4. Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers (6). Coming off his worst game of the season, Rice bounced back in a huge way against Pittsburgh. With people still doubting the Scarlet Knights, Rice went nuts to the tune of 39 carries for 229 yards and a touchdown. That is the kind of game that tells a lot about a player. Plus, I like the alliteration of his name.
5. Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia (4). Slaton needs a huge game to bound up this list. He is going to get a couple of chances in the very near future, with contests against Louisville and Rutgers looming. If he can post monster numbers and help the Mountaineers knock off a big time opponent, Slaton is poised to get right back into the mix. This last week saw the lightening-fast Slaton run for 128 yards and a score, but he's going to need to go real big, real soon.
6. Marshawn Lynch (10). It was a good week to be a Heisman caliber running back. Smith and Quinn are the frontrunners, but after that it is all running backs, all the time. Lynch had a very flashy game against Washington on Saturday, totaling 203 yards from scrimmage and scoring two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. More importantly, because the Huskies tied it up in regulation with a wild Hail Mary play, everyone in the country saw the highlights from this one over and over again. Those highlights included Lynch looking like Laurence Maroney on the winning run (showcasing skills) and Lynch taking a victory lap in the injury cart (showcasing his, uh, personality). Like Quinn, if Lynch's squad can stay unbeaten and knock off USC, he has a fighting chance. Unlike Quinn, Marshawn plays for Cal, so he will probably need something like a 300-yard game to have any real shot.
7. James Davis (10). Did you happen to see that prime time game on Saturday night? Holy crap. Not only did Davis put on an absolute clinic, but his backcourt mate freshman C.J. Spiller sent shock waves through college football with some of the best stop-and-go cuts we've seen since Barry Sanders. But Spiller will get his time in the future - for now, this is about Davis, who might not be as flashy, but is one of the most talented and determined runners in the country. This guy has been piling up yards and touchdowns in relative obscurity, so it was great to see him go for 216 yards and two scores on a big stage. Throw in the fact that he did it with an injured shoulder, while splitting carries and getting no help from the passing game, and against the number seven run defense in the country and you are talking about a monster of the game. The only reason the nation's touchdown leader isn't higher than Lynch is that he didn't perform any bizarre victory celebrations.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
MIDWEST BIAS!
Yeah, I didn't get a chance to read this until today. Which is silly because another week has gone by.
Oh, and the Garrett Wolfe bandwagon has broke down, caught on fire and was sold for scrap.
2 - Donnie Marler
Good article. I enjoyed it even though I consider the Heisman to be the most over-rated sports trophy not named the Ryder Cup.
It used to mean something, now it's whoever has the best PR team.
3 - President Obama
I suck as president ,McCain is better, To bad im a ist so watch out wall mart I am going to run in and blow it up and shoot everyone with my nerf gun!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh