The Race to the Heisman feature on this site is not an official prediction on which player should win the award, but rather my personal opinion on how the rankings break down from week to week. Follow me on Twitter.
 
 

My Ballot

 
 
1. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State
 
Collin Klein took the lead for the Heisman trophy when he lead underdog Kansas State over Oklahoma in Norman. It might have looked like he cemented his campaign with his back-to-back thumpings over West Virginia and Texas Tech, but Klein isn’t in the clear just yet. For now, Klein’s above-average passing numbers combined with his outstandingly efficient rushing totals make him the favorite.
 
Key win(s): At Oklahoma, At West Virginia, vs. Texas Tech
 
Path to win: Klein’s Heisman campaign is not completely predicated on Kansas State running the table, but a loss would be crippling. Klein must perform at his highest level against Oklahoma State when his Wildcats are on national TV. Even if everything goes right for Collin Klein, he could still be passed, but it would take a historic effort.
 
 
2. Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame
 
I really like Manti Te’o's chances for two key reasons. First of all, the Heisman voters have to love that Notre Dame is back. Second of all, I believe there has been a desire to crown a defensive-only player with the Heisman Trophy. While Charles Woodson was primarily a defender, he was greatly benefited by his work on offense and special teams.
 
Key win(s): vs. Stanford, At Oklahoma
 
Path to win: Unlike Klein, Te’o's campaign is completely dependent on Notre Dame staying undefeated. Te’o must make buzz plays when Notre Dame ends it’s season on the road against USC. Their high-profile opponents need to look strong down the stretch. (Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, and Oklahoma) Also, Te’o will need Collin Klein to take a loss and either Oregon to take a loss or Kenjon Barner to perform poorly in his final four games.
 
 
3. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
 
Although he seems to get less national press than teammate DeAnthony Thomas, Barner is quietly right in the thick of things for the Heisman trophy. On perhaps the country’s best offense, Barner is the keys to the engine. However, because Oregon’s three toughest games of the year still remain, doubt remains about Oregon. Barner could steal the spotlight away from Klein and Te’o with strong performances against USC, Stanford, and Oregon State.
 
Key win(s): At Arizona State
 
Path to win: Although he ranks third right now, Kenjon Barner is in the driver’s seat. If he can help his team win out and continue to put up statistics at the pace he is right now, Barner will be hard to beat. Barner also has the advantage of having the most high-profile games in the home-stretch.
 
 
4. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
 
It’s impossible to argue with success. I didn’t think Ohio State had a chance to run the table, but the Big Ten is worse than I thought, and none of the teams on their schedule can take advantage of their lackluster defense. Miller is racking up the yards on the ground and projects to finish with a Touchdown to turnover ratio of over +30.
 
Key win(s): At Nebraska, vs. Michigan State
 
Path to win: There is absolutely no way Braxton Miller could win the Heisman Trophy. If every undefeated team takes a loss, which has to be step one on the Miller can win if hypothetical, the trophy would revert to statistical marvels, a race Miller can’t win either. Although it may not seem fair, Ohio State’s post-season suspension definitively prohibits Miller from winning the award.
 
 
5. Marqise Lee, WR, USC
 
If Marqise Lee’s statistics keep pace, his sophomore season will rival Larry Fitzgerald’s historic sophomore season at Pittsburgh. If he can keep pace with Oregon and Notre Dame still on the schedule, his chances will skyrocket. However, USC has underachieved, and that puts a big damper on his chances.
 
Key win(s): None
 
Path to win: Lee needs to perform against Oregon and Notre Dame, and his team needs to win both games. If he can lead his team past those two, I don’t think he would need a Klein loss to move ahead, but he would need Klein to look vulnerable.
 
 

The Others:

6. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
7. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
8. Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
9. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
10. Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina

Cincinnati (5-1) AT 16 Louisville (7-0)
Time: *8:00 PM EDT | Spread: Louisville -3 1/2

 
The Pick: Cincinnati wins, covers.
 
Why?: Louisville hasn’t been spectacular thus far against sub-par competition. Cincinnati will be very motivated to avenge a road loss to Toledo. (That I predicted correctly.)
 

