what did Ingram do with his nine touches on Saturday? Well, he plastered the Blue Devils for 151 yards and two touchdowns, then took his seat on the bench and watched the Tide dismantle Duke in Durham, 62-13.

Ingram will need a miracle-type run of production in the next few weeks to truly have a shot at a repeat Heisman hoisting, but his first output of the season was certainly enough to keep him in the conversation. Keep your eyes out for Ingram, he might just sneak right back into the front of the race yet.

Kellen Moore

When you have three interceptions in an entire season, any kind of mistake is sure to turn some heads. So when Kellen Moore threw a pick against Wyoming on Saturday night, Twitter and other erupted with shock that the man of a 13:1 touchdown to interception ratio could throw one with just five touchdowns to his name thus far in 2010.

But the pick proved to be of little importance, as Moore and Boise State cruised to an easy victory over the Cowboys on Saturday night and Moore continued a strong start to a 2010 season where a Heisman Trophy is not out of the question.

Before Boise went to a run-only offense, Moore racked up 370 passing yards and two passing touchdowns on effective 20 out of 30 passing in bringing the Broncos a second victory in what they hope is a season that brings them a shot at the national title.

After two masterful performances against Virginia Tech and now Wyoming, Moore will be faced with the Pac-10′s Oregon State next week, which will be yet another chance for the junior to shine on a national stage, as ESPN’s GameDay crew will be there. A strong performance next week and Moore could be a name that sticks around in the Heisman race until the end of the season.