| On a weekend that saw Rutgers return to the | | | | two TDPs and one INT. As mentioned earlier, |
| AP top-25 for the first time since the final poll of | | | | Alabama visits Gainesville this Saturday. Leak's |
| the 1976 season, I guess it's official. Almost | | | | season stats are: 70-of-110 63.6 percent 1,066 |
| anything's possible! Injuries to two members of | | | | yards 12 TDPs 4 INTs. |
| last week's top-10 saw some additions and | | | | 5)STEVE SLATON (West Virginia) Last Week: 3. |
| deletions at the bottom of my poll this week, plus | | | | The Mountaineers found the road a little more |
| there's been quite a shake-up among the players | | | | difficult,as after three straight home wins by the |
| I ranked three through seven. However, I made | | | | combined scores of 139-37, West Va struggled in |
| no changes in my top-two, despite a less than | | | | Greenville, North Carolina against East Carolina. |
| spectacular performance by Ohio State's Troy | | | | Despite outgaining the Pirates by a margin of |
| Smith (sans one "highlight reel" play). My latest | | | | 221-to-87 (just two rush yards) in the first half, |
| Heisman update follows. | | | | West Va led just 14-7. That was due in part to |
| Heisman Trophy Top-10 | | | | QB Pat White getting intercepted twice in the end |
| Monday, September 25 | | | | zone. While White threw for a career-high 216 |
| 1)TROY SMITH (Ohio State) Last Week: 1. The | | | | yards, he also had three INTs. Slaton, who |
| No. 1-ranked Buckeyes had their hands full with | | | | entered the game averaging 168 YPG rushing |
| Joe Pa's Nittany Lions this past Saturday. Ohio | | | | (West Va entered averaging 350 YPG rushing as |
| State had won 10 straight games (both SU and | | | | a team), was held to just 80 yards on the ground |
| ATS by the way) since losing in Happy Valley last | | | | in 24 attempts and did not score. As a team, the |
| year. Revenge may have been on the Ohio State | | | | Mountaineers rushed for just 153 yards, almost |
| players' minds but on the field, Penn State was | | | | 200 yards below their average! Slaton caught |
| playing the nation's top-ranked team to a standstill. | | | | three passes for 35 yards as well but all-in-all, it |
| Penn State led 3-0 at the half, holding Smith and | | | | was a very average game. The good news is the |
| the Buckeye offense to a total of just 99 yards. | | | | 4th-ranked Mountaineers won 27-10, giving them |
| Ohio State took a 7-3 lead in the third quarter | | | | their 11 straight win and their sixth straight on the |
| and Smith's "highlight reel" 37-yard TDP (that | | | | road. West Va is off this weekend. Slaton's |
| traveled about 60 yards in the air!) to Robiskie | | | | season stats are: 86 carries 583 yards 6.8 YPC 6 |
| made it 14-3 in the fourth. Two late interceptions, | | | | TDs / 4 catches 47 yards 11.8 YPC 0 TDs. |
| both returned for TDs, gave Ohio State a very | | | | 6)MIKE HART (Michigan) Last Week: 4. Mike Hart |
| deceiving 28-6 win (check back Wednesday for | | | | was held under 100 yards rushing for the first |
| my Bad Beats / Lucky wins column for more). | | | | time in four games this year, as Michigan beat |
| Smith had averaged 249.4 YPG passing while | | | | Wisconsin 27-13. The Wolverines figured to be a |
| completing 67.5 percent of his throws (with 20 | | | | little flat off the Notre Dame upset and lately |
| TDPs and just two INTs) in Ohio State's previous | | | | they've had their hands full with the Badgers. Such |
| 10 games, but was held to just 115 yards passing | | | | was the case this past Saturday as the game |
| (had averaged 256.3 in the first three games of | | | | was tied at the half, 10-all. Henne threw three |
| '06) while completing 12 of 22 attempts. He had | | | | INTs in the game but his third-quarter TDP put |
| that one TDP but two INTs, after throwing just | | | | Michigan up 17-10 and Hart's five-yard TD run in |
| two INTs over the previous 10 games. It was not | | | | the fourth gave the Wolverines a 24-10 lead. Hart |
| a good game for Smith but he still holds on to my | | | | finished with 91 yards on 23 carries and that one |
| top spot. Ohio State visits Iowa City this coming | | | | score. Up next for Michigan is a trip to the |
