Heisman Watch

Heisman Watch

With Halloween, November and Thanksgiving right around the corner, it is time to start talking about the top five Heisman Trophy candidates. With no obvious front-runner, this year's race will be closer than ever before. With the help of my fellow, standout Football.com writers, I have ranked the top five Heisman hopefuls. Check back with Football.com for weekly coverage on greatest individual trophy in all of sports, the Heisman.

1.    Tim Tebow, QB Florida - Florida's offense runs through Tebow and right now he is the most valuable player to his team in the country. Last week Tebow had five total touchdowns, four passing and one rushing as Florida snuck past Kentucky. Florida has been heavily leaning on the sophomore quarterback and it shows. Tebow already has 125 rushing attempts for 578 yards and 10 touchdowns. The young Gator has been doing it with his arm as well - Tebow has the highest quarterback rating at 177.48 and plays in the toughest conference in the country, by far. This sophomore plays with poise, is a great leader and continues to come up with the big plays when Florida needs them. If Tebow stays healthy and Flordia wins out, look for him to win the 2007 Heisman.
2.    Mike Hart, RB Michigan - Even after sitting out last week against Illinois, Hart ranks second on our list. Hart leads the country in rushing among BCS teams and is third overall with a whopping, 1,078 yards and 12 touchdowns. Mike Hart has brought Michigan back after two heart breaking losses and has been the workhorse for Lloyd Carr and the Michigan offense. Hart has become Michigan's all-time leading rusher this year and is on pace to have over 20 touchdowns and 1,700 plus yards rushing. Heisman voters often look at career numbers and performances and Hart has certainly posted impressive numbers throughout his career at Michigan. If Michigan can remain perfect in the Big-Ten, beating Ohio State, look for Hart to win the Heisman.
3.    Matt Ryan, QB Boston College - With Ryan's gutsy performance on Thursday night he solidified himself as a legit Hesiman candidate. The most NFL ready quarterback on our list, Ryan has been the key to the Eagles impressive 2007 season. Ryan went 25-of-52 for 285 with two interceptions and two, huge touchdowns. Those numbers are not overly impressive but what you don't see in those stats is how the young ace never gave up against a very talent Virginia Tech team. Ryan ignited the biggest play of the game and perhaps the 2007 season for Boston College as he masterfully led the Eagles into scoring range and tossed the game winning, 24-yard strike. Talk about a Hesiman moment…
4.    Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky - Without Woodson, there would be no Kentucky this year. Woodson is keeping Kentucky in every football game and this is why he cracks our top five for this week. Woodson ranks second in the nation with 26 touchdown passes and in the big showdown last week against Tebow, Woodson more than held his own. He put up just as impressive numbers - 35 completions, 400 yards passing and five touchdown passes. The question is can Kentucky keep winning in the brutal SEC. If they can, Woodson has a real shot at the Heisman.
5.    Dennis Dixon, QB Oregon - Oregon's big game with USC will determine what kind of chance Dixon has at the end of the year in New York. Dixon passed the Cal test with flying-colors and dazzled us all against Michigan. I like Dixon to be a finalist this year because of his running ability and his accuracy in the pocket. Dixon has been on point throwing the ball, completing 70 percent of his passes with 16 toucdowns and only three interceptions. Dixon has also been as deadly on the ground with an additional 400 yards and seven touchdowns. The duel abilities and athleticism are awesome but what is special is Dixon can read the game and make the intelligent decision. Don't be surprised if Dixon leap frogs past Woodson and Ryan if Oregon can handle USC.

On the Outside Looking In:

•    Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii - Brennan has racked up some massive career numbers playing at Hawaii. Brennan has missed some time this year and Hawaii does not really play anyone worthy of mentioning in this article - there schedule is sorry, period. With that said, Brennan's stock has fallen and he is not a top five candidate, right now. He has time and a big game late in the year to wow the voters and slide back into the top five where he and Hawaii feels he belongs.
•    Chase Daniel, QB Missouri - Chase Daniel has been simply awesome for the upstart Missouri Tigers. Daniel's 2,200 plus yards passing and 17 touchdowns have propelled the Tigers to their best start in recent memory. His ability to run as well as pass makes him a terror for opposing defenses. 2007 has been the Chase Daniel's show in the Big XII.
•    Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas - The best overall player in the country is Darren McFadden, without question. The problem is that Arkansas is slightly in a rebuilding/transition year and McFadden has missed some time this with minor game injuries. McFadden still has 932 yards and seven touchdowns. Look for this special running back to turn it on for Arkansas down the stretch and if they Razorbacks can win some key games late in the year, McFadden will be there in the end.
•    Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia - Slaton started the year as one of our top candidates but a recent slump and a West Virginia loss early in the year have hurt his chances so far. Slaton did bounce back last week against a decent Mississippi State defensive unit with 127 yards. The ultra-elusive Slaton does have 10 touchdowns and with plenty of upcoming opportunities on national television and with West Virginia back in the BCS mix, do not count him out just yet.
•    Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech - The dark horse of our list is freshman receiver Michael Crabtree. The Heisman hype has started to buzz around this super-freshman and rightfully so. He has posted sick number so far - 1,320 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns cannot be over looked. Crabtree is on pace for an outstanding 2008 campaign but him being a freshman does hurt his chances no matter who he plays and what numbers he puts up.