Brutally Honest Heisman Breakdown - Week 2

There's no need for the deep sleepers or the top defensive players here. When it comes to the Heisman chase, it's mostly up to quarterbacks and running backs from the top teams, and the statistical monsters. Welcome to week two of the Brutally Honest Heisman Breakdown.

2007 Brutally Honest Heisman Breakdown

Week Two

By Pete Fiutak   

- Heisman Rankings Week 1

Let's cut through the garbage, the pomp, the circumstance, the PR BS, and the hype surrounding the greatest individual award in all of sports. The Heisman Trophy goes to the most celebrated quarterback or running back from a top BCS team or a top 25 non-BCS program, and while others will be acknowledged here if they have any prayer of potentially finishing in the top five, it'll take something extraordinary to get on this list. Let's not pretend the hot Sun Belt back or the dual threat MAC quarterback has an honest chance.

This isn't a ranking of the best players or top NFL prospects. This is an attempt to put the finger on the pulse of the Heisman chase. So without further ado, here are the current favorites AT THE MOMENT (and this will changed week after week with players moving in and out of categories).

No Current Chance To Win It, But Deserves To Be In The Discussion

RB Tashard Choice, Sr. Georgia Tech
Last Week: 11 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and one catch for 17 yards, in the 69-14 win over Samford
His campaign depends on how Georgia Tech does in the high profile games. The name recognition still isn't there despite a big game against Notre Dame, but with Boston College, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia still to deal with, he'll get his chances to shine.

QB Chase Daniel, Jr. Missouri
Last Week: 31 of 42 for 330 yards and five touchdowns, and 11 carries for 55 yards, in the 38-25 win over Ole Miss.
Any long shot of getting to New York rests on Missouri's performances against Nebraska and Oklahoma in back to back weeks. Until then, Daniel will pile up the numbers against Western Michigan and Illinois State.

QB Dennis Dixon, Sr. Oregon
Last Week: 16 of 25 for 292 yards and three touchdowns, and 16 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns, in the 39-7 win over Michigan.
At the moment, the Duck QB is in the mix after two impressive performances with highlight reel plays. He's taken to the tweaks in the offense and appears to have total command of the attack. Of course, any dreams of becoming a Heisman finalist rests on his performances against Cal and USC.

QB Graham Harrell, Jr. Texas Tech
Last Week: 48 of 64 for 484 yards and four touchdowns with one interception in the 45-31 win over UTEP.
Who leads the nation in passing? It's not Colt Brennan. It's Harrell, who has ripped apart SMU and UTEP for 903 yards and eight touchdowns. Texas Tech quarterbacks never seem to enter the Heisman discussion, but soon, voters are going to have to start looking at the stats and giving him the same love they're giving Brennan.

RB Mike Hart, Sr. Michigan
Last Week: 25 carries for 127 yards in the 39-7 loss to Oregon
Don't blame Hart for the collapse. All he has done is crank out 315 yards and three touchdowns in two games as the nation's fifth leading rusher. If the Wolverines turn around their season, it'll be on his legs. Here's the scenario: Michigan beats Notre Dame, pulls off the upset against Penn State, and then rolls over Northwestern and Eastern Michigan to be 4-2 thanks to Hart, who becomes a most valuable player type of Heisman candidate. At least Michigan fans can dream.

QB Matt Ryan, Sr. Boston College
Last Week: 15 of 34 for 142 yards and a touchdown with an interception in the 37-17 win over NC State
Generating more of a buzz as a pro prospect than a Heisman candidate, he's still acknowledged by most as one of the ACC's top players, if not number one, and as the leader of a great BC team. He won't have the big numbers with the offense becoming more balanced.

QB Andre Woodson, Sr. Kentucky
Last Week: 15 of 22 for 218 yards and two touchdowns, and a short rushing touchdown, in the 56-20 win over Kent State.
The numbers aren't quite there yet, but he wasn't needed against Eastern Kentucky and Kent State. Now's the spotlight game with the showdown against Louisville coming up this week. If he blows up, and if UK wins, his Heisman season will get a jump-start.

On The Radar, But The World Is Looking For More

QB Sam Bradford, RFr. Oklahoma
Last Week: 19 of 25 for 205 yards and five touchdowns in the 51-13 win over Miami
If the season ended at this immediate moment, you'd have a hard argument against giving Bradford the Heisman. Yeah, there's a better chance of Bob Stoops inviting the media over to his house for tea and scrumpets than a redshirt freshman actually winning the big prize, but he leads the nation in passing efficiency after completing 40 of 48 passes (83%) in two games.

