With just a few weeks left, Collin Klein has a strong lead in the Heisman race and will have to seriously underachieve over his last two games to lose it. The Wildcats' quarterback is being recognized for his leadership skills as well as his impressive output. 

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said, “They respond to him, not only by what he does, but also what he addresses them about in the areas other than just football... I think Collin has manifested a leadership style that encompasses far more than just football.” 

Johnny Manziel is really the only other player that has a chance at winning the trophy, but he will get less credit for facing weak competition in his last two games and Klein must falter for Johnny Football to have a chance. Of course, Manziel soared in the Heisman polls after he led Texas A&M to an upset over previous number one Alabama. The game performance was valiant enough to be designated as a Heisman "moment", but he needs some outside help to be the first freshman to win it. 

Kenjon Barner dropped from two to four after a poor performance against California. Barner finished with just 65 yards on 20 carries. His teammate QB Marcus Mariota stole the spotlight with six passing touchdowns in the game. 

There are a few newcomers to the polls listed below. Marcus Mariota, Colby Cameron, Giovani Bernard, and Montee Ball all made appearances this week after being left off previously. None really have a shot at winning the Heisman Trophy, but there is a chance that one could make a late surge for a trip to New York. Ball was a finalist last season.

Alabama QB AJ McCarron fell from fourth last week to completely out of the combined poll results. Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater was the only other player to fall out, but had just one point last week. 

Listed in the combined poll results below are polls from HeismanPundit/CBSSports.com, ESPN, and USA Today combined together. There are 928 official voters for the Heisman Trophy. 

Side By Side Comparison

QB Collin Klein Kansas State

Overall Record: 10-0 
Record vs BCS Top 25: 3-0
Total yards: 2,768
Total touchdowns: 31
Interceptions: 3

QB Johnny Manziel Texas A&M  

Overall record: 8-2
Record vs BCS Top 25: 2-2
Total yards: 3,794
Total touchdowns: 33
Interceptions: 6

Combined Poll Results

1. QB Collin Klein Kansas State 206 (53)
2. QB Johnny Manziel Texas A&M 102 (5)
3. LB Manti Te’o Notre Dame 70 (2)
4. RB Kenjon Barner Oregon 63
5. QB Braxton Miller Ohio State 34
6. WR Marqise Lee USC 23 (2)
7. QB Marcus Mariota Oregon 8
8. QB Colby Cameron Louisiana Tech 3
9. RB Giovani Bernard North Carolina 2
10. RB Montee Ball Wisconsin 1
10. QB Tajh Boyd Clemson 1
Number one votes in parentheses.

Remaining Games for Top Contenders

Collin Klein:
Sat Nov 17, at Baylor
Sat Dec 1, vs Texas

Johnny Manziel:
Sat Nov 17, vs Sam Houston St
Sat Nov 24, vs Missouri

Manti Te'o:
Sat Nov 17, vs Wake Forest
Sat Nov 24, at USC

Kenjon Barner:
Sat Nov 17, vs Stanford
Sat Nov 24, at Oregon State
Sat Dec 1, Pac-12 Championship

HeismanPundit Top 3

1. Collin Klein 26 (6)
2. Johnny Manziel 18 (3)
3. Marqise Lee 10 (2)

ESPN Poll Top 3

1. Collin Klein 71 (12)
2. Johnny Manziel 52 (2)
3. Kenjon Barner 38

USA Today Top 3

1. Collin Klein 109 (35)
2. Manti Te'o 34 (1)
3. Johnny Manziel 32

 
 
Oregon Ducks running back Kenjon Barner (5-11 192 Sr) has soared into the Heisman discussion with his eye popping school-record 321 rushing yards and five touchdowns last Saturday in the 62-51 win over the USC Trojans. 

With his numbers and recent stellar performance, you would think that he would now be the Heisman leader, but he has shared the spotlight on offense with a backfield of other talented players like QB Marcus Mariota and RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas. He was not even on the radar of many Heisman lists until recent weeks. 

Barner has awesome speed that goes great in the Oregon spread offense and he finds gaps well with a good burst through the hole. He is second in the nation for rushing yards per game (143.89) and tied nationally for most points per game.

