With each passing week, the field of legitimate Heisman candidates arrives.
more clearly in focus. A high level of consistency becomes increasingly
important when competing at this level. Some of the players we have followed
up to this point in the season are worthy of recognition for their contributions to
success of their teams, but they may be slowly slipping out of contention for the
Heismann. On the list of serious candidates we still find Ohio State’s Troy Smith,
Adrian Peterson from Oklahoma, Garrett Wolfe from Northern Illinois, West Virginia
Steve Slaton and Brady Quinn of Notre Dame. While there are others who
deserve a mention, they will need great personal performances and a bit
lucky now to catch those listed above. These players include Mike Hart of
Michigan, Auburn’s Kenny Irons, Rutgers’ Ray Rice and maybe a second
Michigan player we’re all hearing more about these days, Mario Manningham.

If you watched Ohio State play Bowling Green and closely followed Troy Smith
you will have no doubt why he is currently considered the leader in the race for the
2006 Heisman Trophy. Troy has the rare ability to fight for yards and
to launch millimetric and precise passes. His poise and maturity are on display every
snap of the ball Troy missed a few snaps Saturday due to a minor injury, which
it reminds us once again how fragile success can be at this level. A play can
changes a game, a player’s season, his Heisman potential and, in some cases,
his career. Hopefully each of our Heisman candidates can stay healthy and
continue playing at the level we expect and enjoy.

Oklahoma loss to Texas will impact voter perception of Heisman
Adrian Peterson. Winning records carry weight with Heisman voters. Even though
Adrián’s game has been remarkable at times, there have been some moments of
questionable game too. Those who watched this week’s match will remember Adrian’s
dropped pass that was ruled a lateral that allowed Texas to score a defensive touchdown.
Can a single moment like this take away Adrian’s chances of winning the Heisman?
Probably not, but he’ll need to focus on the next few games to raise his game.
and his chances of being our Heisman winner in New York.

There may not be enough superlatives to describe Garrett Wolfe from Northern Illinois.
He continues to live up to preseason expectations, and maybe a little more. by garrett
The statistics speak for themselves. At the end of this season nothing will surprise us
if in addition to many school records, Garrett enjoys some NCAA Division 1-A records such as
well. Because of his consistency and high performance, Garrett gets my vote as a clear second.
Troy Smith. It’s hard for me not to like Garrett’s performances on the field and to be shooting
for him to score an upset Heisman.

Steve Slaton, West Virginia, rarely disappoints, and his 185 yards against Mississippi
Status was another reason why. As long as Steve continues to rack up big numbers
he will remain a serious contender for this year’s Heisman. Steve is definitely
a big part of the reason why West Virginia is 5-0 and highly ranked in the polls. Steve
has shown week after week that it deserves to be compared to the Troy Smiths,
Garrett Wolfes and Adrian Petersons from the world of college football.

What can be said about Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn? Just when you think he’s done something
to get out of the Heisman race, step up and make big plays or have
the kind of game that will keep you on the run. Play quarterback for Notre Dame
draw a lot of attention on his own, and have over 1,600 passing yards on the season
midpoint will keep that attention focused on you. Of all the players discussed up to this
point, Brady may have the remotest chance of winning the Heisman. His game has been
spotty at times this year but like I said keep making good things happen at the right times
and that will keep him on the Heisman short list.

Michigan currently has two players worth discussing here, Michael Hart and Mario Manningham.
Most college football pundits expected Michael Hart to be a Heisman contender this year, but
his teammate, “Super Mario”, has come something out of nowhere to light up screens with
sensational catch after sensational catch. If Mario continues like this, it is likely that in
several weeks we will be talking only about Mario’s Heisman career and Michael Hart will be a
remote memory. Only time will tell, but for now Michael is still playing well enough to be
considered as having an outside possibility of reaching New York.

The loss of Auburn significantly affected their ranking and Kenny Irons’ lackluster play certainly did.
it didn’t help his chances of winning the Heisman. To recover from this you will need to have
several great performances to get back into contention. If Kenny has a thing
goes for it is that sports fans and writers have short memories. Some killer performances
at the right time of the season can launch a player or team back into the college stratosphere
the soccer elite.

Last week’s article mentioned Ray Rice of Rutger. Rutgers remained in the top 25 of both
AP and USA Today polls this week despite a scheduled week off. We will have to
watch Ray’s next game to find out which way he’ll move in the Heisman race. On
this point, he has played well enough to draw the attention of many sportswriters and
fans. Is the midpoint of the season too late for a player to mount a title run?
of the best college football player? In the coming weeks, Ray will answer this question for us.
everyone.

There’s never a lack of excitement, suspense or annoyance in college football. although anyone
noteworthy player on this or any other list of Heisman hopefuls could make it in New York
this year, any of them could fade into the background just as quickly due to injury, poor play, the
promotion of an unexpected candidate, or a myriad of other reasons. As fans, we are lucky enough to sit
come back and enjoy the athleticism and excitement that make this race worth watching. Personally,
I look forward to another great week of college football.