RB P.J. Hill, Jr. Wisconsin
Last Week: 30 carries for 147 yards in the 20-13 win over UNLV
Hill is sort of hanging here by a thread with just 231 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, in his first two games. The numbers don't tell the full story. He saved the Badgers against UNLV by pounding and pounding and pounding some more. To really get in the race, he'll have to come up with some big games to get the stats up, and Wisconsin can't lose.

WR/PR DeSean Jackson, Jr. California
Last Week: Five catches for 39 yards, two punt returns for 24 yards, and two carries for 78 yards and a touchdown in the 34-28 win over Colorado State
He doesn't touch the ball enough to have any reasonable shot at the Heisman, but if he keeps making one big highlight reel score per game, he'll be tough to keep out of New York.

RB Marlon Lucky, Jr. Nebraska
Last Week: 24 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown, and four catches for 34 yards, in the 20-17 win over Wake Forest
Currently fifth in the nation in rushing, any shot of getting into the Heisman hunt relies on a transcendent performance against USC this week. 100 yards and a Husker win should be enough.

QB Colt McCoy, Soph. Texas
Last Week: 25 of 38 for 239 yards and a touchdown, and five carries for 34 yards, in the 34-13 win over TCU
Here mostly because he's the starting quarterback for Texas than anything else, his numbers aren't going to be eye-popping, so he'll be in the race as a "game manager." Any chance of being a finalist relies on beating Oklahoma in a few weeks.

QB Tim Tebow, Soph. Florida
Last Week: 18 of 25 for 236 yards and three touchdowns, and 17 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns, in the 59-31 win over Troy
Second in the nation in passing efficiency and ninth in total offense, he's lived up to the hype so far. Of course, he's only had to deal with Western Kentucky and Troy, and now the big test comes against Tennessee.

The True Favorites

QB John David Booty, Sr. USC
Last Game: 21 of 32 for 206 yards and three touchdowns with an interception in the 38-10 win over Idaho two weeks ago
Here we go. The nation will be checking out Booty against Nebraska this week in the real start of USC's season. Booty is a finalist as long as USC goes unbeaten, and he'll win it if he's sensational against the big boys in the national spotlight games.

QB Brian Brohm, Sr. Louisville
Last Week: 25 of 39 for 401 yards and five touchdowns, and six carries for 25 yards, in the 58-42 win over Middle Tennessee
You don't think the Kansas City Chiefs would love to find a loophole to sign Brohm right now? With 776 yards, nine touchdowns passes and no interceptions, he's been flawless so far. Of course, that came against Murray State and Middle Tennessee State. Now he really gets to shine against Kentucky.

RB Darren McFadden, Jr. Arkansas
Last Game: 24 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 30 yards and one pass for a 42-yard touchdown in the 46-26 win over Troy two weeks ago
Now is when McFadden has to make his statement in the Heisman hunt with a trip to Alabama this week. If he puts up good numbers in a win, then the stats could blow up with Kentucky, North Texas, and Chattanooga to follow.

RB Ray Rice, Jr. Rutgers
Last Week: 37 carries for 175 yards and two touchdowns in the 41-24 win over Navy
A model of consistency, Rice has rushed for 100 yards or more in 14 of his last 17 games with 25 touchdowns in his last 15 outings. The Scarlet Knight offense might be more balanced, but he's still the one who makes things go. If Rutgers keeps on winning, his being near New York should play a major factor in the publicity department.

RB Steve Slaton, Jr. West Virginia
Last Week: 24 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the 48-23 win over Marshall
Does anyone turn on the jets in space like Slaton? He can be stuffed on two plays, and then rip off a home run on the third. It's gotten to the point where his 100-yard, multi-touchdown games have become expected.

QB Pat White, Jr. West Virginia
Last Week: 13 of 18 for 149 yards and two touchdowns, and 17 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown, in the 48-23 win over Marshall.
He'll continue to split the Heisman attention with Steve Slaton, but at the moment, he's the best player in the Big East. If he keeps completing 64% of his passes with no interceptions, and averaging 111 rushing yards per game, he could quickly vault himself into front-runner status.

And The Current Leader In The Clubhouse Is ...

QB Colt Brennan, Sr. Hawaii
Last Week: 43 of 61 for 548 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, and a short rushing touchdown, in the 45-44 overtime win over Louisiana Tech
It's a perfect storm of factors happening in Brennan's favor. The schedule isn't bad, so he's ripping apart defenses, his defense is awful, so he has to keep bombing away, and no one else is stepping up in the Heisman race so far. As long as he keeps putting up the astronomical numbers, and as long as Hawaii stays unbeaten, he's the one to beat.