Amazing Espn

[card-thick-n-thin]

Louisville FINALLY GETS SOME RESPECT FROM ESPN I MUSTBE DREAMING!

Each week, ESPN.com's panel of experts casts their votes for the top Heisman candidates. The panel consists of analysts, former players, former coaches and ESPN.com's college football staff. Want to cast your own Heisman ballot? Vote now

This page will be updated each Monday.

Name Position School Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
Troy Smith QB Ohio State Sr. 9 5 1 0 0 68
Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame Sr. 3 7 4 0 1 56
Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma Jr. 3 2 6 3 1 48
Steve Slaton RB West Virginia So. 0 0 2 6 3 21
Ted Ginn Jr. WR Ohio State Jr. 0 0 2 2 2 12
Chris Leak QB Florida Sr. 0 1 0 1 1 7
Kenny Irons RB Auburn Sr. 0 0 0 1 4 6
Garrett Wolfe RB Northern Illinois Sr. 0 0 0 1 2 4
Brian Brohm QB Louisville Jr. 0 0 0 2 1 3



ESPN's Take
by Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN analyst
After defeating No. 2 Texas on Saturday night, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith gets top billing in this week's Heisman Watch vote. Smith is the igniter of the Buckeyes' offense and is very similar to former Florida State quarterback and Heisman winner Charlie Ward. Both quarterbacks have that innate ability to keep a play and drive alive using their athleticism, great intelligence and decision-making skills. Smith also has a powerful supporting cast, as teammate and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is also a Heisman hopeful this fall.

In any discussion about the Heisman, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn's name is sure to appear. The Irish signal-caller struggled in the first half, but popped back up in the second half and was phenomenal. He distributed the ball nicely, with three different receivers scoring a touchdown apiece, and completed 25 of 36 passes for 287 yards. When Quinn is on, he can pick opposing teams apart.

Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson is the heart of the Sooners' offense. Even though teams are keying on him because of the team's quarterback situation (receiver-turned-quarterback Paul Thompson has taken the reins since Rhett Bomar's dismissal), he's still one of the best running backs in the country. He consistently finds ways to make things happen for this team.

Florida quarterback Chris Leak has been great in his second year in Urban Meyer's system. Leak has been putting up big numbers against weak competition, which is exactly what he is supposed to do. It will be interesting to see how he fares this week against a tough Tennessee defense that was able to completely shut down Cal's highly touted running back Marshawn Lynch.

West Virginia running back Steve Slaton only carried the ball eight times against Eastern Washington in the Mountaineers' 52-3 rout. Yet Slaton made the most of each opportunity, turning in another 100-plus-yard running performance. West Virginia has faced two easy opponents to start the season, but Slaton -- with a little help from quarterback Pat White -- can lead this team to an undefeated season.

Click here to send a question to Mel Kiper for possible use on ESPNEWS.

Heisman Trophy Winners
Year Players School
1935 Jay Berwanger Chicago
1936 Larry Kelley Yale
1937 Clint Frank Yale
1938 Davey O'Brien TCU
1939 Nile Kinnick Iowa
1940 Tom Harmon Michigan
1941 Bruce Smith Minnesota
1942 Frank Sinkwich Georgia
1943 Angelo Bertelli Notre Dame
1944 Les Horvath Ohio State
1945 Doc Blanchard Army

For the complete list of Heisman winners, click here.


Sponsored Links




College Football Ticket
Save on College Football Ticket. Compare Products, Prices and Stores. (www.dealtime.com)
• More College Football tickets




College Football Store
Assortment of College Football merchandise. Jerseys, Apparel, Jackets, Hats, and more. (www.collegefootballstore.com)
• More College Football merchandise




Football Equipment from Football America
Big selection - great prices - the football and cheerleading superstore - shop now. (www.footballamerica.com)
• More Football equipment

Ranking the Top 5
Troy Smith | QB | Ohio State
Troy Smith was on top of his game against No. 2 Texas and he led the Buckeyes to a convincing 24-7 win in Austin.
Last performance: Smith went 17-of-27 for 269 yards and two TDs.

2006 Season Stats:
Passing: 566 YDS | 5 TD
Rushing: -14 YDS | 0 TD
0 INT | 67.3 CMP%


Next: Ohio State vs. Cincinnati
9/16 | noon ET | ESPN GamePlan
Brady Quinn | QB | Notre Dame
Brady Quinn looked like Brady Quinn again as he dissected the Penn State defense en route to a 41-17 win. His Heisman campaign is once again alive and well.
Last performance: Quinn completed 25 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three TDs.

2006 Season Stats:
Passing: 543 YDS | 3 TD
Rushing: 26 YDS | 1 TD
0 INT | 65 CMP%


Next: Notre Dame vs. Michigan
9/16 | 3:30 pm ET | NBC
Adrian Peterson | RB | Oklahoma
Oklahoma strugged early and then pulled away in the second half to beat Washington 37-20. Adrian Peterson played a big part, scoring two touchdowns in the final 16 minutes.
Last performance: Peterson rushed for 165 yards and those two TDs.

2006 Season Stats:
56 ATT | 304 YDS | 3 TD
5.4 AVG | 37 LNG
2 REC | 75 YDS | 1 TD



Next: Oklahoma at Oregon
9/16 | 3:30 pm ET | ABC
Steve Slaton | RB | West Virginia
Steve Slaton had a short day of work as West Virginia rolled over a I-AA opponent and has to prepare for Thursday's game vs. Maryland.
Last performance: Slaton rushed for 105 yards on eight carries and had two TDs in just two series of work to lead WVU to a 52-3 win over Eastern Washington.

2006 Season Stats:
41 ATT | 308 YDS | 4 TD
7.5 AVG | 49 LNG



Next: West Virginia vs. Maryland
9/14 | 7:30 pm ET | ESPN
Ted Ginn Jr. | WR | Ohio State
Tedd Ginn makes his first appearance in the Heisman Watch Top 5 with two outstanding outings against Texas and Northern Illinois.
Last performance: Ginn had five receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Longhorns.

2006 Season Stats:
9 REC | 220 YDS | 3 TD
24.4 AVG | 58 LNG



Next: Ohio State vs. Cincinnati
9/16 | noon ET | ESPN GamePlanESPN.com NFL | MLB | NBA | NHL | NASCAR | Coll FB | Coll BB | Golf | Soccer | Pg2 | SportsNation | Insider | Fantasy | 360 | Site Map ESPN.com: Help | Media Kit | Report a Bug | Contact Us | Site Map | Tools | Jobs at ESPN | Supplier Information | Copyright ©2006 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use for our Site , Terms of Use for ESPN Motion and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved.