1. Troy Smith (QB Ohio State): 21/30, 205 yds, 2 TD vs. Cincinnati - It took a while for Troy Smith to find his game against the Bearcats, but it turned into another solid performance. You can forgive him for that too. It is a little difficult to get hyped up for a game against Cincinnati after the great performance that Smith and the Buckeyes turned in against Texas last Saturday night. He was able to take most of the 4th quarter off against the Bearcats which held back his numbers, but Smith was still the best leader of the week.
2. Steve Slaton (RB West Va.): 21 att., 195 yds, 2 TD vs. Maryland - I think it is safe to say that the nation took notice of Slaton on Thursday night. He had 149 yards in the first quarter and after that, it was just a question of if he would top 200. Slaton put his performance square in the minds of the voters. Now he has to make sure he doesn't disappear the rest of the season. Remember this guy is still a sophomore too, which could hurt him for winning this year, even if he is the best player in football.
3. Adrian Peterson (RB Oklahoma): 34 car., 211 yds, 1 TD vs. Oregon - Peterson's team may have lost the controversial game in Oregon, but Peterson wasn't the reason. He was a huge spark on offense for the second straight week and continues to rack up huge numbers despite being the focus of the defenses he faces.
4. Garrett Wolfe (RB Northern Illinois): 24 car., 263 yds, 2 TD vs. Buffalo - Yes, it is Buffalo, but still an amazing performance. Wolfe is going to have a lot of games like this against the MAC, and Buffalo is the worst of the bunch. Given the week that many of the contenders had, you can't keep him out of the upper tier.
5. Brady Quinn (QB ND): 24/48, 243 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT, 1 bad fumble vs. Michigan - The golden boy of the Golden Domers took a big hit in his quest for the Heisman and the National Championship on Saturday. Maybe the best news for Quinn in his quest for the award was that many of the other leading candidates also had soft weeks. Quinn pulls in at the end of the top tier, but just barely.



6. Michael Hart (RB Michigan): 31 car., 124 yds, 1 TD vs. Notre Dame - In a game that was dominated by Henne and the passing game, Michael Hart had a very solid performance, helping to run the clock down and keep Notre Dame from getting their defense off the field. Hart wasn't dominant enough to move up into the upper five, but if he keeps hanging in there, he might be by the end of the season.


7. Chris Leak (QB Florida): 15/26, 199 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT vs. Tennessee - For a while, it looked like Leak might drop all the way out of the top ten but he sure turned on the leadership in the second half of this game. For such a big game on the road, in a very tough environment, Leak sure showed a lot of poise. You would think the quarterback of a team that won would be higher in the rankings, but I think seven is a pretty good spot right now. He is set up perfectly for a big run once he and the Gators get deep into the SEC season.


8. Teddy Ginn, Jr. (Slash Ohio State): 5 rec, 34 yds, 2 TD vs. Cincinnati - I am starting to get bored with Mr. Ginn. Yes, he is exciting when he touches the ball. Yes, he is the fast. But when you barely catch any yards, and only score touchdowns on short passes, where is the flair? He is close to falling off the list, and I am thinking that most voters would say the same with impressive performances elsewhere.



9. John David Booty (QB USC): 25/36, 257 yds, 3 TD vs. Nebraska - I have to admit that I didn't think this guy would come to much. USC was sure replacing a lot, but maybe that is helping him as the defense has no idea where to look. Of course, it helps when you have a receiver like Dwayne Jarrett. Its only been two games, but he sure looks like he belongs on this list, and even if he doesn't make it to the top this year, he still has one more year to show his stuff.


10. Marshawn Lynch (RB Cal): 6 car., 112 yds, 1 TD vs. Portland State - After a slow start to his season against Tennessee, Lynch has started to turn it on just in time for the PAC-10 to start. He didn't play long against Portland State, but he made the most of his time on the field, including a 71 yard scamper. He didn't have quite the explosive performance that Slaton did when West Virginia routed their opponent, but Lynch is back in the game.

Outside chances: Erik Ainge (Tennessee), Chad Henne (Michigan), JaMarcus Russell (LSU)

Dropped from my watch list:

• Kenny Irons (RB Auburn) - Two weeks in a row without gaining 100 yards. Yes, it was against two very good defenses, but Heisman winners overcome that. Sorry, Mr. Irons, this is not your year.
• Calvin Johnson (WR Georgia Tech) - He started with a great game against Notre Dame and has just fallen off the face of the Earth since. He was very much outshined by Reggie Ball on Saturday. No award for him.
• Zac Taylor(QB Nebraska) - I always feel bad when I knock someone off this list. Taylor just didn't have it against USC, and while he didn't throw any interceptions in the loss, he just isn't going to be able to compete with the rest of the list without a couple of huge games when the Big XII season starts.

Heisman-like Performance

This week's player: Lester Ricard - QB, Tulane
Line: 16/23 passing, 304 yards, 4 TD vs. Mississippi State
While last week, there were several possible choices for this honor, this week, there were very few. Ricard is the big winner this week, beating a Mississippi State defense that had looked very good over the first couple of weeks. Four touchdowns is nothing to scoff at, and Tulane was the underdog coming into the game. Sylvester Croom must be scratching his head, wondering what happened. Tulane had lost eight games in a row coming into the game, and marked their first win on the road against an SEC team since 1989. The Green Wave did have to hold off a late run by the Bulldogs, but came home with the win. Considering all that happened to Tulane in the past year, you have to give a big hand to Ricard and Tulane on their big achievement.

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com