| Saturday to face the 4-0 and 13th-ranked | | | | Metrodome this Saturday against the Gophers. |
| Hawkeyes. His season stats are: 68-of-103 66.0 | | | | Hart's season stats are: 104 carries 477 yards 4.6 |
| percent 884 yards 8 TDPs 2 INTs. | | | | YPC 5 TDs / 4 catches 25 yards 6.3 YPC 0 TDs. |
| 2)ADRIAN PETERSON Last Week: 2. Peterson | | | | 7)GARRETT WOLFE (Northern Illinois) Last Week: |
| almost won this award as a freshman and he's | | | | 10. Wolfe not only gets to stay in my top-10 but |
| made a strong case early this season, for winning | | | | like the Jefferson's, he's "movin' on up!" Northern |
| it this year as a junior. Oklahoma didn't have to | | | | Illinois opened the game against outmatched |
| worry about any bad calls this week, as the | | | | Indiana State by returning a fumble for a TD but |
| Sooners led Middle Tennessee State by scores of | | | | then it was Wolfe's turn, as he scored his team's |
| 24-0 at the end of the first quarter and by 45-0 | | | | next four TDs on runs of 12, 17, one and six |
| by the half. Peterson topped 100 yards for the | | | | yards. He finished the game with 198 yards on 22 |
| fourth straight game (the 21st of his career), | | | | carries plus caught four passes for 42 yards. He |
| finishing with 128 yards on 27 carries. He had | | | | leads the nation in rushing at 207 YPG and if you |
| three short TD runs in the first half (3, 2 and 7 | | | | think he's undeserving of this high ranking after his |
| yards) and was on the sidelines after Oklahoma's | | | | team rolled over outclassed Indiana State 49-14, |
| first possession of the second half made the | | | | please remember this. The No. 1-ranked Buckeyes |
| score 52-0. The final was 59-0, MTSU's largest | | | | saw Wolfe run for 171 yards against them on |
| margin of defeat since moving up to Division I-A | | | | September 2 (in Columbus!) while catching five |
| play in 1999. Oklahoma gets this weekend off to | | | | passes for another 114 yards! Northern Illinois |
| get ready for the team's annual "Red River | | | | visits Ball State this Saturday. Wolfe's season |
| Shootout" with Texas in Dallas on October 7. | | | | stats are: 96 carries 828 yards 8.6 YPC 8 TDs / |
| Peterson's season stats are: 117 carries 643 | | | | 9 catches 156 yards 17.3 YPC 1 TD. |
| yards 5.5 YPC 7 TDs / 4 catches 72 yards 18.0 | | | | 8)MARIO MANNINGHAM (Michigan) Last Week: |
| YPC 1 TD. | | | | NR. I like to keep at least one WR in this poll and |
| 3)BRADY QUINN (Notre Dame) Last Week: 6. | | | | Manningham's as good a choice as any. USC's |
| W-O-W! On the 40-year anniversary of one of | | | | Jarrett hurt his shoulder Saturday and will be out |
| CFB's most famous games, the 10-10 tie | | | | four-to-six weeks and Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr |
| between Notre Dame and Michigan State at East | | | | caught just two passes (for only 15 yards) last |
| Lansing back in 1966, the Irish and Spartans gave | | | | week vs Penn State! Manningham followed his |
| us another classic to remember this past | | | | great performance against Notre Dame two |
| Saturday night. Brady Quinn, the Heisman | | | | weeks ago (four catches for 137 yards with |
| front-runner entering the season, once again | | | | three TDs!) by hauling in seven catches for 113 |
| started slowly for the Irish. He was just 2-of-8 | | | | yards and two more TDs in Michigan's 27-13 win |
| for six yards to open the game and ND fell behind | | | | over Wisconsin. Manningham's TDs against ND |
| 17-0. Quinn was pretty special after that | | | | covered 69, 20 and 22 yards and his big-play |
| however, finishing with 18 completions in his final | | | | ability was on display against Wisconsin as well, as |
| 26 throws for 313 yards with five TDPs. | | | | his TD receptions went for 24 and 38 yards. |
| However, the Irish still trailed by 16 points nearly | | | | That's 11 catches these last two weeks for 250 |
| mid-way through the fourth quarter. Quinn's | | | | yards and five TDs! His season stats are: 16 |
| 43-yard TDP made it 37-27 MSU with just 8:18 | | | | catches 321 yards 20.1 YPC 6 TDs. |