2 Florida (7-0) AT 10 Georgia (6-1)
Time: 3:30 PM EDT | Spread: Florida -7

 
The Pick: Georgia wins, covers.
 
Why?: Georgia showed-off their inability to stop the run against South Carolina – and Florida’s rushing attack is even better. However, Georgia’s defense has been significantly better at home, and I believe it will rise to the occasion. Florida hasn’t been great on the road, either.
 
 

14 Texas Tech (6-1) AT 3 Kansas State (7-0)
Time: 3:30 PM EDT | Spread: Kansas State -7 1/2

 
The Pick: Kansas State wins, Texas Tech covers.
 
Why?: Texas Tech’s strength in their secondary won’t help them out against Collin Klein’s prolific rushing attack. Tech is almost entirely reliant on the success of their passing attack – and if West Virginia’s didn’t work against Kansas State, I doubt Texas Tech’s will.
 
 

22 Michigan (5-2) AT Nebraska (5-2)
Time: 8:00 PM EDT | Spread: Nebraska -2

 
The Pick: Michigan wins, covers.
 
Why?: Nebraska’s defense couldn’t contain Denard Robinson last year with Lavonte David in the middle, how are they going to do it now? Michigan’s run defense was tremendous last week against Michigan State, but was disappointing against Alabama and Air Force earlier in the season. If the Defensive Line doesn’t play up to their ability, Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez could lead the Huskers to victory.
 
 

5 Notre Dame (7-0) AT 8 Oklahoma (5-1)
Time: 8:00 PM EDT | Spread: Oklahoma -11 1/2

 
The Pick: Oklahoma wins, Notre Dame covers.
 
Why?: Oklahoma is probably the best team Notre Dame has faced so far this season, but could fall victim to the same downfalls as Michigan and Stanford did. The Oklahoma offense must prevent turnovers if they want to cover that enormous spread – and I don’t have that kind of faith in Landry Jones. Manti Te’o Heisman Campaign probably lives and dies with Notre Dame’s undefeated season.
 
 

11 Mississippi State (7-0) AT 1 Alabama (7-0)
Time: 8:30 PM EDT | Spread: Alabama -24

 
The Pick: Alabama wins, Mississippi State covers.
 
Why?: I think Alabama is in for a scare, possibly looking ahead to the LSU game next week. Mississippi State’s defense is one of the best in the country and will compete up front and limit the Alabama rushing attack. AJ McCarron will have more difficult passing situations this Saturday than he has had all year.
 
 

In 1951, just five years removed from three consecutive years with at least a share of the National Championship, Army expelled 37 football players who were found to have cheated on exams. In 1984 Charley Pell was fired from the University of Florida for an alleged 107 major NCAA violations. After several minor violations in the 1970′s, SMU received the Death Penalty in 1986 for continuing to pay their players. There have been hundreds of cases of illegal payment to college football players. In a bit of irony, while the NCAA publicly punishes Universities for their actions, they do more to conceal the truth than the coaches, agents, and boosters do. The NCAA refuses to admit publicly the culture of cheating that they encourage.
 
Joe Paterno, and to a lesser extent Penn State, was revered by the nation because of their spotless record. In the midst of college football’s culture of cheating, Penn State, led by Paterno, championed the path less traveled. His five undefeated seasons had no asterisks by them, and that was more important than the wins themselves. Penn State was proof that you could win without cheating; that ethics and integrity would prevail.
 
That was the narrative we believed. And while the disgusting actions of Jerry Sandusky leaves that narrative forever altered with an asterisk of it’s own, the fundamental point remains.
 
Because of the nature of the proceedings, there was a prevailing belief that anticipated NCAA violations would empty the pool of suitors for a successor to Joe Paterno following his dismissal. Undeterred, Penn State fans remained hopeful that their school’s long-term reputation would outweigh the short-term negatives of taking the job. Boise State’s Chris Peterson and the Tennessee Titan’s Mike Munchak were two who openly declined the job, while others choose to do so in private. Prior to the child-sex scandal, Penn State was considered one of the best jobs in the country. So, when Penn State had to settle for Bill O’Brien, the decision was not popular.
 
