The last player to come straight from junior college and make such a splash in the Heisman race was O.J. Simpson, who finished a close second to Gary Beban in 1967. Well, Newton’s 49-yard run against LSU was certainly Simpson-esque the way he weaved through the Tiger defense. That run and the 217 rushing yards he put up on LSU has pushed him into the front of this watch list. The Heisman is his to lose. And looking at Auburn’s remaining schedule, it looks as though he will be in good shape in this race right up until the last game against Alabama. I believe he can clinch the trophy by playing well against the Tide, win or lose.

James helped his cause by having a nice game in a romp over UCLA last Thursday (123 yards, two touchdowns). But whatever ground he gained in the race was given back after Newton's performance against LSU. James has a chance to get some of that momentum back Saturday when the Ducks take on USC. If he has a monster game against the Trojans and the Ducks roll, he will be in good shape. But he will have to be extra special from here on out if he wants to catch Newton.

Moore, whose team was idle last week, remains the candidate of last resort in that voters find him to be a perfectly acceptable choice but are not exactly rushing to proclaim him to be the most outstanding player just yet. His campaign for the Heisman mirrors his team’s quest for the BCS title. It will require the more exciting players ahead of him to falter a bit for him to have a shot.

The updated rundown of top Heisman candidates from the Heisman Pundit at YardBarker.com:

Here's how the top 10 would look after the season's first eight weeks: 1. Cameron Newton; 2. LaMichael James; 3. Kellen Moore; 4. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan; 5. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State; 6. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford; 7. Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska; 8. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State; 9. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri; 10. Matt Barkley, QB, USC.