The Ghostwriter

For the second straight week, we lost a big-name quarterback out here at Heisman Island. Last week, it was Tim Tebow’s floundering campaign that was finally brought to an unequivocal close and put out to sea. This week, we bid farewell to Jimmy Clausen as the sinking ship known as Notre Dame pulls him under the great blue sea.

Meanwhile, the list of remaining hopefuls is cut from ten to eight as we begin the process of winnowing it down to a final five.  Also, Stanford’s previously ignored star tailback, Toby Gerhart, makes a last-minute debut after his team pulled off yet another shocking upset and suddenly finds itself with legitimate top 25 relevancy.

8. Case Keenum (Houston)

Commentary: Despite playing through what was easily the worst game of his season, Keenum still managed to put up another eye-popping stat line. However, it’s tough to take a Heisman candidate seriously when his team loses to UCF—and he throws a pivotal interception midway through the fourth quarter that leads to a touchdown for the opposition. Right now, Houston is clinging to one of the last few spots in the top 25 so, great numbers aside, Keenum can ill afford another Houston loss.

Previous Rank: 3

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 377 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 58.9 pct., 129.6 rating; 8 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 4155 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 69.5 pct., 155.4 rating; 103 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns.

7. Toby Gerhart (Stanford)

Commentary: After beating the top two teams in the Pac-10 back-to-back, Stanford has certainly merited a top 25 ranking, which is great news for Gerhart’s candidacy. The star tailback currently sits third in the nation in rushing yards and second in rushing touchdowns. Much like Clemson’s C.J. Spiller, the only thing holding Gerhart back is his team’s three losses.

Previous Rank: Unranked

Highest Rank: 7

Last Week Stats: 178 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, 6.1 YPC; 9 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1395 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns, 5.3 YPC; 87 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

6. Kellen Moore (Boise State)

Commentary: Going into the season, no one would have guessed that the last quarterback standing with any kind of real Heisman legitimacy would play for little Boise State. Moore may not have Keenum’s passing yardage, but he does have more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, a better passer rating, and an undefeated football squad. If anyone in the top five slips up in the coming weeks, you can bet that Moore will be primed to move on up in the rankings.

Previous Rank: 8

Highest Rank: 6

Last Week Stats: 299 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 68.8 pct., 198.8 rating; 2 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 2558 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 67.4 pct., 171.9 rating; -11 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

5. LaMichael James (Oregon)

Commentary: Although James doesn’t appear to be getting much love from the big-name pundits out there, I think his level of play has certainly merited inclusion in the discussion of the Heisman top five. Not only is he the single biggest reason for Oregon’s success this year, but he’s also second in the nation in yards-per-carry average among backs with a minimum of 150 carries. Heisman voters, don’t penalize James just because you didn’t know who he was at the start of the season. If LeGarrette Blount hadn’t thrown a punch after the opener and instead had gone on to have this kind of season, don’t you think he’d be getting serious Heisman consideration at this point?

Previous Rank: 5

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 150 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, 6.8 YPC; 0 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1193 rushing yards, 11 touchdown, 7.0 YPC; 128 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

4. Jordan Shipley (Texas)

Commentary: So, maybe Texas didn’t really need wide receivers in their blowout of overmatched Baylor, but Shipley still came up with two more receiving scores to add to his stat line. I realize that it’s become increasingly difficult for wideouts to receive Heisman invitations, but Shipley is as good as they come and he’s been the top playmaker for the undefeated ‘Horns all season long.

Previous Rank: 4

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 46 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns; 9.3 PR AVG, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1096 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns; 13.8 PR AVG, 2 touchdowns.

3. C.J. Spiller (Clemson)

Commentary: Rushing touchdowns? Check. Receiving touchdowns? Check. Punt return touchdown? Check. Kickoff return touchdowns? Check. Passing touchdown? Check! The Clemson sensation has now scored in every imaginable way on offense this season. What’s next? Put him in at corner so he can get a pick-six? The guy is simply amazing and a true joy to watch.

Previous Rank: 6

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 97 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 5.4 YPC, ; 48 receiving yards, 1 touchdown; 13.0 KR AVG, 0 touchdowns; 17 passing yards, 1 touchdown.

Season Stats: 836 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns, 5.5 YPC, ; 382 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns; 27.0 PR AVG, 1 touchdown; 34.3 KR AVG, 3 touchdowns; 17 passing yards, 1 touchdown.

2. Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh)

Commentary: Lewis’ Heisman campaign reminds me a lot of LaMichael James’ in that it seems to be whispered in hushed tones in close circles—that is, if it’s even spoken of at all. It’s like the collegiate version of the old “elephant in the room” cliche. You know it’s there, but no one ever really talks about it. Well, I’m here to tell you that Lewis deserves better. The season he’s put together in his first year at Pitt deserves to be broadcast nationally all across the airwaves. So, rise up Panther fans! Let’s hear some Heisman noise for this frosh tailback who has single-handedly carried you into the top ten, when a lot of preseason pundits didn’t even envision your squad cracking the top 30.

Previous Rank: 2

Highest Rank: 2

Last Week Stats: 152 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 7.2 YPC; 8 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1291 rushing yards, 13 touchdown, 5.8 YPC; 142 receiving yards, 1 touchdown.

1. Mark Ingram (Alabama)

Commentary: The Heisman race looks to be Ingram’s to lose. And, no, don’t you dare even mention a certain Gators quarterback. I don’t care if Florida wins the SEC and plays Texas in the national championship. The only player deserving of a Heisman invitation on those two squads would be the aforementioned Shipley. Anyway, in the meantime, with Alabama taking on hapless Chattanooga this weekend, look for Ingram to put up some impressive numbers as he continues to build on his lead.

Previous Rank: 1

Highest Rank: 1

Last Week Stats: 149 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns, 7.8 YPC; 9 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1297 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, 6.7 YPC; 225 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns.

I. OFFENSE

Quarterback

1st team: Mark Sanchez (NYJ)

2nd team: Josh Freeman (TB)

Despite his recent struggles, Sanchez is an easy pick as the most accomplished quarterback of his class to this point. The obvious omission here is Matthew Stafford, who threw five interceptions last week against a struggling Seattle secondary. I realize that the promotion of Freeman to the runner-up position after just one pro start is a bit confutative, but that one game was considerably better than anything Stafford has produced thus far in six starts.

Running back

1st team: Knowshon Moreno (DEN), LeSean McCoy (PHI)

2nd team: Chris Wells (ARZ), Donald Brown (IND)

Well, this crop of running backs isn’t going to be mistaken for last year’s any time soon, but all four of these players are contributing in somewhat limited roles. Moreno has received the most carries and, hence, gained the most yards of the bunch, but McCoy is starting to see increased playing time with Brian Westbrook embarking on his annual battle with injuries. By the way, wasn’t Wells supposed to be entrenched as the starter in Arizona by now?

Wide Receiver

1st team: Percy Harvin (MIN), Hakeem Nicks (NYG)

2nd team: Mike Wallace (PIT), Austin Collie (IND)

It’s becoming increasingly clear that this is a very deep pool of receivers. In addition to the four game-changers you see listed above, there are at least six other wideouts (Johnny Knox, Jeremy Maclin, Kenny Britt, Michael Crabtree, Mohamed Massaquoi, and Louis Murphy) who are already making their presence felt on the pro field. Harvin, meanwhile, looks to be well on his way to “Rookie of the Year” honors.

Tight End

1st team: Brandon Pettigrew (DET)

2nd team: Shawn Nelson (BUF)

This class still has the potential to produce multiple stars at the tight end position, but, for now, Pettigrew is enough.

Offensive Tackle

1st team: Phil Loadholt (MIN), Michael Oher (BAL)

2nd team: Eugene Monroe (JAX), Jason Smith (STL)

For the third year in a row, we’re seeing some excellent early play out of our rookie tackles. Loadholt and Oher in particular have looked like franchise players.

Offensive Guard

1st team: Max Unger (SEA), Eric Wood (BUF)

2nd team: Louis Vasquez (SD), Andy Levitre (BUF)

This is a relatively weak year for guards—highlighted by the fact that even the best player in this bunch, Unger, is playing out of his natural position (he was drafted as a center out of Oregon).

Center

1st team: Alex Mack (CLE)

2nd team: Jonathan Luigs (CIN)

It’s rare for drafts to produce multiple starting-caliber players at center, and the class of 2009 has been no different to this point. Mack looks like the real deal. Behind him, especially with Unger being moved around the line in Seattle, there isn’t much depth.

II. DEFENSE

Defensive Tackle

1st team: Roy Miller (TB), Terrance Knighton (JAX)

2nd team: Desmond Bryant (OAK), Myron Pryor (NE)

With Peria Jerry sitting on injured reserve for the rest of the season, Miller has been the best tackle of his class at the midseason mark. He currently leads all rookie defensive linemen with two sacks.

