Who's Your Heisman? Profiling The Candidates

With the 2010 college football nearing bowl season and the annual Heisman Trophy presentation (see here for info on the Heisman) a little over a month away now would be an opportune time to highlight a few of the top candidates for the award this year. You have the consensus favorite (Cameron Newton), some "super sophomores", and your prototypical "pocket" passers. Basically everything except a senior. Here are some of the top:

Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn, Jr - 1890 passing yards, 19 TDs; 1146 rushing 15 TDs

Newton is having a monster first season under center for the Auburn Tigers, though the athletic quarterback does not come with controversy. He was arrested back in 2008 for burglary but was allowed back on the team after charges were dismissed. Newton transferred to a JC last season and has been tearing up the SEC all season. Although there has been recent  news about  his recruitment to Auburn and possible violations, until he's proven guilty he is the clear front runner. Signature performance: 24-17 victory over LSU where Newton ran for 217 yards and 2 TDs.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St., Jr - 2372 passing yards, 21 TDs

Moore is not the dual threat Cam Newton is, but he is deadly and precise in the pocket and can pick a defense apart. Moore is also shorter than the traditional pocket passer which makes his performance even more impressive. Some may point to Boise St.'s soft schedule as a reason for his lofty numbers, but you can't deny that the kid is really good. Signature performance: 30-37, 507 yards & 3 TDs against Hawaii.

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon, So - 1,331 rushing yards, 17 TDs

Despite missing the first game of the season the James leads college football in touchdowns, rushing yards per game and only trails leading rusher Denard Robinson for the rushing yardage crown by only 18 yards. The compact shifty back hardly ever goes down behind the line and has breakaway speed to go along with the power. He is clearly the main offensive weapon for the No. 1 ranked Ducks. Signature performance: season high 257 yards and 3 TDs in a 52-31 victory against no. 6 Stanford.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford, So. - 2,213 passing yards, 22  TDs, 370 rushing yards, 3 TDs

Luck is the prototype of a pro quarterback. The red shirt sophomore has ideal height (6'4), can make all the throws and is actually nimble in the pocket. The Stanford QB has played fantastic this season and has completed less than 59% of his passes only twice. Luck has the Cardinals poised to make a major bowl appearance and made most fans forget that this team lost Toby Gerhart to the NFL this summer. Signature performance: against USC, Luck went 20-24 for 285 yards and 3 TDs in a 37-35 road victory at the Coliseum.

So who do you think will be striking that famous pose on December 11th?

-ALR