2012 Heisman Watch: Week 5

The Heisman Trophy is college football’s most coveted individual award. Each week, Garnet Report’s Avery Wilks gives you the inside scoop on this year’s likely Heisman candidates.

Author’s Note: Dropping out of the race from last week’s Heisman Watch are Oklahoma QB Landry Jones, Clemson QB Tajh Boyd, and Michigan QB Denard Robinson.

10. Manti Te’o, Notre Dame (4-0)

#5 LB, Sr., 6’2″, 255 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. Michigan

There’s nothing that warms voters’ hearts more than an inspirational story about a college kid who overcomes unimaginable adversity to enjoy great success on the field. In the past couple of weeks, there has been no better personification of this story than Manti Te’o. The week leading up to the Michigan State game, both Te’o's grandmother and girlfriend passed away, and the senior was given the option to return home to mourn. However, Te’o refused, making the trip to East Lansing to lead the resurgent Notre Dame defense to a great victory over the Spartans. All season, his play has been outstanding, and the future early first round pick hasn’t even started yet. If Notre Dame can stay undefeated in their return to national prominence, Te’o could stay on this list for longer than you think.

Next Game: Te’o and Notre Dame will have a bye next weekend, but will look to contain the Miami Hurricanes during their next game on October 6th at Soldier Field in Chicago.

9. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA (3-1)

#23 RB, Sr., 5’11″, 195 lbs.

Week 4 Loss vs. Oregon State

Like Montee Ball before him, Franklin’s candidacy took a step back when confronted with the Oregon State defense. The previous NCAA leading rusher was kept out of the end zone and held to a meager 56 total yards in last Saturday’s 27-20 loss to the then-unranked Beavers. Don’t count Franklin out yet though, as the season is still very young. Both he and the Bruins will have plenty of chances later in the season to prove themselves on a national scale, as they play Southern Cal and Stanford in the final two games of the regular season.

Next Game: Franklin and UCLA will look to regroup when they play (1-3) Colorado in Boulder at 6 p.m. next Saturday. Expect Franklin to have an outstanding performance, as the Buffaloes’ defense currently ranks 117th in the nation in points allowed.

8. Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State Spartans (3-1)

#24 RB, Jr., 6’2”, 244 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. Eastern Michigan

Bell rushed for a career-high 253 yards in a 23-7 victory over a hapless Eastern Michigan squad Saturday, bringing his rushing total for the year to 610 yards. Not bad for four games, not bad. Though the performance was against an (0-4) team that never stood a chance in East Lansing, the great game will serve as an excellent confidence boost for Bell heading into Michigan State’s Big Ten conference schedule.

Next Game: Bell and the Spartans play host to #14 Ohio State Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Putting a pin in the balloon that is Ohio State’s season will really help Bell’s candidacy, if the junior back is up to the challenge.

7. Aaron Murray, Georgia (4-0)

#11 QB, Jr., 6’1″, 210 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. Vanderbilt

Murray has a few things going for him in the Heisman race this year. First, he’s the undisputed leader and most talented player on one of the nation’s best teams. Secondly, he has the chance–given a relatively weak SEC schedule–to compete for a conference championship. Finally, Murray’s production has been outstanding this year, as he has yet to pass for less than 242 yards and two touchdowns in any of Georgia’s four games this year. With 1,092 passing yards and 10 touchdowns through the air already this season, it would be tough to make an argument that Murray doesn’t belong in a short list of college football’s best players.

Next Game: Murray and Georgia play host to an unranked Tennesee team this Saturday at 3:30 p.m., hoping to exploit a Vols’ defense that has given up 24 points per game thus far in 2012.

6. EJ Manuel, Florida State (4-0)

#3 QB, Sr., 6’5″, 240 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. Clemson

Though EJ Manuel hasn’t made it on the list until the season’s fifth week due to his susceptibility to injury and his lack of production early on, the senior from Florida State proved he belongs in Heisman talks with a fantastic performance in the Seminoles’ 49-37 victory in the shootout with then-#10 Clemson last Saturday. Accounting for 482 yards of total offense against the Tigers, Manuel nearly doubled his production from FSU’s previous three games of the season, proving his ability to thrive under pressure in big games. Now that the nation has seen what Manuel can do, he’ll be expected to produce week in and week out on his way to a potential undefeated season and ACC Championship.

Next Game: Manuel and the Seminoles travel to South Florida next Saturday to take on the (2-2) Bulls at 6 p.m. With back-to-back losses to Rutgers and Ball State, USF will be no challenge at all to Manuel and company.

