National championship-caliber team, Heisman Trophy hopeful and projected number one overall pick in the NFL draft: Matt Leinart may be having the most extreme case of d??j?? vu in college football history. He'll probably have to get his eyes checked at the end of the year for double vision, because he may be staring down two Heismans and two national championships. If Leinart does not win the Heisman this year, it will be because he gave the ball to Reggie Bush a little too much. Leinart looks to be the first repeat winner since Archie Griffin of the Buckeyes. -Ryan Rampetsreiter
Like PF Flyers shoes, Bush can un faster and jump higher"" than anyone in college football. As one of the five that was invited to the award ceremony last year, a return visit looks to be in order. Three games into the season, Bush has 333 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 40 carries. But as opposing defenses know, Bush is a renaissance man. He does more than just run the football. He is easily one of the most prolific pass catching backs in the nation. As it stands now, the only player ahead of Bush on ESPN's experts poll is the man that hands him the ball. Hopefully for Reggie, voters will see that he has more moves on the football field than Matt Leinart could ever learn in a ballroom dancing class. -Ryan Rampetsreiter
After the 2005 Rose Bowl MVP's superlative performance against Michigan, in which he ran for four touchdowns and threw for another, many experts have him as a frontrunner for college football's top individual award. Young is of the Michael Vick mold-a dual threat who can beat opposing teams with elusive runs or pinpoint passing. The junior has already proven himself to be a big game threat; he posted two touchdowns and 270 yards passing in an early season test at Ohio State. Two obvious obstacles remain for this shifty quarterback. First, he must end UT's five game losing streak to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout Oct. 8. Second, he has to outclass Reggie McNeal (another Heisman hopeful) when the Longhorns travel to Texas A&M Nov. 25. -Jon Bortin
Maroney has dominated this season. He has already racked up 698 rushing yards this season, including 217 against a Purdue defense that had only allowed 16 yards per game against Akron and Arizona. Not only is Maroney a rushing threat, but he is a receiving threat from the backfield as well, gaining an additional 128 yards and a touchdown this season.
Maroney has a legitimate chance at the Heisman Trophy. He is a leader on the team and he is the key component in the Minnesota offense. If he continues to put up big numbers and the Gophers keep winning, he may give the frontrunners a run for their money.
-Ben Solochek
Stanton has lead the Spartans to an undefeated record, including a big 44-41 OT win against Notre Dame. At the end of this weekend, Stanton had a passing efficiency rating of 201.26. This is No. 1 in the nation, beating out Hollywood hot-shot Matt Leinart. He has helped the Spartans to a No. 3 ranking in total offense. Last weekend, Stanton set a school record against Illinois by throwing five touchdown passes.
Even with these great numbers, Stanton still has not shown up on the radar in most major sports circles. However, if Stanton puts up big numbers against Michigan, he will finally get some media attention and work his way up in the Heisman rankings.
-Ben Solochek
Calhoun's chances at the Heisman increase with every win. The Badgers (4-0) can largely attribute each of their wins to Calhoun's average 30.7 carries per game. In his first three games, Calhoun racked up 471 yards and eight touchdowns. However, many backs could have achieved similar numbers against the relatively meager defenses of Bowling Green, Temple and North Carolina. Any doubts in Calhoun banished after UW's 23-20 victory over rival Michigan. He carried 35 times for 155 yards and a touchdown. He also added seven receptions for 59 yards, accounting for 214 of the 287 yards of total offense generated by UW.
Calhoun's direct Big Ten competition for the trophy is against Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney. Predictions for the Heisman will be more accurate when the two meet Oct. 15. -Lexie Clinton
The Sun Devil quarterback is turning up the heat on opposing defenses. After four games, Keller, not Heisman frontrunner Matt Leinart, leads the nation with 16 touchdown passes and 1,443 passing yards. The junior signal caller toasted Temple and tamed the Northwestern Wildcats, passing for a combined 617 yards against two of the nation's worst defenses. Yet Keller also posted stellar numbers in a last-second loss to No. 4 LSU. As a prime-time national audience tuned in, he completed 35 of 56 passes for 461 yards and four touchdowns. However, Keller and the Sun Devils lie in the shadow of perennial Pac-10 powerhouse USC. Everything could change this weekend, however, when the Trojans bring their 26-game winning streak into Tempe. An upset victory could catapult Keller into the Heisman driver's seat. -Ryan Reszel
Chris Leak helped his stock in the Heisman race last weekend with his sixth career 300-yard passing game in his team's 49-28 victory at Kentucky. The junior quarterback has yet to throw an interception this season in 114 attempts for the undefeated No. 5 Gators. Leak has completed 71 percent of his passes this season, and his four touchdown performance Saturday gives him nine touchdown passes and more than 1,000 yards passing. Leak's numbers are impressive, but his chances of winning the Heisman are slim unless other quarterbacks like Matt Leinart and Vince Young start to falter. -Max Hooker
Shockley and the 4-0 Bulldogs are on a roll. Shockley put up a career high 312 yards along with two touchdowns Saturday in a victory over Mississippi State, bringing his season totals to 959 yards and eight TDs. Shockley and his offense are at or near the top of most statistical categories in the Southeastern conference, but his numbers to this point are not quite good enough to have his name mentioned with the Heisman frontrunners. Georgia has much stiffer competition ahead of them, so for Shockley's stock to rise, look for him to have big games against conference rivals Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech. -Max Hooker
Michael Vick's younger brother has been nothing but solid in his first year as a starter for the Hokies. In his first three games of this season, Vick has completed 47 of 74 passes for 703 yards and seven touchdowns. In last weekend's annihilation of then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, Vick was an impressive 13 of 18 for 223 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately the hot start to this season has not generated much Heisman buzz, and it will not. Vick is a great athlete, but with other quarterbacks like Matt Leinart and Vince Young already on top of the Heisman board, it will be tough for Vick to move up.
-Nate Carey
After wowing the Buckeye faithful with his speed and big-play ability in 2004, Ted Ginn Jr. has been anything but spectacular in the first month of the 2005 season. Forget being the top receiver in the nation or in the Big Ten, Ginn is not even the best receiver on the Ohio State team. Both Santonio Holmes and Anthony Gonzalez have tallied more touchdowns, receiving yards and receptions than Ginn. His 13 catches for 152 yards are respectable, but they are most definitely not Heisman numbers. While trophy winners raise their level of play in big games, Ginn virtually disappeared in the Buckeyes 25-22 loss to the No. 2 Texas Longhorns. His two receptions for a measly nine yards only confirmed that Ginn will not be striking any poses come December. -Ryan Reszel
Before the 2005 season, senior quarterback Reggie McNeal rounded out the bottom of pundits' Heisman lists. Three games in, his stock is rising considerably. McNeal has already tallied 286 rushing yards (11.0 average) and eight passing touchdowns. Questions abound, however, over whether his surrounding cast is good enough to garner him some attention. His best performance came against a middling Southern Methodist squad, and the Aggies already laid an egg against Clemson. Stiff tests await him against Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Texas. In order for the swift-footed McNeal to have a chance, he will need to author the same standout performances against these formidable opponents. -Jon Bortin
Last year's Heisman runner up is unlikely to win the Heisman this year. After a disappointing loss to TCU to begin the season, Peterson seemed to regain some respect with 220 yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns vs. Tulsa. But a 41-24 loss the following week to UCLA has pretty much closed the door on Peterson's Heisman chances. After three games, Peterson has run up 341 yards on 77 carries and five touchdowns. These stats aren't awesomely impressive and Oklahoma already has two losses. With Reggie Bush doing almost everything possible every week, Peterson will need to kick it into high gear to regain any chance at the Heisman. As of now, making a bowl game may even be out of reach for Peterson and the Sooners, so the Heisman trophy is out of the question. -Nate Carey
Brian Brohm, the 2004 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, started strong with the Cardinals this year, leading them to two opening victories before a crushing 45-14 loss to South Florida last weekend. His numbers are still certainly Heisman caliber. In just the past three games combined, Brohm has passed for 936 yards and seven touchdowns. In a 63-27 win over Oregon State, Brohm completed 18-of-22 passes for 368 yards and five touchdowns. His completion percentage of 81.8 tied him for the second best single-game performance in Louisville history. But in a season loaded with talent at quarterback, Brohm's best chance will be in future years.
-Erika Kramer
Winning the Heisman as a defensive player is a tricky undertaking. Since the first award was granted in 1935 only three defensive players have ever won.
Dumerville has received praise already this year by being named the co-Defensive Player of the Week in the Big East, after establishing a new NCAA record for nine consecutive games with a sack. Dumerville, who already has nine sacks on the season, also had six tackles and two forced fumbles in a 63-27 win over Oregon State. However, the Redbirds' defense was torched for 45 points by South Florida last week, doing major damage to Dumerville's hopes.
-Erika Kramer