On July 24th, 2012, the NCAA’s investigation came to an end as they issued some of the strongest sanctions in history to Penn State: All wins from 1998 to 2011, a reduction from a maximum of 25 scholarships each recruiting cycle to 15 scholarships, and $60 Million dollars in fines. Yahoo Sport’s Dan Wetzel described the sanctions as a fate worse than death in his July 23rd analysis of the Penn State situation. “For first-year Penn State coach Bill O’Brien, dealing with a one-season suspension of the program would have been easier to handle. The death penalty is a misnomer because in NCAA terms there is always life after death. It’s just the suspension of play for a year or two.”
 
For Bill O’Brien, finding success at Penn State under these conditions was supposed to be the proverbial needle in the haystack.
 
In a statement made to ESPN writer Don Van Natta Jr., former Penn State Linebacker offered a grim opinion on O’Brien’s opportunity. “I don’t envy him at all. He doesn’t have support of the vast majority of former Penn State players and the vast majority of the student body and the faculty won’t support him. I feel sorry for him.”
 
When O’Brien lost his first game as Penn State’s Head Coach at home to MAC opponent Ohio, the situation at Penn State that was to that point only theoretically apocalyptic, seemed hopeless. Then, a road loss to Virginia seemed to confirm all the doubt. O’Brien’s lack of experience as a Head Coach, lack of experience on his roster, and lack of support from the Penn State community would eventually define his time at Penn State. The odds were too great, the mission was impossible.
 
That was the narrative we believed.
 
In the five games that have followed, Bill O’Brien’s Penn State squad has appeared to be the best team in the Big Ten, cruising to double-digit victories in every game. Penn State’s road wins over Iowa and Illinois by a combined 52 points are only out-shined by their 11 point victory over Northwestern, then ranked 24th, at home.
 
The cliché over-coming the odds story is now in the forefront, as the media tries to create a new connection with the University that they threw overboard last summer. Penn State’s triumph seems to be the only positive story coming out the Big Ten conference, but because of the nature of the story, how Penn State has found success is being widely overlooked.
 
Penn State’s success is, in large part, a product of the success of Senior Quarterback Matt McGloin. Under Bill O’Brien’s and Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Fisher’s tutelage, McGloin has become the Big Ten’s best Quarterback. During the five-game winning streak, McGloin has completed 65.9% of his passes for an average of 266.2 yards per game and a total touchdown to interception ratio of 15 (5 rushing) to 1.
 
In his first three seasons at Penn State, Matt McGloin struggled to find success. During that time, he completed less than 55% of his passes. In conference, McGloin completed at least 50% of his passes just four times in the 2011 season, and only threw for over 200 yards twice all season.
 
McGloin’s improvement says a great deal about the coaching staff at Penn State, but also speaks to the downfalls of the Big Ten. There is almost no familiarity in the Big Ten with the no-huddle offense, and even less familiarity with a high efficiency pass-first offense.
 
Buried underneath the stories of what O’Brien didn’t bring to the table, was what he did: A comprehensive knowledge of how to put your Quarterback in a position to win you football games based on his experience in the National Football League.
 
The nuances of Quarterbacking that Bill O’Brien brought with him from the NFL will not only help him rebuild the identity of Penn State, but also of the Big Ten conference.
 
For years, the blueprint for how to win in the Big Ten has stayed essentially the same. If you can run the ball and defend the run, you are supposed to have success in the Big Ten. The specifics, like how you run the football, have changed over time. When Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense made it’s way to the Big Ten, some said it was the end of an era. The days of power football winning games in the Big Ten were over. Rodriguez was going to bring in the fastest kids in the country and he was going to win with speed.
 
The majority correctly rejected the notion that Rodriguez’s system could change the Big Ten, even if his system managed to stick at Michigan. His system will be gone from Michigan when Senior Quarterback Denard Robinson graduates at the end of this season, and his finesse spread offense never caught on in the rest of the Big Ten, although there are some similarities between his system and Urban Meyer’s, now at Ohio State.
 
