With two weeks of college football officially in the books, and with Ohio State already having defeated Texas in a match up of No. 1 versus No. 2, many people are asking one question: Who is going to win the Heisman trophy?
Well, now there is no need to wonder, for here are the top five candidates to win this year's Heisman, along with a dark horse for all you Rudy fans out there.
Troy Smith, QB Ohio State
Troy Smith has to be the frontrunner right now for the prestigious Heisman trophy award. After a complete dismantling last week of then #2 Texas, Smith could throw his way straight into the record books. After two games, Smith has 566 yards and five touchdowns on 35 completions out of 51 passing attempts. That's a cool 194.2 quarterback rating, and there doesn't seem to be any sign of things changing. The only chance for Ohio State to stumble could come on Sept. 30th at Iowa or Nov. 18th vs. Michigan.
Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame
Quinn was pretty much everyone's pick for Heisman before the season started. But after barely escaping Georgia Tech in week one with a 14-10 victory, the question now is whether Notre Dame is for real or not. A week two shellacking of Penn State 41-17 has helped recreate the image Quinn will need to win the Heisman. For the season Quinn is 48 out of 74 for 533 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately for Brady, as long as Troy Smith and Ohio State stay as hot as they are, Quinn and the Irish will be a distant second.
Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia
Slaton is one of the more interesting contenders for the Heisman trophy. Slaton is coming off of a freshman season in which he rushed for 1128 yards and 19 total touchdowns. This year, Slaton has been everything that could be expected and then some. After a week one performance against Marshall of 203 yards and two touchdowns off of 33 carries, it was certain that this sophomore from Levittown, PA is the real deal. Last week against East Washington, Slaton only played the first two series, yet still ran up 105 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries. The only thing holding Slaton back is the fact that he is just a sophomore.
Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma
Peterson is one of, if not the, most well-known running back in all of college football. After a freshman season of 1925 yards and 15 touchdowns, Peterson had an injury-plagued sophomore campaign with only 1108 yards and nine touchdowns. Peterson seems to be back in top form this year, with 304 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries. If Oklahoma can regain its poise and make a run at a title, look for Peterson to again be sitting in New York at the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
Ted Ginn Jr., WR Ohio State
Troy Smith's favorite target also makes our Heisman list. Ginn is a game changer at wide receiver and as both a punt and kick return man. Ginn can affect the game even when he doesn't touch the ball; teams are constantly kicking away from him and giving up field position, just so Ginn doesn't touch the ball. So far in 2006 Ginn has nine catches for 220 yards and three touchdowns. It's going to be tough for Ginn to outshine Smith, but if he gets his hands on enough punts and kicks, along with Ohio State winning a national championship, he could end up with his hands on the Heisman trophy too.
Sleeper:
Kenny Irons, RB Auburn
Irons is coming off of a junior season in which he ran for 1293 yards and 13 touchdowns. In his senior year, he has currently racked up 252 yards and one touchdown. Auburn is currently third in the AP poll and fourth in the USA Today poll. Auburn, and Irons, are not talked about much in the media, and that's what makes him a sleeper. If Auburn can win the SEC Championship outright and reaches the National Championship game, with Irons running up some big numbers, he could run away with the Heisman trophy as well.