| left and after a Stanton fumble gave ND the ball | | | | 9) MARSHAWN LYNCH (California) Last Week: NR. |
| back, Quinn's fifth TDP of the game made it just | | | | Lynch was among the Heisman contenders at the |
| 37-33 MSU with 4:57 left. Although Quinn would | | | | start of the year, as Cal opened the season |
| finish the game 20-of-36 for 319 yards with five | | | | ranked No. 9 in the AP poll, the school's highest |
| TDPs and just one INT, he was on the sidelines | | | | ranking since 1952! However, he was rendered |
| when Notre Dame DB Lambert returned an | | | | useless in the Bears' season-opener at Tennessee, |
| interception 27 yards for the game-winning score | | | | when the Vols jumped out to a 35-0 lead. Lynch |
| and later sealed the win with another interception | | | | did finish with 74 yards in just 12 carries in that |
| in the game's closing seconds. It marked the | | | | game though. In Cal's 49-21 rout of ASU this past |
| second straight year in which Quinn has thrown | | | | Saturday, Lynch topped the 100-yard mark for |
| five TDPs against the Spartans and it was his first | | | | the third straight week (giving him 12 career |
| 300-yard game of the season, after topping 300 | | | | 100-yard games), gaining 124 yards on 17 carries |
| yards five times in 2005 (in four of those games | | | | while adding 33 more yards on two receptions, |
| he topped 400 yards!). The win leaves ND at 3-1 | | | | including a TD. Lynch played behind JJ Arrington |
| and ranked No.12 by the AP. The Irish will be | | | | (he topped 2,000 YR that season!) back in 2004 |
| favored in each of their next seven games (first | | | | but still gained 628 yards while averaging 8.8 YPC. |
| up is Purdue visiting South Bend this Saturday), | | | | Last year Lynch fought injuries but still gained |
| leading up to their visit to the LA Coliseum on | | | | 1,246 yards, averaging 6.4 YPC. Adding in this |
| November 25 when they'll face the Trojans. | | | | year's results has Lynch averaging 7.1 YPC while |
| Quinn's clearly not only back in the Heisman race, | | | | gaining 2,323 yards in his career. Cal visits Corvallis |
| he may just be the favorite again before too | | | | this Saturday to meet the Beavers. His season |
| long. His season stats are: 92-of-158 58.2 percent | | | | stats are: 62 carries 449 yards 7.2 YPC 3 TDs / |
| 1,086 yards 11 TDPs 4 INTs / 1 rush TD. | | | | 8 catches 64 yards 8.0 YPC 1 TD. |
| 4)CHRIS LEAK (Florida) Last Week: 5. I love the | | | | 10)KEVIN KOLB (Houston) Last Week: NR. Why |
| way Leak has played this year and one has to | | | | not Kolb? He's got the Cougars off to the school's |
| wonder what Florida Gator fans were thinking | | | | first 4-0 start since 1990, after they beat |
| when he was booed coming off the field this past | | | | Oklahoma State this past Saturday, 34-25. Kolb |
| Saturday in the early fourth quarter. The Gators | | | | completed 21-of-28 passes for 313 yards with |
| were in a tough spot against Kentucky. They had | | | | four TDPs and no INTs. His first three TD throws |
| just won the previous week in Knoxville, had | | | | were no gimme's either, covering 42, 33 and 27 |
| Alabama up next and had to get up for a | | | | yards. Many may not know this (I didn't!) but Kolb |
| Kentucky team they had beaten 19 straight | | | | is the active career leader for Division I-A in |
| times. Meyer must have had a tough time getting | | | | completions, passing yards and total offense! We'll |
| his squad fired up for this visit by the Wildcats. | | | | find out what he's made of this Saturday, as the |
| Anyway, trailing 7-6 in the late second quarter, | | | | Cougars visit the Hurricanes in Miami. His season |
| Leak completed five-of-five passes on the | | | | stats are: 94-of-135 69.6 percent 1,193 yards 12 |
| go-ahead TD drive, that put the Gators up 12-7 | | | | TDPs 1 INTs. |
| at the half. Shortly after being "booed off the | | | | Dropped out: |
| field" in the early fourth quarter, he returned to | | | | No. 7 Dwayne Jarrett (USC) |
| throw his second TDP of the game, giving the | | | | No. 8 Ted Ginn, Jr (Ohio State) |
| Gators their final margin of victory (27-6). Leak | | | | No. |
| finished the game 15-of-26 for 267 yards with | | | | |