A similar, but different message was attached to Urban Meyer’s arrival at Ohio State. Urban Meyer was supposed to bring the ways of the SEC with him, specifically on defense and on the recruiting trail. While Meyer’s recruiting has been successful thus far, there are no distinguishable differences between his success recruiting and Jim Tressel’s successes. Ohio State’s 63rd ranked defense in the country and is the forth worst in the Big Ten behind only Northwestern (70th), Purdue (72nd), and Indiana (97th). Those numbers seems to suggest the change he was supposed to bring with him was lost somewhere along the way.
 
Bill O’Brien’s success will not be lost on the Big Ten.
 
Unlike the previously mentioned attempts at culture change in the Big Ten, this has nothing to do with the players you recruit; you don’t need to have a complete roster overhaul. Putting your Quarterback in high percentage passing situations on traditional running downs and using your momentum on offense to your advantage by shifting into the no huddle to put pressure on the defense seems simple enough.
 
While the no-huddle offense isn’t rare in college football, it was unfamiliar territory for Penn State, and it’s working.
 
The most notable success of the high-tempo no-huddle offense is Oregon under Chip Kelly. Oregon has just six loses in three and a half season under Kelly, has played for a National Championship, and has risen to national prominence as one of the NCAA’s elite teams on the field and on the recruiting trail. Kelly’s success was so unusual that NFL teams have contacted Kelly for tips on how to more effectively run the no-huddle.
 
Teams in the Big Ten have been hesitant to adapt the no-huddle because of previously failed gimmick-schemes in the conference and because of the prevailed culture of tradition.
 
The fact that it is working at Penn State, the institution that was more entrenched in their tradition than any other team in the Big Ten, is proof that it will work anywhere as long as it is taught and executed correctly.
 
Joe Paterno’s success with honor experiment with Penn State was a great success at Penn State, but it’s success far outreached the borders of State College, Pennsylvania. The program’s supposed integrity created a balance between the true culture of cheating that was, and still is, abundant in college football; indisputable proof that you don’t have to bend the rules to win. Similarly, while O’Brien’s methods are working for Penn State now, their true legacy could go further than intended. O’Brien’s offensive reforms at Penn State should help bring an end to the dedication to senseless traditions of scheme, and Big Ten offenses into this century.

The rankings attributed to the teams are from the BCS Poll. I don’t agree with it either.

6 LSU (6-1) AT 18 Texas A&M (5-1)
Time: 12:00 PM EDT | Spread: LSU -3 1/2

 
The Pick: LSU wins, covers.
 
Why?: Freshman Johnny Manziel has a bright future, but he hasn’t faced a defense as talented, well coached, and athletic as LSU’s. Texas A&M will struggle to create offense, and their defense will eventually fall victim to Les Miles’ four-man rotation in the backfield.
 
Draft Watch: The deep, star-studded LSU defensive line (Headlined by Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery) match-up against the NCAA’s two best Offensive Tackles in Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews.
 

Michigan State (4-3) AT Michigan (4-2)
Time: 3:30 PM EDT | Spread: Michigan -9 1/2

 
The Pick: Michigan wins, covers.
 
Why?: Michigan State’s 104th ranked offense will struggle to score against Michigan’s 22nd ranked defense. Making matters worse, this is by far Michigan State’s toughest road game so far in the season. Will an offense that struggles at home respond on the road in a hostile environment? Doubtful.
 
Draft Watch: Michigan’s man in the middle Kenny Demens could help himself with a strong performance against ESPN-darling Le’Veon Bell.
 

7 South Carolina (6-1) AT 2 Florida (6-0)
Time: 3:30 PM EDT | Spread: Florida -3 1/2

 
The Pick: Florida wins, covers.
 
Why?: With a healthy Marcus Lattimore, I think South Carolina has the edge. Without Lattimore, South Carolina’s offense will struggle in the swamp. Florida’s offense will have it’s hands full against South Carolina’s dominant defense, but unless they’re scoring points, Florida will find a way to pull it out.
 
Draft Watch: Florida’s Mike Gillislee has seemingly came out of nowhere. He carried the load against LSU, but will he be able to do the same against the Gamecocks?
 

21 Cincinnati (5-0) AT Toledo (6-1)
Time: 7:00 PM EDT | Spread: Cincinnati -5

 
The Pick: Toledo wins, covers.
 
