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