''Kenjon is a phenomenal player. I think he just proved that to everybody, that he's one of the best players in the country,'' LaMichael James (former Oregon RB) said. ''I think he's the best player, that's not plural, that's singular. And I think he deserves the Heisman..."(AP)

According to polls, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein still has a strong lead in the current Heisman race. However, he suffered an undisclosed injury last game and is questionable for this weekend, but coach Bill Snyder expects him to play. 

Listed in the combined poll results below are polls from HeismanPundit/CBSSports.com, ESPN, and USA Today combined together. There are 928 official voters for the Heisman Trophy. 


Combined Poll Results

1. QB Collin Klein Kansas State 204 (55)
2. RB Kenjon Barner Oregon 97 (4)
3. LB Manti Te'o Notre Dame 69 
4. QB AJ McCarron Alabama 62 (2)
5. QB Braxton Miller Ohio State 50
6. WR Marqise Lee USC 16
7. QB Johnny Manziel Texas A&M 9
8. QB Tajh Boyd Clemson 5 (1)
9. QB Teddy Bridgewater Louisville 1
Number one votes in parentheses.

Kenjon Barner Game by Game

Date, Opponent, Rush Yards, Touchdowns
Sat Sept 1, Arkansas State, 66, 2
Sat Sept 8, Fresno State, 201, 3 
Sat Sept 15, Tennessee Tech, 57, 1 
Sat Sept 22, Arizona, 86, 0
Sat Sept 29, at Washington State, 195, 4 (1 Rec TD)
Sat Oct 6, Washington, 122, 0
Thu Oct 18, at Arizona State, 143, 3 
Sat Oct 27, Colorado, 104, 2
Sat Nov 3, at USC, 321, 5
Sat Nov 10, at California
Sat Nov 17, Stanford
Sat Nov 24, at Oregon State
Season totals: 143.89 rush yards per game, 1,295 rush yards, 7.2 yards per carry, and 20 total touchdowns. 

HeismanPundit Top 3

1. Collin Klein 28 (9)
2. Kenjon Barner 13 (1)
3. Marqise Lee 10 (1)

ESPN Poll Top 3

1. Collin Klein 72 (13)
2. Kenjon Barner 55 (1)
3. AJ McCarron 31 (1)

USA Today Top 3

1. Collin Klein 104 (33)
2. Manti Te'o 35 (0)
3. Kenjon Barner 29 (2)


 
 
Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein has vaulted to the top of the Heisman contenders, surprisingly to some. I ranked Klein 10th on the preseason Dynamic Dozen Heisman Contenders list in which I described him as a "Tim Tebow prototype on the football field"; a comparison coming up often lately in college football talk. I knew that his strong running dual threat ability would continue to thrive under coach Bill Snyder's system and also had him as my leader after week four

Maybe considered an emotional longshot favorite by some, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o is a legitimate Heisman contender. Te'o leads one of the nation's top defenses (9.9 papg 2nd overall) while averaging nearly ten tackles per game. According to an ESPN broadcast, he is tied in the FBS for most turnovers generated with seven. He is talented enough, has good numbers, and has had moments on the field to qualify as a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy. 

There have been a couple new additions and declines as well since I posted the Dynamic Dozen Heisman Contender List for weeks one through four. Geno Smith slid from second to fifth and Kenjon Barner is now on the watch. 

Here is the list of my Heisman Trophy favorites along with information about the current race. 

1. QB Collin Klein 6-5 226 Sr, Kansas State Wildcats

Key Stats: 70.9 percent completion, 2,264 total yards, and 28 total touchdowns.

Important Games Remaining:
Sat Nov 3 vs Oklahoma State and Sat Dec 1 vs Texas. 

2. LB Manti Te'o 6-2 255 Sr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Key Stats: 78 total tackles, five interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Important Games Remaining: Sat Nov 24 at USC.

3. RB Kenjon Barner 5-11 192 Sr, Oregon Ducks

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Key Stats: 1,132 rush/receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns.

Important Games Remaining: Sat Nov 3 at USC, Sat Nov 17 vs Stanford, and Sat Nov 24 at Oregon State. 