Why?: If you haven’t seen Toledo play, you might assume the MAC school is out-matched. Matt Campbell’s offense has been the model of efficiency so far this season except for their opening loss at Arizona. Butch Jones’ squad hasn’t gotten the opportunity to play on the road yet, and I think that will be their downfall. I think Cincinnati Quarterback Munchie Legaux’s battle with inaccuracy will be compounded by his first road start of the year.
 
Draft Watch: In the strongest Defensive End class in recent memory, Cincinnati’s Senior Defensive End Walter Stewart needs to continue to make impact plays if he wants to come off the boards early on come April. EDIT: 11:10 AM – Walter Stewart is confirmed out for the game against Toledo. Obviously this can effect his draft stock.
 

4 Kansas State (6-0) AT 13 West Virginia (5-1)
Time: 7:00 PM EDT | Spread: West Virginia -2 1/2

 
The Pick: West Virginia wins, covers.
 
Why?: Kansas State is the 4th worst team in the Big 12 against the pass, and they haven’t faced an attack near the level of West Virginia’s Air Raid. Coming off a tough road loss, Dana Holgorson’s offense will be out for blood, and redemption, at home. Kansas State’s ultimate flaw is that they’re not built to play from behind, so if Geno Smith strikes early, it could be nearly impossible for Klein to mount a comeback.
 
Draft Watch: Kansas State’s Corner Nigel Malone has a chance to make a name for himself against Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin.
 

14 Florida State (6-1) AT Miami (4-3)
Time: 8:00 PM EDT | Spread: Florida State -21

 
The Pick: Florida State wins, covers.
 
Why?: Miami struggles to get fans to show up and stay as it is, but without starting Quarterback Stephen Morris this game could get ugly by halftime. Miami’s defense allowed more than 35 points four times already this season.
 
Draft Watch: Florida State’s Bjoern Werner might be the best pure Defensive End in the country. Miami has had trouble with their Offensive Tackles so far this season, so Werner could end up with one of those eye-popping statistical performances.
 

Texas(15) AT Oklahoma(13)
Time: 12:00 PM EDT | Spread: Oklahoma -3 1/2

Breakdown: I picked against Texas last week, taking the exemplary play of the West Virginia offense over the strong Texas Defense and a short-handed Texas offense. For the second consecutive week, Texas appears to be without Malcolm Brown at Running Back. Ultimately, that’s the deciding factor for me.

The Pick: Oklahoma wins, covers.

Iowa AT Michigan State
Time: 12:00 PM EDT | Spread: Michigan State -7 1/2

Breakdown: This could be one of the ugliest games all season long. Both teams are capable of putting up a goose-egg in the scoring column, so I thought it would be fun to pick. I think this game stays tight the whole way through, but Le’Veon Bell is the deciding factor. If and when Michigan State manages to find it’s way into the Red Zone, Bell will convert.

The Pick: Michigan State wins, Iowa covers.

Stanford(17) AT Notre Dame(7)
Time: 3:30 PM EDT | Spread: Notre Dame -7

Breakdown: Aside from last week, I’ve picked Notre Dame all season long. This is a very talented Notre Dame team, but their winning ways are in large-part gifted to them by poor offense execution from their opponents. They won’t be getting six turnovers from Stanford. I think Stepfan Taylor will ultimately help his team pull away from Dame.

The Pick: Stanford wins, covers.

Florida(6) AT Vanderbilt
Time: 6:00 PM EDT | Spread: Florida -9

Breakdown: NO, IT’S A TRAP! Actually, it’s just a very well coached Vanderbilt team up against a Florida team on a high it hasn’t experienced since Tim Tebow graduated. Coming off a huge win at home, I think Florida slips up on the road.

The Pick: Vanderbilt wins, covers.

South Carolina(3) AT LSU(9)
Time: 8:00 PM EDT | Spread: South Carolina -3

Breakdown: If you love defense, watch this game. LSU’s pair of Defensive Ends are the best in the country, but South Carolina’s super-Sophomore Jadeveon Clowney might be the best player in the country. I feel compelled to go with South Carolina’s superior offense, but I can’t pick against LSU in Death Valley.

The Pick: LSU wins, covers.