5. Braxton Miller, Ohio State (4-0)

#5 QB, So., 6’2″, 210 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. UAB

It’s safe to say Miller has had better games than last Saturday, as he and #16 Ohio State slept-walked their way to a 29-15 win against a weak UAB team. Though the Blazers took a 9-0 lead to start the game and outgained Ohio State by 56 yards, Miller and the Buckeyes finally figured it out in the second quarter, grinding their way down the field to score four rushing touchdowns on the day, two of which were punched in by Miller himself. Ohio State’s sophomore quarterback is still young, so he’ll have to learn to put performances like this behind him in order to perform in bigger games later in the season.

Next Game: Miller and Ohio State’s offense will need all the help they can get as they travel to East Lansing next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to face #20 Michigan State’s stout defense. Miller has a chance to prove that he belongs by knocking off the Spartans in the Buckeyes’ toughest test of the season.

4. Matt Barkley, Southern Cal Trojans (3-1)

#7 QB, Sr., 6’2”, 230 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. California

Barkley has continued his spell of mediocrity, failing to pass for over 200 yards for the second time this season. With his second-straight two-interception game, Barkley has proven this season that the Heisman trophy is an open race–even if the national media did give him a head start. Southern Cal’s star quarterback still has plenty of time to get his season back on track though, as he’ll have several chances to prove his mettle in huge games–Oregon, Notre Dame–down the stretch

Next Game: The Trojans have a bye next week, but return to the field on October 4th at 9 p.m. to take on Pac-12 foe Utah in Salt Lake City.

3. Collin Klein, Kansas State (4-0)

#7 QB, Sr., 6’5″, 226 lbs.

Week 4 Win at Oklahoma

Remember what I said last week about the Oklahoma game being Klein’s “ultimate shot at greatness?” It’s safe to say the senior from Loveland, CO, came through in a big way Saturday, leading his Kansas State team to a huge upset of then-#6 Oklahoma. Klein managed the game near-perfectly, never turning the ball over and accounting for over 200 yards of total offense. With an awkward throwing motion, a team that wasn’t relevant until recently, and a win in Norman against one of the biggest programs in college football history, Klein is the textbook example of an underdog success story. We all know everyone loves an underdog–especially the Heisman committee–so if Klein keeps the Wildcats in national contention, he’ll be a real threat to win the nation’s most prestigious award.

Next Game: Klein and K-State will have an extra week to enjoy their big win as they prepare to play host to in-state rival Kansas on October 6th.

2. De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon Ducks (4-0)

#6 RB, So., 5’9”, 179 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. Arizona

Though Thomas couldn’t find the end zone Saturday, the Ducks never needed him to, as they rolled over Arizona 49-0 quite easily. For skilled all-purpose players like Thomas, their success in the Heisman running depends heavily on the success of their teams. With Oregon looking strong early in the season and hopping LSU to be ranked #2 nationally, Thomas’ Heisman outlook has never been better. If he can firmly establish himself as the best player on Oregon’s team–Marcus Mariota and Kenjon Barner have also been excellent this season–Thomas could run away with this one toward the end of the season.

Next Game: Thomas and the Ducks travel to Washington State next Saturday to take on Mike Leach’s Cougars at 10:30 p.m. Washington State has lost to BYU and Colorado thus far, and their defense is ranked 82nd in points allowed, so this one will be over before you know it on Saturday night.

1. Geno Smith, West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0)

#12 QB, Sr., 6’3”, 214 lbs.

Week 4 Win vs. Maryland

Smith had easily his worst game of the 2012 season Saturday in West Virginia’s 31-21 victory over Maryland, but he was still incredible by most standards. In a game where Smith used his best weapons effectively–Tavon Austin caught 13 passes for 179 yards–the West Virginia quarterback completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, an exemplary mark for most other college quarterbacks but a somewhat mediocre one for the signal-caller from Miami. With another 300-yard passing game, Smith stays firmly in first place in the Heisman running, but both he and West Virginia need to learn from their close call against Maryland going into next week.

Next Game: Next Saturday at 12 p.m., Smith and the West Virginia offense will torch #25 Baylor’s notoriously porous defense. The Bears will attempt to regroup after giving up 42 points to UL-Monroe last Saturday, but Smith and the explosive WVU offense won’t give them the time of day. Expect the Mountaineers to score early and often.