Pryor’s grip on this spot is a bit weaker this week, but he still retains the best overall shot of winning the Heisman, given his status as the top player on a traditional power contending for the national title. However, he can’t have too many more games like the one he had against Illinois, or his end-of-season numbers may not end up being considered Heisman-worthy. Pryor rushed for 104 yards on 11 carries, but he threw for just 76 yards and two scores as the Buckeyes looked fairly lethargic against a bad team. This week he’ll face Indiana and have a chance to put his stats back on the right track.
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Robinson keeps putting up crazy numbers and, as a result, he is creeping closer and closer to taking over the top spot on this list. For now, the possibility of injury is the only thing standing between Robinson and a Heisman landslide. Given that he has had to be pulled from multiple games this year, one can’t necessarily count on him to maintain this torrid pace. He had another fantastic outing last week, rushing for 216 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for 277 and three scores. He leads the nation in rushing, is fourth in passing and is on pace to become the NCAA’s first 2,000/2,000-yard player. I think Michigan’s games with Michigan State and Iowa the next two weeks will go a long way toward determining his Heisman fate.
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James has become the leading running back candidate in the race, thanks to his huge outburst in Saturday's nationally televised win over a top-10 Stanford team. He ran for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, his second 200-yard game of the season. Despite missing one game due to suspension, James is second nationally in rushing and is on pace to approach the 2,000-yard mark. Oregon is a national title contender with a sexy and entertaining offense that gives James plenty of opportunities to produce, so he's got a decent shot at it.
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Moore is in the shadows for a while as his team steamrolls its way through the WAC schedule. He had another highly efficient game on Saturday, throwing for 196 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of New Mexico State. The upside of his schedule is that he is likely to keep dominating and thus remain within striking distance of the Heisman. The downside is that there is very little he can do to move up in the race and therefore must hope the other candidates falter. Voters know he is a very good player on a very good team, but it helps to be reminded of that once in a while.
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The Heisman Pundit offers the latest edition of Heisman Watch, which is a gauge of the players who currently have the best chance of winning the award.
I wrote over the summer that Newton might become a darkhorse candidate and, after five games, he looks to be on track. As long as the Tigers remain undefeated, he'll hang around the periphery of this race with a chance to push his way into the upper echelon if things go right. Thriving in offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's system, he has an amazing pass efficiency rating of 191.44 and, thanks to his superior physical ability, he’s tearing it up on the ground, too. What would it take for Newton to win the Heisman? Beat Arkansas on Oct. 16, beat Alabama on Nov. 26 and beat the SEC East champ in the league title game.
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