Texas A&M(22) AT Louisiana Tech(23)
Time: 9:00 PM EDT | Spread: Texas A&M -9

Breakdown: I love the underdog. I think if you’re a fan of sports you have to love the underdog story. I think Louisiana Tech’s offense continues to roll and puts up at least four touchdowns, but their 109th ranked defense will ultimately be the story. Texas A&M’s Freshman Quarterback Johnny Manziel will have all day to throw, and he will cover the sizable spread.

The Pick: Texas A&M wins, covers.

Washington(23) vs. Oregon(2)
Time: 10:30PM EDT | Spread: Oregon -24 1/2

The Pick: Oregon is simply too good to slip up to Washington. They cover the enormous point spread and win.

LSU(4) vs. Florida(10)
Time: 3:30PM EDT | Spread: Florida -2 1/2

The Pick: LSU‘s defense has yet to be tested, and I don’t think they’ll be tested here, either. Florida Quarterback Jeff Driskell has performed beyond expectations to this point, but I believe that will stop with Barkevious Mingo, Bennie Logan, and Sam Montgomery coming at him.

Georgia(5) vs. South Carolina(6)
Time: 7:00PM EDT | Spread: South Carolina -1 1/2

The Pick: I hate betting South Carolina games, but this match-up is too high profile to ignore. Georgia‘s SEC-best offense will overcome a test from one of the best Defensive Lines in the country.

West Virginia(8) vs. Texas(11)
Time: 7:00PM EDT | Spread: Texas -6 1/2

The Pick: West Virginia will win this game unless Texas QB David Ash comes up with the best performance of his career. Texas’ Defense is not built to defend the Air-Raid and will not do enough to ease the pressure on Ash. West Virginia by a touchdown.

Miami vs. Notre Dame(9)
Time: 7:30PM EDT | Spread: Notre Dame -14

The Pick: I love what Brian Kelly has done with Notre Dame, but their defensive unit is built to stop the run, and Miami’s prolific passing attack will take advantage. Miami with the upset,

Nebraska(21) vs. Ohio State(12)
Time: 8:00PM EDT | Spread: Ohio State -3 1/2

The Pick: I think this might end up being the best football game of the weekend. It will ultimately come down to which quarterback plays better, Taylor Martinez or Braxton Miller, and in the Horseshoe, I’m going with Braxton.

Baylor (25) AT West Virginia (9)
Time: 12:00 PM EST | Spread: West Virginia -11

Pick: West Virginia wins, covers.

Tennessee AT Georgia (5)
Time: 3:30 PM EST | Spread: Georgia -14

Pick: Georgia wins, Tennessee covers.

Ohio State (14) AT Michigan State (20)
Time: 3:30 PM EST | Spread: Ohio State -2 1/2

Pick: Ohio State wins, covers.

Texas (12) AT Oklahoma State
Time: 7:50 PM EST | Spread: Texas -2 1/2

Pick: Oklahoma State wins, covers.

Wisconsin AT Nebraska (22)
Time: 8:00 PM EST | Spread: Nebraska -11 1/2

Pick: Nebraska wins, covers.

Oregon State (18) AT Arizona
Time: 10:00 PM EST | Spread: Oregon State -2 1/2

Pick: Oregon State wins, covers.

SEP 23 — With four weeks of college football in the books, there seems to be a dwindling down of legitimate Heisman candidates. Clemson’s loss to Florida State probably puts Sammy Watkins’ sophomore campaign out of commission after a suspension to start the year created unusual circumstances. Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas is going backward after a strong sophomore season a year ago. On the other side of the country, Matt Barkley can’t seem to get out of his own way.

Honorable Mentions — Ohio State’s Braxton Miller, Georgia’s Aaron Murray, Texas Christian’s Casey Pachal, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell, Southern California’s Marquis Lee, Florida State’s Björn Werner.

5. Stefphon Jefferson | RB | Nevada

122 Carries for 699 yards, 11 Rushing Touchdowns.
8 Catches for 89 yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown.

Key wins: at California

Stefphon’s incredible seven touchdown performance on the road against Hawaii propelled him into national discussion, and his performance thus far warrants him a place on the list, even if his staying on the list is unlikely. Nevada appears to be legitimate contenders to the Mountain West title, and that helps Jefferson’s case.