Defensive End

1st team: Michael Johnson (CIN), Tyson Jackson (KC)

2nd team: Connor Barwin (HOU), Everette Brown (CAR)

With so many teams transitioning to 3-4 defenses, you’re seeing more pressure being generated by linebackers than you are by defensive ends. This explains why Jackson, the only full-time starter of this bunch, doesn’t really have the numbers to reflect his on-the-field performance. Although they all play on teams with 4-3 formats, Johnson, Barwin, and Brown have all been limited to spot duty to this point and none has more than one sack.

Linebacker

1st team: Brian Cushing (HOU), Brian Orakpo (WAS), James Laurinaitis (STL)

2nd team: Aaron Curry (SEA), Clay Matthews (GB), Rey Maualuga (CIN)

This year’s crop of linebackers could give the rookie wideouts a run for their money as the best group of players to come out of the 2009 draft. Cushing is already getting All-Pro mentions, and Orakpo has been the lone bright spot, leading all rookies with 5.5 sacks, in an otherwise forgettable season in Washington. Curry and Matthews are using their incredible athleticism to break up plays, while Laurinaitis and Maualuga have been making teams sorry for passing on them in the first round.

Cornerback

1st team: Sean Smith (MIA), Derek Cox (JAX)

2nd team: Vontae Davis (MIA), Jerraud Powers (IND)

Cornerback is always a tricky position to evaluate because the stats don’t always tell the full story. Cox and Powers lead all rookie corners with 40 tackles, but that could be because teams are targeting them more often. Cox is also tied with Davis for the most pass deflections. Yet, in the games in which I’ve seen Miami play this year, I’ve come away more impressed with Davis’ less-hyped rookie teammate, Smith, than I have with the former first-rounder.

Safety

1st team: Jairus Byrd (BUF), Louis Delmas (DET)

2nd team: Al Alfalava (CHI), Kevin Ellison (SD)

If you follow pro football at all, you’re probably already familiar with the incredible season Byrd is having. In the last four games, he has seven interceptions and eight pass deflections. Suffice it to say, those are usually great end-of-the-year totals for some Pro Bowl safeties. Delmas is also putting together a solid season, taking home rookie defensive player of the month honors in September.

III. SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

1st team: Ryan Succop (KC)

2nd team: David Buehler (DAL)

Succop has made 79 percent of his kicks this year, with a long of 53 yards. Meanwhile, Buehler has been an absolute beast on kickoffs in Dallas, leading the league with 17 touchbacks.

Punter

1st team: Kevin Huber (CIN)

2nd team: Pat McAfee (IND)

Huber and McAfee are both averaging a respectable 43.7 yards per boot, but Huber gets the first team nod for placing two more within the twenty yard line.

Returner

1st team: Lardarius Webb (BAL)

2nd team: Johnny Knox (CHI)

Harvin would be the obvious choice here, but he’s already made the list and I think he’d rather play receiver anyway. Webb is averaging 28.2 yards per kickoff return, while Knox is at 28.1. Both have returns for touchdowns, but Webb wins out for having one more return of 40-plus yards with four fewer opportunities.

For the first time in three years, I decided not to include Tim Tebow in the top ten of my weekly Heisman parthenon. While I realize that his legacy has nearly reached god-like proportions among college football fans, there are simply more deserving candidates this year. Thus, it is with a heavy heart that we bid adieu to the former trophy winner as he sets sail to join Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford in this season’s Land of the Heisman Hopeless.

As a side note, for those of you keeping track at home, Tebow was accompanied by the disgraced Daryll Clark, whose lackluster performance in Ohio State’s decimation of Penn State earned him a much-deserved banishment from the Isles of Heisman Utopia.

Now, on to the remaining ten!

10. Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati)

Commentary: Any realistic shot Gilyard had at being invited to the Heisman ceremony likely died when quarterback Tony Pike went down with an arm injury. Still, as evidenced by last week’s stat line, it’s not like the elusive wideout’s production has faltered any even with a backup under center. Given the long-shot nature of a receiver winning the Heisman though, the most plausible scenario for Gilyard is that he continues to quietly rack up numbers in the college game all the way to a fat check in the pros.

Previous Rank: 9

Highest Rank: 4

Last Week Stats: 172 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns; -13.0 PR AVG, 0 touchdowns; 28.8 KR AVG, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 908 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns; 14.6 PR AVG, 1 touchdown; 26.8 KR AVG, 0 touchdowns.

9. Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)

Commentary: With Georgia Tech 9-1 and ranked in the top ten nationally, you would expect its star running back to receive more attention in Heisman circles. Of course, with C.J. Spiller scoring touchdowns from all over the place, Dwyer might not even be the best back in the ACC. It also certainly doesn’t help that Dwyer is rarely used in Tech’s limited passing situations.

Previous Rank: Unranked

Highest Rank: 9

Last Week Stats: 189 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 8.2 YPC; 0 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1093 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns, 6.5 YPC; 11 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

8. Kellen Moore (Boise State)

Commentary: It’s hard to find fault with Moore, and you could even make the case that he deserves to be in the top five overall. The reason I have him ranked lower is due to the fact that he’s had three games this season in which he threw for under 200 yards despite playing against some pretty porous defenses. Still, his touchdown/interception ration is among the best in the country, and I think it would be hard for Heisman voters to ignore a quarterback who could potentially throw for 40 touchdowns while leading his undefeated team to a top six ranking.

Previous Rank: 7

Highest Rank: 6

Last Week Stats: 354 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 68.3 pct., 160.1 rating; 0 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 2259 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 67.3 pct., 168.7 rating; -13 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

7. Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)

Commentary:  It’s looking more and more like Clausen’s terrific junior campaign is going to be wasted on another literally defense-less squad in South Bend. Charlie Weis’ inability to stop opposing offenses, highlighted in last week’s embarrassing loss to Navy, may keep his team out of the top twenty-five—which is usually a death sentence for Heisman hopefuls. On the plus side, Clausen’s draft stock is skyrocketing, and he could end up being a first-round pick next spring.

Previous Rank: 5

Highest Rank: 5

Last Week Stats: 452 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 72.5 pct., 156.0 rating; -5 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 2770 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 67.9 pct., 162.9 rating; -62 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

6. C.J. Spiller (Clemson)

Commentary:  Spiller finds himself in the same boat as Clausen in that both players will have to overcome their teams’ respective records in order to get a Heisman bid. Although both teams have already suffered three losses, Clemson appears to be a team on the rise of late—while Notre Dame’s stock is dropping. For his part, Spiller has been such an explosive force on the football field this season that he’d be a near-unanimous choice for the Heisman if Clemson was a top ten team.

Previous Rank: Unranked

Highest Rank: 6

Last Week Stats: 165 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 7.5 YPC, ; 67 receiving yards, 1 touchdown; 9.0 PR AVG, 0 touchdowns; 23.7 KR AVG, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 739 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns, 5.5 YPC; 334 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns; 27.0 PR AVG, 1 touchdown; 35.7 KR AVG, 3 touchdowns.

5. LaMichael James (Oregon)

Commentary: Following Oregon’s shocking defeat of USC this past Halloween, tailback James climbed all the way to the third spot on this list. Now, with his team’s subsequent loss to Stanford, the freshman has come back down to earth. The lower ranking has nothing to do with James’ production, however, as he still totaled over 200 yards last week. We’ll have to see how the reinstatement of former starter LeGarrette Blount impacts James’ touches going forward.

Previous Rank: 3

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 125 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 6.9 YPC; 89 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1043 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns, 7.0 YPC; 128 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

4. Jordan Shipley (Texas)

Commentary:  It’s time for Longhorn fans to forget about Colt McCoy’s dwindling Heisman chances and throw their full support behind his number one receiver instead. Shipley, who is coming off a record-setting day against UCF, clearly deserves at least an invitation to the Heisman ceremony in New York this year. His main obstacles at this point are his somewhat unremarkable touchdown numbers and McCoy’s potentially vote-splitting campaign.

Previous Rank: 6

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 273 receiving yards, 1 touchdown; 7.0 PR AVG, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1050 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns; 14.5 PR AVG, 2 touchdowns.

3. Case Keenum (Houston)

Commentary:  Week after week, Keenum continues to put up outrageous Heisman-caliber numbers. He leads the nation with an incredible average of 420 passing yards per game and has thrown for over 300 yards in every game but one this season. If Houston can avoid a slip-up in its three remaining games, Keenum should be bound for New York.

Previous Rank: 4

Highest Rank: 3

Last Week Stats: 522 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 66.7 pct., 156.3 rating; 21 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 3778 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 70.8 pct., 158.6 rating; 95 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns.

2. Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh)

Commentary:  With Oregon’s James holding down the fifth spot and Lewis currently slated to be the Heisman runner-up, this is clearly an incredible year for freshman running backs. Heisman voters take notice: If Pitt can finish strong with victories over Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Cincinnati, it will be largely because of this star tailback. If that scenario does indeed play out, Lewis should be on everybody’s shortlist.

Previous Rank: 2

Highest Rank: 2

Last Week Stats: 110 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 6.1 YPC; 40 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1139 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, 5.6 YPC; 134 receiving yards, 1 touchdown.