4. WR Marqise Lee 6-0 195 So, Southern California Trojans

Picture
Key Stats: 1,129 receiving yards, 426 kick off return yards, and 11 total touchdowns (one on kick off return). 

Important Games Remaining: Sat Nov 3 vs Oregon and Sat Nov 24 vs Notre Dame. 

5. QB Geno Smith 6-3 214 Sr, West Virginia Mountaineers 

Key Stats: 74.3 completion percent, 2,427 passing yards, and 27 total touchdowns.

Important Games Remaining: Sat Nov 10 at Oklahoma State and Sat Nov 17 vs Oklahoma. 

Honorable Mentions

QB AJ McCarron Alabama (6-4 210 Jr), LB Jarvis Jones Georgia (6-3 241 Jr), QB Teddy Bridgewater Louisville (6-3 207 So),  RB Giovanni Bernard North Carolina (5-10 205 So), QB Braxton Miller Ohio State (6-2 210 So), RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas Oregon (5-9 176 So), and QB Johnny Manziel Texas A&M (6-1 200 Fr).  
Most of the honorable mentions do not have much chance of winning the Heisman Trophy, but still have a shot at becoming a finalist. AJ McCarron may have the best shot at winning it all of the HMs listed, but I do not think he has been dynamic enough to be the most outstanding player in college football. He is extremely efficient with 18 touchdowns compared to zero interceptions and leads the FBS in passer rating (182.4). Alabama has a huge game in Baton Rouge against LSU this weekend. 

There are also many of the honorable mentions that could be in the Heisman race next season like quarterbacks Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Braxton Miller

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater Gives Media Something to Chew on

Young true sophomore QB Teddy Bridgewater is a bright talent for the Louisville Cardinals. According to a New York Times article, he places four pieces of bubble gum in his socks to help him relax (see back of post card below to the left). 

Louisville is helping feed the hype behind "Bubble Gum" Bridgewater and even sent out some pieces of gum to the media (see picture directly to the left). They spelled my last name wrong, but that's fine. Chewing on the gum is helping me relax as I finish this article. 
Bridgewater is completing 70.7 percent of his passes with 2,110 passing yards and 14 total touchdowns. He passed for 416 yards in his last game against Cincinnati

LB Jarvis Jones Playmaker for the Georgia Bulldogs

Jones is the only player to be named Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week twice so far this season. He had a career high 13 tackles (12 unassisted), two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and three sacks in Georgia's 17-9 win over rival Florida last week.

De'Anthony Thomas "Black Mamba" Strikes Again

Heisman talk about the Oregon Ducks multi-playmaker may have slowed down, but he can still make awesome plays with his ridiculous speed. Thomas made another one just last week against outmatched opponent Colorado.   

ESPN Expert's Top 5

1. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State 75
2. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame 49
3. RB Kenjon Barner, Oregon 29
3. QB AJ McCarron, Alabama 29
5. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State 23

HeismanPundit/CBSSports.com Top 5

1. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State 31 (10)
2. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame 13
3. WR Marqise Lee, USC 7 (1)
4. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State 4 
4. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia 4

Give Your Unofficial Heisman Vote Early 

 
 
Here is a list of the 12 most dynamic Heisman Trophy contenders through week four of the 2012 college football season. It is based on the contenders that along with having gaudy numbers also make dynamic and meaningful plays on the field. This is not a predictor, but there is useful information given on the Heisman race. The watch will be updated near season's end and reduced to around four to six contenders. 

The Dynamic Dozen includes a variety of position players with quarterbacks leading the way at five listed. After just four weeks, there are no definitive front-runners, but Heisman hype is beginning to pick up for some. However, there are a few players from the preseason list that have risen while there are many newcomers in addition. 

Many of the favorites from my preseason Dynamic Dozen Heisman Trophy contenders have fallen out including all of the top five and eight total. USC quarterback Matt Barkley may be the biggest disappointment of the preseason favorites early on; he has had four interceptions with only two touchdowns in his last two games. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball has been a huge surprise to everyone as well with dismal numbers this season (3.9 yards per carry). 

