So far, this season of college football has had both its share of constants and surprises. Among the constants: The SEC’s continued dominance, as Alabama and Florida are ranked numbers one and two in the first BCS rankings, along with Oregon’s machine like offense rolling over opponents left and right, and Florida State’s continued disappointment. However, there have been many surprises as well, including the rise of West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, rebirth of Notre Dame, and USC’s lackluster start.
The nation’s best teams all have their share of stars, and these stars are vying for college football’s top individual prize: the Heisman Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top collegiate player. There are many players who are playing at high levels, including Smith, and those who have disappointed thus far, such as USC quarterback Matt Barkley. Let’s take a look at the three front runners halfway through this season.
Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: Smith is the front runner thus far, but his lead has gotten smaller since last Saturday’s 48-14 loss at Texas Tech. Mountaineers coach Dana Holgerson blamed Smith’s lack of accuracy on the heavy winds, but Smith didn’t use that as an excuse. Even with the lopsided score, Smith still went 29 of 55 for 275 passing yards and a touchdown pass to improve his season stats to 2,271 passing yards, 25 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Even though having weapons such as wide receivers Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin, along with a stable of running backs, this has been Smith’s show to run. And he has done an excellent job at it. If the Heisman Trophy was awarded today, he would win it, but only by a slim margin.
Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame: Te’o is the nation’s best defender on one of the nation’s best defenses. Last Saturday’s win over Stanford was one of Te’o’s finest moments. The linebacker had eleven stops, including a game sealing stop of Stanford tailback Stepfan Taylor at the goal line on third and goal to clinch an Irish victory. For the season, Te’o has 59 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He is the epitome of a leader and the prime reason why Notre Dame is still undefeated thus far. There is a very good chance he could be the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson won it in 1998 as a Michigan Wolverine.
Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State: If you want to know the main reason why Bill Snyder’s Wildcats are atop of the Big 12, look no further than Klein, the duel threat quarterback that has won games with both his legs and arm. Last week against an upstart Iowa State team (who knocked off Oklahoma State), Klein was the only reason why the Wildcats were not upset. He went 16 of 24 for a 187 yards thru the air, but burned the Cyclones with his legs, rushing for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries en route to a 26-21 victory. Even though he has only thrown 118 passes, he has completed 79 of them for 1,074 yards and a 7 to 2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Not to mention the 510 rushing yards and ten touchdowns he has on only 98 attempts. Klein is the very definition of a duel threat quarterback and is the main reason that Kansas State is the favorite to capture the Big 12 title in December.
Of course, there are plenty of other names that could capture the Heisman. Barkley could rebound and tear up Oregon, Notre Dame and Arizona State en route to a BCS berth. Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller can continue his one man wrecking ball through the Big Ten and go undefeated, but not going to a bowl will definitely hurt his chances. Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron could lead his team to an undefeated season and BCS title, but his defense and running backs will likely overshadow him. Oregon’s two tailbacks, De’Anthony “The Black Mamba” Thomas and Kenjon Barner, might be too good for each other to win the trophy. Freshman sensation Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M could continue to put up video game numbers, but the Aggies are still outclassed by most of their SEC brethren. Other names to look out for are running backs Mike Gillislee of Florida and Montee Ball of Wisconsin, along with South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Whoever wins, this season’s race will be one the closest in college football history.
Jordan Llanes can be reached at Jordan.Llanes@spartans.ut.edu.