Brutally Honest Heisman Breakdown - Week 13

Who's still in the Heisman chase? It's as open a race as ever with the big prize there for the taking.

2007 Brutally Honest Heisman Breakdown

Week Thirteen

By Pete Fiutak   

- Heisman Rankings Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10
Week 11 | Week 12

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

The Finalists Coming Down The Stretch

QB Colt Brennan, Sr. Hawaii
Last Week: Brennan completed 40 of 53 passes for 495 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions, and ran nine times for 18 yards and a touchdown

With everyone watching, Brennan came through with one of his best performances in the win over Boise State to win Hawaii the WAC title. If he blows up against Washington and takes the Warriors to the BCS, he'll threaten to be a finalist. Unfortunately for him, the emergence of Darren McFadden and Chase Daniel might squeeze him out of the top three.

QB Chase Daniel, Jr. Missouri
Last Week: Daniel completed 40 of 49 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the 36-28 win over Kansas.

He's now in the discussion after a brilliant game against Kansas. If he comes up with a similar performance against Oklahoma and lead the nation's No. 1 team to the BCS Championship game, he might end up winning it based on the MVP factor.

QB Dennis Dixon, Sr. Oregon
Last Week: Dixon is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Take a look at Oregon with him and without him. If there was a case to be made for Dixon being the most valuable player in college football, the last game and a half is it. He'll get a few sympathy number three votes, but at this point, there are too many other candidates in the mix for the injured star to finish in the top three.

RB Darren McFadden, Jr. Arkansas
Last Week: McFadden ran 32 times for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and completed three of six passes for 34 yards and a score in the 50-48 three-overtime win over LSU.

The consistency isn't there, and seven of his 15 rushing scores came against North Texas, Chattanooga and Florida International, but everyone saw him rip up the number one team in America in a true Heisman-caliber game. LSU's defense got lit up like a Christmas tree be No. 5, and now an afterthought throughout most of the season, he's now just a half click behind Tim Tebow and Chase Daniel in the race.

RB Kevin Smith, Jr. UCF
Last Week: Smith ran 46 times for 219 yards and a touchdown, and caught three passes for 30 yards in the 36-20 win over UTEP. In the game, Smith became the nation's leading rusher with 2,164 yards.

Watch out for a few stray votes to trickle in for the nation's number one rusher. If he runs for his average against Tulsa in the Conference USA title game and in the bowl, he'll finish with more than 2,500 rushing yards. He won't be a finalist, but the numbers will be too tremendous for many to keep ignoring.

QB Pat White, Jr. West Virginia
Last Week: White completed nine of 13 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and ran 16 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns, in the 66-21 win over Connecticut.

As the leader of a national-title level team, he has come through when his team has needed him most. The 186-yard rushing day against Connecticut should've put him in everyone's top three, but he hasn't quite broken through. He needs one more brilliant day in a win over Pitt to get more third place votes.

And The Current Leader In The Clubhouse Is ...

QB Tim Tebow, Soph. Florida
Last Week: Tebow completed 19 of 28 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns, and ran 13 times for 89 yards and two scores

It should be a slam-dunk considering Tebow put up one of the greatest seasons in the history of college football, but Darren McFadden's game against LSU and the emergence of Chase Daniel has opened up the debate. He's still the leader, but the margin is now razor-thin.