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o recently had his name thrown into Heisman consideration. He is a picture perfect tackler that is morphing into a good all around linebacker as exemplified by his two interceptions against Michigan last Saturday. Te'o is possibly the most valuable defensive player in the country along with Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones which is also in the Dynamic Dozen. Of course as everyone knows, a defensive player winning the Heisman Trophy is a longshot, but if Te'o maintains his current pace, it will be hard to keep him out of New York. 

I have another player included, offensive lineman Barrett Jones from Alabama, that is an even farther stretch than the linebackers listed. I highly doubt he will win the trophy, but he is one of the best college football players in the nation and is worth mentioning. There has been some rumbling about Jones as a Heisman candidate

As previously stated, the list is quarterback heavy as usual for a Heisman race. Four of the top five are QBs with Kansas State's Collin Klein coming in at number one. "Optimus" Klein is also number two on Heisman Pundit and ranked third on ESPN Heisman Watch. Kansas State's victory over Oklahoma helped the talented athlete garner some national attention. I had Klein on preseason watch despite him going under the radar on many others and he was not even included on the preseason Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list

West Virginia QB Geno Smith has some of the most impressive numbers in the nation early on, but the Mountaineers' schedule gets more difficult so it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his output. Florida State's EJ Manuel jumped into the Heisman conversation after the Seminoles' win over the Tigers in which he had a stellar outing (482 total yards vs Clemson). Smith is number one and Manuel number two in the Heisman race according to ESPN. 
 

Heisman Trust Mission Statement

Picture
West Virginia QB Geno Smith is ranked no. 2 in the Dynamic Dozen.
HeismanPundit.com Top Five
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
2. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State
3. QB EJ Manuel, Florida State
4t. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon
4t. WR Marqise Lee, USC 

ESPN.com Heisman Watch Top Five
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
2. QB EJ Manuel, Florida State
3. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State
4. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon
5. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State 

Kansas State QB Collin Klein is no. 1 in the Dozen.
K-State Coach Bill Snyder on Klein, "The growth has been across the board. It is not just focused in one area. I think he has grown in every aspect of the game..."

RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas is no. 4 in the Dozen.

1. QB Collin Klein 6-5 226 Sr, Kansas State Wildcats

Preseason Rank: 10
Key Stats: 1,047 total yards and 10 total touchdowns. 

2. QB Geno Smith 6-3 214 Sr, West Virginia Mountaineers  

Preseason Rank: 12
Key Stats: 81.4% completion, 1,072 passing yards, and 13 total touchdowns.

3. QB EJ Manuel 6-5 245 Sr, Florida State Seminoles

Preseason Rank: Not ranked 
Key Stats: 7.8 yards per carry, 1,093 total yards, and nine total touchdowns.

4. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas 5-9 173 So, Oregon Ducks

Preseason Rank: 8
Key Stats: 276 rush yards, 165 receiving yards, 131 punt return yards, and seven total touchdowns.

5. QB Braxton Miller 6-2 210 So, Ohio State Buckeyes

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 6.6 yards per carry, 1,195 total yards, and 14 total touchdowns.

6. LB Manti Te'o 6-2 255 Sr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 38 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions.

7. QB Aaron Murray 6-1 211 Jr, Georgia Bulldogs

Preseason Rank: 6
Key Stats: 182.4 QB rating, 1,092 passing yards, and 13 total touchdowns.

8. RB LeVeon Bell 6-2 244 Jr, Michigan State Spartans

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 677 total yards and five touchdowns.

9. RB Jawan Jamison 5-8 200 Jr, Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 586 total yards and three total touchdowns.

10. WR Marqise Lee 6-0 190 So, USC Trojans

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 457 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

11. LB Jarvis Jones 6-3 241 Jr, Georgia Bulldogs 

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 4.5 sacks and 25 total tackles.

12. C Barrett Jones 6-5 302 Sr, Alabama Crimson Tide

Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 204 team rushing yards per game, 42 team points per game, and 40 career starts.