1. Mark Ingram (Alabama)

Commentary:  It looks like all those college football “experts” are finally starting to come around and see Ingram for the Heisman-quality player that he is. With three very winnable games remaining on the Alabama schedule, the trophy should be his to lose. As I stated last week, it will be hard for Heisman voters to break tradition and not give the award to a quarterback, but, in the end, I think the decision will be too obvious to ignore.

Previous Rank: 1

Highest Rank: 1

Last Week Stats: 144 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns, 6.6 YPC; 5 catches, 30 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season Stats: 1148 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns, 6.6 YPC; 216 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns.

Anyone who seriously follows college football could tell you that this year’s Heisman race has been a bit of an enigma. Coming into the 2009 season, everybody thought it would be a three horse race. After all, in an unprecedented twist, we had two former winners and last year’s runner-up all shunning the pros in order to return for another year.

Little did we know that quarterback Sam Bradford, last year’s winner, would suffer a shoulder injury in the very first game of his season that would ultimately end his year. OK, many voters probably thought, with Bradford out of the picture that should make it a dead heat between quarterbacks Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner, and Colt McCoy, last year’s runner-up, right?

Well, in all honesty, neither player is putting up career-best numbers. Tebow is currently 37 touchdowns behind his Heisman-winning mark, and he’s also on pace to have fewer passing yards, more interceptions, a lower passer rating, and a lower completion percentage. Similarly, if you compare McCoy’s statistics to last year, you’ll see that he’s literally down in every category.

NAME	YEAR	P-YDS	TD	INT	C%	QB RTG	R-YDS	TD
Tim Tebow	2009	1323	10	4	64.7	153.7	551	8
Tim Tebow	2007	3286	32	6	66.9	172.5	895	23
Colt McCoy	2009	1977	15	8	72.0	144.6	138	1
Colt McCoy	2008	3859	34	8	76.7	173.7	561	11

The problem here is that Heisman voters like to be spoon fed. A lot of them don’t want to go through the hassle of crunching numbers—they just vote for the biggest name in the biggest game. Did you know that the last six Heisman winners have all played in the national championship? The last player to buck that trend was Carson Palmer. Speaking of which, did you realize that eight of the last nine Heisman winners have been quarterbacks? Reggie Bush was the lone exception—although, to be fair, his quarterback, Matt Leinart, had already won the trophy in the previous year.

So, where does this current situation leave voters? If the profile of a Heisman winner over the last decade has been a star quarterback playing in the national title game, does that mean Tebow, McCoy or Greg McElroy from Alabama has to be the choice? The answer obviously should be a resounding “no”—it’s simply time for Heisman voters to break out of their comfort zone and just honor the most deserving player. Period.

#10 Daryll Clark (Penn State)

Last week: 274 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 71.0% completion, 155.9 rating; 16 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

Season: 2158 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 63.1% completion, 149.3 rating; 148 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns.

#9 Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati)

Last week: 62 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns; 55 punt return yards, 27.5 punt return average, 0 touchdowns.

Season: 736 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns; 159 punt return yards, 17.67 punt return average, 1 touchdown.

#8 Tim Tebow (Florida)

Last week: 164 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 71.4% completion, 168.5 rating; 85 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns.

Season: 1323 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 64.7% completion, 153.7 rating; 551 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns.

#7 Kellen Moore (Boise State)

Last week: 278 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 63.6% completion, 164.4 rating; 2 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

Season: 1905 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 67.1% completion, 170.3 rating; -13 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

#6 Jordan Shipley (Texas)

Last week: 64 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns; 0 punt returns.

Season: 777 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns; 261 punt return yards, 15.35 punt return average, 2 touchdowns.

#5 Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)

Last week: 268 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 81.5% completion, 189.3 rating; -9 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season: 2318 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 66.9% completion, 164.2 rating; -57 rushing yards, 1 touchdown.

#4 Case Keenum (Houston)

Last week: 559 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 interception, 81.5% completion, 195.3 rating; 10 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.

Season: 3256 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 71.4% completion, 159.0 rating; 74 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns.

#3 LaMichael James (Oregon)

Last week: 183 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 7.63 yards-per-carry; 8 receiving yards,0 touchdowns.

Season: 918 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns, 7.01 yards-per-carry; 39 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns.

#2 Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh)

Last week: Bye

Season: 1029 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, 5.56 yards-per-carry; 92 receiving yards, 1 touchdown.

#1 Mark Ingram (Alabama)

Last week: Bye

Season: 1004 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns, 6.56 yards-per-carry; 186 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns.