The Heisman finalists
It?ll be a dogfight down the stretch in one of the closest Heisman races ever, and there will be at least five viable candidates fighting it out for votes. Denard Robinson will fall out of favor over the second half of the season, but his final numbers will be too amazing to ignore and he?ll get several No. 3 votes after a scintillating performance against Ohio State. Nebraska?s Taylor Martinez will struggle a bit against Texas, but he?ll lead the Huskers to the Big 12 title game getting votes in a top-player-on-a-top-team way. Terrelle Pryor won?t have the numbers, and he?ll be out of the hunt for a little while after struggling this week against Wisconsin, but he?ll make up for it in a win over Iowa. Oregon?s LaMichael James will end up leading the nation in rushing, and he?ll just miss out on the 2,000-yard mark to finish in everyone?s top three. Those on the West Coast will give Kellen Moore a few votes, but no one on the right side of the Mississippi will have him on the ballot. Auburn?s Cam Newton will deserve more respect, but he?ll struggle in his spotlight game in Alabama to ruin his bid (but he?ll be THE guy going into next year). Ryan Mallett and Andrew Luck will get a few votes from those going with the Most Talented Player Theory, but they won?t get enough to get an invite to New York. So, to make the call, it?ll be ?
1) Pryor, 2) James, 3) Martinez, 4) Robinson, 5) Moore, 6) Newton, 7) Luck, 8) Mallett