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Heisman Watch: Injuries blur the picture

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Pete Fiutak

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Updated Oct 1, 2009 12:28 PM ET
     
 
This isn't a ranking of the best players or the top NFL prospects. This is an attempt to put the finger on the pulse of the Heisman chase. So without further ado, here are the current favorites at the moment, and this will change week after week with players moving in and out of the categories.

No current chance to win it, but with finalist potential

QB Todd Reesing, Sr. Kansas
This week: Home vs. Iowa State.
Last week: 30-of-41, 331 yds, three touchdowns, one interception in the win over Southern Miss. He's amassing the numbers. The nation's No. 9 passer has thrown for over 300 yards with three touchdown passes in two straight games as he's showing a total command of the offense. The stats should pile up against Iowa State and Colorado over the next two weeks, but he needs to rock against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 to jump-start a Heisman campaign. RB Ryan Williams, Soph. Virginia Tech
This week: at Duke.
Last week: 34 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 40 yards in the win over Miami. The hot back of the moment, the nation's sixth leading rusher is on the map after ripping through the rain and the Hurricanes. There was a buzz about him before the season as a possible star in place of the injured Darren Evans, and he has more than come through with 492 yards and eight touchdowns with three straight 100-yard games.

On the radar, but the world is looking for more

QB Sam Bradford, Jr. Oklahoma
This week: at Miami.
Last week: Out with injury, off week. He went to visit noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews to get another opinion on his shoulder, and while he's not expected to be back this week for Miami and he might be kept on the shelf for Baylor on Oct. 10, there's hope he can be back for the Oct. 17 showdown against Texas. If he is Sam Bradford again in a win over the Longhorns, he'll rejoin the race already in progress. QB Jimmy Clausen, Jr. Notre Dame
This week: Home vs. Washington.
Last week: 15-of-26 for 171 yards and a touchdown with an interception in the win over Purdue. He finally threw an interception and he was on the bench for most of the game with an injured toe, but he made a huge statement in the Heisman race with a signature drive and a last-second touchdown pass to beat the Boilermakers. He'll try to fight through the toe problem against Washington, but there's bigger fish to fry one week later in the make-or-break game against USC. QB Tate Forcier, Fr. Michigan
This week: at Michigan State.
Last week: 11-of-21 for 184 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and he ran for 15 yards and a score in the win over Indiana. As long as he's the starting quarterback for an undefeated Michigan team, he'll be in the discussion. He'll be seen as the signature star and the reason for the re-emergence of the superpower program. His Heisman chances go beyond mere statistics; he's a playmaker and he's getting the reputation for being a clutch player. QB Tony Pike, Sr. Cincinnati
This week: at Miami University.
Last week: 18-of-26 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Fresno State. Pike is becoming an underground, grass-roots Heisman candidate, leading an ultra-efficient passing game completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,223 yards and 11 touchdowns with two interceptions, and he has run for two scores. He isn't making any mistakes, he's ripping up defenses with his sharp decision making and accurate arm and he's a big reason the Bearcats are having a special season.

The true favorites

QB Case Keenum, Jr. Houston
This week: at UTEP.
Last week: 38-of-58 for 435 yards and a touchdown and an interception, and he ran for a one-yard score in the win over Texas Tech. Colt McCoy threw for 205 yards in the Texas win over Texas Tech, while Keenum threw for 435 yards with a game-winning drive to launch his campaign and Houston's season. Virtually unstoppable so far, he has completed 69 percent of his throws for 1,160 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions, and he has run for a score in each of the first three games. The scary part is the rest of the schedule — there's no one left to stop him outside of, maybe, Mississippi State. Already second in the nation in total offense behind Hawaii's Greg Alexander, he'll obliterate UTEP this week before dealing with MSU. QB Tim Tebow, Sr. Florida
This week: Idle. At LSU on Oct. 10.
Last week: 5-of-10 for 103 yards and a touchdown, and 16 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Kentucky. Obviously, it's all about his condition after the concussion he suffered against Kentucky. Will he have to stop being TIM TEBOW and become more of a pocket passer? How many shots will he be able to take? If he comes back and is fine, the concussion will only add to his legacy. He has two weeks to try to heal up before going to LSU, but now the concern is whether or not he'll be able to lead the team the rest of the way, with the Heisman chase a distant afterthought.

And the current leader in the clubhouse is ...

QB Colt McCoy, Sr. Texas
This week: Idle. Home vs. Colorado on Oct. 10.
Last week: 28-of-35 for 286 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, and he ran for 15 yards in the win over UTEP. He was taking target practice against UTEP, but he's still not putting up Heisman numbers. He has already thrown five interceptions in the first four games, with a pick in every game and, by design, the rushing numbers aren't there this year. He has already established his résumé from his past work, and as the lone healthy star with Tebow and Bradford hurting, this is his Heisman to lose. All that matters are wins, and it's all about the upcoming three-week stretch against Oklahoma, at Missouri and at Oklahoma State.
Tagged: Iowa State, Colorado, Texas, Iowa, Michigan, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida, Hawaii, UTEP, Notre Dame, Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kansas, Virginia Tech

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