NCAA Football

The Latest Heisman Watch

Posted Sep 25, 2006 11:03PM By Heismanpundit (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Heisman

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The Heisman race is tightening again. There are still only four players who can win this year's trophy and no one has broken from the pack just yet.

1. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma--He has moved into the front runner's spot on the strength of his solid stats (643 yards and 7 TDs) and because of the reemergence of Brady Quinn, who will take votes from Troy Smith.

2. (tie) Brady Quinn, Notre Dame--The Irish win over Michigan State breathed new life into Quinn's candidacy. He now is set up nicely and could take home the trophy if Notre Dame wins out.

2. (tie) Troy Smith, Ohio State--Had a rough day against Penn State, which begs the question: Will he get the stats he needs to win? Right now, he is on pace for 2,600 passing yards and no quarterback has won the Heisman with less than 3,000 yards passing since Vinny Testaverde in 1986.

4. Chris Leak, Florida--He is on pace for a huge year, but the Gators must win the SEC and Quinn must stumble for Leak to seriously challenge for the award.

There's still a ton of football to be played, but Peterson is set up the best right now. He has a big game with Texas coming up that will help determine his Heisman fate and there are no late-season pitfalls that could derail him, unlike the other three players..

Since the understanding is that Oklahoma is not a national title contender, Peterson alone among the remaining four can absorb the impact of another loss and still win.

One other factor: Peterson is the only one of the four who is a lock to be a top five NFL draft pick.

If The Vote Were Held Today

1. Troy Smith
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Brady Quinn
4. Chris Leak
5. Steve Slaton
6. Garrett Wolfe
7. Michael Hart
8. Calvin Johnson
9. Marshawn Lynch
10. Kenny Irons

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