Just outside the Dozen:

RB Stepfan Taylor Stanford, WR Tavon Austin West Virginia, WR Stedman Bailey West Virginia, RB Johnathan Franklin UCLA, and RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina.

Dropped out of the Dozen:

(1) QB Matt Barkley USC, (2) RB Montee Ball Wisconsin, (3) QB Tyler Wilson Arkansas, (4) CB Tyrann Mathieu LSU, (5) QB Denard Robinson Michigan, (7) RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina, (9) WR Robert Woods USC, and (11) RB Knile Davis Arkansas. 

 
 
This is a list of Heisman Trophy contenders. I ranked them on who I feel is most worthy, but I also included information on the current leaders.

The frontrunners early on are quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson. Robert Griffin III is my early leader, but among Heisman voters Luck is still heavily favored to win. RG3 began this season with a big win over TCU and has only thrown one interception so far. Luck is undoubtedly the top NFL prospect in college football and is coming off of last season’s hype as Heisman runner up. In Wisconsin, they now have hope of a national championship behind their star transfer Wilson that already helped the Badgers thump Nebraska. 
 
It is midseason so the race is still wide open. There are a couple of running backs that are just a big game or two away from being vaulted to the top of Heisman contention. Trent Richardson is still a strong contender and LaMichael James was running himself back into the race until an injury to his elbow which may keep him out of it.There are also long shot contenders that could rise. LSU CB Tyrann Mathieu is in the running, but he will need to keep putting up eye popping stats to stay in contention as a defensive player. Oklahoma QB Landry Jones jumped to number two on the website Stiff Arm Trophy after last weekend's demolition of Texas. 

I actually included 13 players in the Dynamic Dozen since LaMichael James is injured and I felt that AJ Jenkins is the best wide receiver worth mentioning so I have him tied with Denard Robinson for the last spot. 
 
1. Robert Griffin III QB Baylor, 360 pass/rush ypg, 21 total touchdowns, 80.3% completion, 212.9 passer rating.

2. Andrew Luck QB Stanford, 276.6 passing ypg, 73.1% completion, 15 total touchdowns.

3. Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin, 272.2 passing ypg, 74.8% completion, 15 total touchdowns, 216.9 passer rating.

4. Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma State, 376 passing ypg, 15 passing touchdowns, 75.8% completion.

5. Trent Richardson RB Alabama, 146.3 rush/receiving ypg, 12 total touchdowns. 

6. Tyrann Mathieu CB LSU, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recovered, 2 interceptions, 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 touchdowns.

7. Kellen Moore QB Boise State, 278.2 passing ypg, 17 passing touchdowns, 171.6 passer rating, 74% completion.

8. Landry Jones QB Oklahoma, 362.8 passing ypg, 15 total touchdowns. 

9. Case Keenum QB Houston, 384.8 passing ypg, 17 passing touchdowns, 71.4% completion, 174.8 passer rating.

10. LaMichael James RB Oregon, 202.2 rush/receiving ypg, 9 total touchdowns. 

11. Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina, 155.3 rush/receiving ypg, 10 total touchdowns

12t. Denard Robinson QB Michigan, 308.3 pass/rush ypg, 18 total touchdowns

12t. AJ Jenkins WR Illinois, 135.8 receiving ypg, 7 receiving touchdowns.

Some other players just out of the Heisman spotlight: David Wilson RB Virginia Tech, Tajh Boyd QB Clemson, Matt Barkley QB USC, Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas, Geno Smith QB West Virginia, and Robert Woods WR USC.

Links to other Heisman lists and information: 

Heisman Watch Week 7 ESPN Expert’s Poll
http://espn.go.com/college-football/heisman11/

Week 6: Jones replaces Wilson in top two.
http://www.stiffarmtrophy.com/

2011 Heisman Trophy Predictions
http://www.docsports.com/current/heisman-trophy-predictions.html

LaMichael James' Heisman hopes falter in wake of elbow injury.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/cory_mccartney/10/10/heisman-watch/index.html

Honey Badger for Heisman.
http://insider.espn.go.com/college-football/blog/_/name/mcgee_ncf_ryan/id/7087248/cfb-lsu-tigers-db-tyrann-mathieu-heisman-case