| Texas may be No. 2 two in all the polls as | | | | three-TD effort (not to mention his |
| well as being No.2 in the BCS standings but | | | | all-important "push") in USC's thrilling |
| it seems as if its QB, Vince Young, is | | | | 34-31 win at Notre Dame. Bush has failed to |
| 'stealing' the hearts of many Heisman | | | | top 100 yards in three of his four games |
| experts. I think there is little argument the | | | | since (scoring just two TDs) and often has |
| Reggie Bush's candidacy has lost a lot of | | | | been overshadowed in the backfield by |
| momentum since the Notre Dame game plus I get | | | | teammate LenDale White (three TDs in |
| the feeling that too many people are taking | | | | Saturday's win over Cal). When all the votes |
| for granted the incredible accomplishments of | | | | are in, both Leinart and Bush may suffer from |
| Matt Leinart. Add it all up and Young looks | | | | the fact that there is so much talent around |
| like the favorite. Behind the "Big Three", | | | | them and unlike last year, may actually take |
| Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and Drew Olson of | | | | votes away from each other. While Bush |
| UCLA are having Heisman-worthy seasons but | | | | remains the nation's most SPECTACULAR player |
| unfortunately for both of them, its a case of | | | | (ranks third with 182.5 YPG in all-purpose |
| wrong time, wrong place (season). My latest | | | | yards), his opportunities have been limited |
| Heisman update follows. | | | | recently and unlike last year when he made |
| | | | major contributions with his pass-catching |
| | | | abilities (seven TD catches), he's gone seven |
| | | | games without a TD catch and has just two for |
| 1) MATT LEINART (USC) Last Week: 1. I'm not | | | | the entire season. His season stats are: 140 |
| ready to drop Leinart from the top spot just | | | | carries 1104 yards 7.9 YPC 11 TDs / 28 |
| yet, although I admit Young is making a very | | | | catches 315 yards 11.3 YPC 2 TDs. |
| significant challenge. However, Leinart is | | | | |
| playing this season under an incredible | | | | |
| 'microscope' and with tremendous pressure. He | | | | |
| turned down countless millions to stay at USC | | | | 4) BRADY QUINN (Notre Dame) Last Week: 4. |
| for an opportunity to lead the school to an | | | | Quinn continues to be a record-breaking |
| unprecedented third straight national title. | | | | 'machine' this year for Notre Dame. In two |
| So far, he's done everything one could ask, | | | | years under Willingham, Brady completed just |
| and MORE! USC won at Berkeley this past | | | | over 50 percent of his passes (50.8), |
| Saturday, beating Cal 35-10. Of course | | | | throwing 26 TDs and 25 interceptions. |
| everyone knows it was the Cal Bears who last | | | | However, under the tutelage of Charlie Weis, |
| beat the Trojans, 34-31 in triple-OT (back in | | | | Quinn has spent the season re-writing the |
| 2003). However, USC had little trouble this | | | | Notre Dame record book. His latest onslaught |
| time around, as Leinart ran for two | | | | came in Notre Dame's all-time NCAA record |
| second-quarter scores, giving USC a 21-3 | | | | 42nd straight win over Navy, 42-21. Quinn |
| halftime lead. Leinart didn't have a great | | | | finished 22-of-31 for 284 yards with four TDs |
| game, failing to throw a TD pass for the | | | | and one interception. That fourth-quarter |
| third time this year and just the fourth time | | | | interception ended a stretch of 130 |
| in his career. He finished the game 20-of-32 | | | | consecutive passes without a 'pick', setting |
| for 246 yards with one interception and those | | | | a another Notre Dame record. He extended to |
| two rushing TDs (five on the year). He's now | | | | 14, his school record of consecutive games |
| led USC to 32 straight wins (tied for the | | | | with least one TD pass and by game's end, had |
| 6th-best streak of all-time) and a | | | | passed Ron Powlus as the school's |
| record-tying 22 straight Pac-10 wins. He's | | | | career-leader with 53 TD passes (Powlus had |
| 35-1 as starter, tossing a Pac-10 record 94 | | | | 52). He topped 250 yards passing for the 14th |
| career TD passes (just 22 INTs), while | | | | time in his career (extending another record) |
| topping 300 yards passing in six games this | | | | and now owns the school's single-season |
| year. In comparison, he had just five | | | | record with 2,931 passing yards. Quinn is now |
| 300-yard games in his first two seasons at | | | | just 254 yards shy of passing Powlus as the |
| USC and Vince Young has just ONE 300-yard | | | | school's all-time leader in passing yards. |
| game in his entire career! I'll leave further | | | | His season stats are 217-of-330 65.8 2931 |
| comparisons for future use (if needed). | | | | yards 27 TDs 5 INTs / 1 rush TD |
| Leinart has two big games left, both versus | | | | |
| quality opponents. USC hosts No. 16 Fresno | | | | |
| State this Saturday and then No. 12 UCLA on | | | | |