4. Manti Te’o | LB | Notre Dame

36 Total Tackles, 15 Solo Tackles, 3 Interceptions

Key wins: At Michigan State, vs. Michigan.

Manti Te’o is the best player on a defense that caused five Denard Robinson turnovers and held Le’Veon Bell to 77 yards. Tests against Stanford, Oklahoma, and USC remain for Te’o and company.

3. Collin Klein | QB | Kansas State

56 of 80 for 758 yards, 5 Passing Touchdowns, 2 Interceptions
63 Carries for 289 yards, 5 Rushing Touchdowns

Key wins: At Oklahoma

I didn’t think Kansas State had much of a chance against Oklahoma, but Collin Klein rallied the troops to avenged a forty point loss from a season ago. Klein’s stats aren’t as impressive as some others, but a Big XII championship season for Kansas State would even that out.

2. Geno Smith | QB | West Virginia

96 of 118 for 1072 yards, 12 Passing Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions
16 Carries for 67 yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown

Key wins: N/A

Geno Smith may have been ranked first in my preliminary list had West Virginia played a team worth mentioning through four weeks. Smith’s stats are as good as it gets in the country, but when your best win is against Maryland at home, they don’t mean much.

1. EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State

69 of 94 for 905 yards, 8 Touchdowns, 1 Interception.
25 Carries for 188 yards, 1 Touchdown.

Key wins: vs. Clemson

Florida State still has to go on the road to play Miami and Virginia Tech, and a home game against Florida ends the season, but in all likelihood Clemson was the best team they have on the schedule all season, and they cruised to a victory in the second half. EJ Manuel has the best game of his career, and has to lead Heisman discussions at this point.

LSU (2) at. Auburn 
Time: 7:00 PM | Spread: LSU – 20 1/2

LSU wins, Auburn covers.

Rutgers at. Arkansas
Time: 7:00 PM | Spread: Arkansas -9 1/2

Arkansas wins, covers.

Michigan (18) at. Notre Dame (11)
Time: 7:30 PM | Spread: Notre Dame -6

Notre Dame wins, covers.

Kansas State (15) at. Oklahoma (6)
Time: 7:50 PM | Spread: Oklahoma -16 1/2

Oklahoma wins, covers.

Clemson (10) at. Florida State (4)
Time: 8:00 PM | Spread: Florida State -14

Florida State wins, Clemson covers.

Arizona (22) at. Oregon (3)
Time: 10:30 PM | Spread: Oregon -21 1/2

Oregon wins, covers.

California vs. Ohio State (12)
Time: 12:00PM | Spread: -17
Saturday, September 15th

I love Keenan Allen, but California is a mess. Ohio State should have no problem routing them.

Alabama (1) vs. Arkansas
Time: 3:30PM | Spread: -20
Saturday, September 15th

With Tyler Wilson, Arkansas didn’t stand much of a chance. Without him, they offer even less competition.  I’ll take Alabama.

North Carolina vs. Louisville (19)
Time: 3:30PM | Spread: -3
Saturday, September 15th

Louisville is the best thing the Big East has to offer. I have to believe they can cover a three point spread at home.

Florida (18) vs. Tennessee (23)
Time: 6:00PM | Spread: -3
Saturday, September 15th

The star-studded Tennessee offense is hard to pick against. Justin Hunter and Tyler Bray will have a hard time overcoming the impressive Florida defense, but I think they manage.

USC (2) vs. Stanford (21)
Time: 7:30PM | Spread: -8.5
Saturday, September 15th

Stanford is no longer the powerhouse they were a season ago. Although Stepfan Taylor and company will still be able to move the ball, the absence of a premiere passing presence will make it hard for Stanford to compete against Matt Barkley.

Notre Dame (20) vs. Michigan State (10)
Time: 8:00PM | Spread: -5.5
Saturday, September 15th

 I think Michigan State is a little over-rated and for the first time in a long time, Notre Dame is a little under-rated. Notre Dame is the fastest team Michigan State will play all year, and I don’t think they’re ready. Notre Dame outplayed them last year, but lost because they couldn’t get out of their own way.