| December 3. His season stats are: 211-of-318 | | | | 5) DREW OLSON (UCLA) Last Week: 5. Bruin |
| 3017 yards 66.4 23 TDs 7 INTs / 5 rush | | | | fans will argue that Olson is having the best |
| TDs. | | | | year of any QB in the city! They may just be |
| | | | right. Olson had three TD passes and 295 |
| | | | yards passing by the end of the FIRST |
| | | | quarter, in UCLA's 45-35 win over Arizona |
| 2) VINCE YOUNG (Texas) Last Week: 3. Young | | | | State this past Saturday. He opened the game |
| has passed Bush in my poll and I'm getting | | | | with a 91-yard TD pass on the game's first |
| the strong impression that he's the current | | | | play from scrimmage and never looked back. He |
| favorite. Texas beat Kansas just 27-23 last | | | | finished the game 22-of-27 for a career-high |
| year, in a game which featured some heavy | | | | 510 yards with five TDs and no interceptions. |
| controversy regarding the officiating. The | | | | He missed by just FOUR yards, of setting a |
| Longhorns left little in the hands of the | | | | single-game school record for passing yards |
| officials this past Saturday, running up a | | | | (Cade McNown threw for 513 yards in UCLA's |
| 52-0 halftime lead. Young misfired on his | | | | infamous 49-45 loss at Miami in 1998). His 30 |
| first three passes but then completed his | | | | TD passes this year (just three INTs!), |
| next eight, including TD throws of 45, 64 and | | | | easily breaks McNown's single-season record |
| 29 yards. He added a fourth TD pass before | | | | of 25, set in that 1998 season. Olson was the |
| the half, giving him a career-high in TD | | | | main QB at UCLA for the last two years when |
| passes for a game and was on the bench with | | | | the Bruins went 12-13. Similar to Quinn, |
| five minutes remaining in the third quarter | | | | Olson entered this year without much fanfare |
| of a 66-14 Texas win. Young finished 19-of-27 | | | | (32 TDs and 25 INTs in his three-year career) |
| for 281 yards and didn't throw an | | | | but has been BRILLIANT! Olson's 172.5 QB |
| interception. Only a head-scratching six | | | | rating ranks him FIRST in the nation. By the |
| rushing attempts for minus four yards, kept | | | | way, Young is second, Leinart fourth and |
| him from topping 300 yards in total offense | | | | Quinn fifth. Olson will have to wait until |
| for the FIFTH time in his last seven games. | | | | December 3 but he will get his showdown with |
| After opening the season by averaging 181.3 | | | | Los Angeles' "other" QB. His season stats |
| YPG passing with five TD passes, four | | | | are: 218-of-322 67.7 2909 yards 30 TDs 3 |
| interceptions and one rushing TD in his first | | | | INTs. |
| three games, Young has averaged 267.2 YPG | | | | |
| passing while throwing for 17 TDs (just four | | | | |
| INTs) and running for seven more over his | | | | |
| last seven games. In that stretch, he's | | | | Typically, I list five other players |
| averaged 348.9 YPG in total offense. He | | | | six-through 10 but it hardly seems worth it. |
| passed Major Applewhite on Saturday and is | | | | Last week's sixth-ranked player (Cody Hodges |
| now the school-leader in total offense with | | | | of Texas Tech), saw his team lose to Oklahoma |
| 8,269 career yards. He's led Texas to 17 | | | | State, a team that entered the game winless |
| straight wins and is 27-2 in his career as a | | | | in Big-12 play. No. 7 Maurice Drew of UCLA |
| starter. Texas plays Texas A&M on November 25 | | | | has fallen so far behind teammate Drew Olson, |
| and then will play in the Big-12 title game | | | | it's not worth arguing. My No. 8 guy last |
| on December 3. His season stats are: | | | | week, DeAngelo Williams of Memphis, missed |
| 155-of-244 63.5 2414 yards 22 TDs 8 INTs | | | | last week's game versus Tennessee because of |
| / 117 carries 774 yards 6.6 YPC 8 TDs. | | | | injury and the Tigers fell to 4-5 with a |
| | | | 20-16 loss. Laurence Maroney of Minnesota was |
| | | | ranked No. 9 and like Williams, missed the |
| | | | Gophers' game with an injury but Minnesota |
| 3) REGGIE BUSH (USC) Last Week: 2. I can't | | | | hardly missed him, beating Michigan State |
| imagine that even Bush's most ardent | | | | 41-18. As for Washington State's Jerome |
| supporters don't feel as if the Heisman is | | | | Harrison (No.10), he ran for 143 yards and |
| slipping from Reggie's grasp. Bush was a | | | | has now run for more than 100 yards in all 10 |
| spectacular but complimentary play last year | | | | games this year, as well as topping 100 yards |
| when he finished fifth in the voting. | | | | in 13 straight games, setting a new Pac-10 |
| However, he was given a bigger role this year | | | | record. That being said, his team has lost |
| and after opening with an 86-yard effort | | | | SEVEN straight games!Larry Ness is a |
| versus Hawaii, ripped off FIVE consecutive | | | | documented member of the Professional |
| 100-yard games (had just two in his career | | | | Handicappers League. |
| entering this year), peaking with a 160-yard | | | | |