1st 20* NBA Total of the Month on Friday / 20* Blowout GOY in Friday’s CFB / LEGEND in CFB set for Saturday!

Larry made it a 2-0 CBB sweep on Thursday and is now 4-0 the last two days with all his BKB releases. His BKB Las Vegas Insiders are 3-0 since Monday and his CBB releases are 5-1 this week.

Going back to Oct 21, there have been 23 non-Saturday or Sunday CFB and NFL games. 26-year vet Larry Ness has released plays on just EIGHT, going 6-2 (75.0%). There are three HUGE favorites on Friday’s CFB schedule but just ONE is Larry’s 25* CFB Blowout GOY. “Don’t get caught on the sidelines!”

LEGEND Alert in CFB: Larry won his 1st LEGEND Play of the NBA season on 11/13, 105-79 with Denver over the Lakers. That’s the kind of results regulars have come to expect from Larry’s signature LEGEND plays (previously available to only his personal clients). His CFB record with LEGEND plays has been superb, going 13-4 (76.7%) in the regular season since ‘05 and that does not include his 2-0 sweep in LY’s bowl season!. It’s your move.

Can you say 6-0? Larry’s 4-0 with his 20* Eastern and Western Conf Game of the Month plays to open the 2009-10 NBA season. He then won his first LEGEND Play of the NBA season last Friday, when Denver (-4) routed the Lakers, 105-79. Tonight, it’s his 20* NBA Total of the Month as he looks to up his “big play” mark in the NBA to 6-0!

Larry’s 5-1 (83.3%) with his CBB releases s/Monday. He won an ‘Under the Radar’ play last night on Denver U. and tonight he’s “upping the ante” with his 20* ‘Under the Radar’ Game of the Month in CBB. This is the time of year in college hoops when you want Larry’s 26 years of experience on your side!

Join Larry for his Friday Extravaganza, a BLOCKBUSTER 3-game report which features ALL three of his Friday releases, in CBB, CFB and the NBA. It’s GUARANTEED for $59.

More CFB for Saturday due on Friday. As always, you may want to consider his subscription offers, 7 days for $175 or 31 days for $400.

Col State at New Mexico Saturday CFB at 6:00 ET)

Riddle me this. Has any school ever followed a 70-point outburst by losing its next 14 games? I don’t know the actual answer to that question but let me introduce you to the New Mexico Lobos. New Mexico beat San Diego State 70-7 in Las Cruces back on 10/18/08 but hasn’t won since. The Lobos followed that 63-point win by losing their final four games of the 2008 season and are currently one of three, 0-10 schools in 2009. The team’s 14-game losing streak (4-10 ATS) is the second-longest active losing streak next to Western Kentucky, which has lost 18 in a row. The Lobos are off an excellent effort this past Saturday, losing 24-19 at home to BYU, which is currently ranked 19th in the latest AP poll. New Mexico QB Porterie played one of his better games of 2009, completing 28-of-44 for 272 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. This is New Mexico’s home finale and the Lobos finish the season with a visit to Fort Worth on November 28. Simply put, fat chance the Lobos will beat the Horned Frogs, who will likely be playing with a BCS bowl berth on the line. That leaves this game vs Colorado State as New Mexico’s “last chance!” The Lobos couldn’t ask for a better opponent. The Rams opened the 2009 season by winning their first three games, the last of which came over Nevada, 35-20. That result is hard to fathom at this point, as the Wolf Pack have won all seven of their games since that loss (averaging 50.0 PPG), while CSU has dropped seven straight, going 1-6 ATS. The Rams had last week off but I’m willing to back embattled New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley to grab a much-needed first win. Take New Mexico.

The 2008 Heisman was won by Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford with Colt McCoy (Texas ) of Texas finishing second and Florida’s Tim Tebow (the 2007 winner) finishing third, despite garnering more first-place votes than either Bradford or McCoy. Never before has a college football season opened a year in which two Heisman winners were active. With all three players back for the 2009 season, the Heisman ‘race’ was a clear-cut three-man contest. So much for conventional wisdom.

Bradford got hurt in Oklahoma’s first game, sat out until Oct 10 and then was done for the season after re-injuring his shoulder against Texas on October. As for Tebow and McCoy, their respective teams seem likely to meet in the BCS championship game on January 7 in Pasadena, but neither record-setting QB is having a great season. Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) and Case Keenum (Houston) have had their names prominently mentioned this season but it was a “Black Saturday” for both candidates this past weekend.

Notre Dame entered November with BCS at-large aspirations but followed up a 23-21 home loss to Navy with its eighth consecutive loss to a top-10 team (the longest streak in school history) this past Saturday at Pittsburgh (27-22). Weis is now 1-10 against ranked teams since 2006 and has the same record (35-25) as former coach Bob Davie and the same winning percentage (.583) as former coach Tyrone Willingham, both of whom were fired. Clausen can’t get fired but he is OUT of the Heisman race.

Case Keenum threw for 377 yards and three TDs on Saturday but his Cougars lost 37-32 at UCF. Throw in Houston’s embarrassing 58-41 loss at UTEP back on October 3 and then try to think of how many players have won a Heisman in the same year in which their team lost to both UCF and UTEP, or like-schools. I doubt you’ll find any.

QBs have dominated the Heisman award this decade, as every winner since 2000 has played that position save Reggie Bush of USC, who won in 2005. However, more RBs have won the Heisman than any other position. So where does this leave my current Heisman Watch? Read on.

1) MARK INGRAM (Alabama) and TOBY GERHART (STANFORD) Last Week: 5. Ingram’s on most lists (some have him No. 1) but Gerhart is still under the radar, which I don’t understand. I’m not sure right now, that I wouldn’t vote Gerhart No. 1. For this week, I’ll leave them co-No. 1s and unlike many lists, won’t include Clemson’s CJ Spiller. Neither Ingram nor Gerhart were on anyone’s preseason Heisman lists. I mentioned this a few weeks back when writing about Ingram but will include it again, for those who didn’t see it the first time around. How much of a long shot were both Ingram and Gerhart at the beginning of the year? Well consider that in Phil Steele’s CFB annual (page 328), he listed nine Heisman favorites, 11 more “contenders,” 28 “possibilities” and 19 “darkhorses.” None of those 66 players were named Mark Ingram or Toby Gerhart. Ingram gets “extra-credit” for playing at Alabama, just like Tebow does at Florida and McCoy at Texas. Alabama improved to 10-0 for the 17th time in school history with a 31-3 win at Miss St. Ingram ran 19 times for 149 yards and scored two TDs. He’s topped 100 yards six times in Alabama’s 10 games this year, including going over 100 in five of his last six (had 99 yards the game he missed). He had just one, 100-yard game last year, running for 728 yards in support of Glen Coffee (1,383 yards). Alabama improved to 10-0 for the second straight year, something that hasn’t happened since the 1973-74 seasons. This marks the 30th time in Alabama’s 115 years of football that the Tide have reached 10 wins, second only to Oklahoma’s 31. However, while Oklahoma has produced five Heisman winners, Alabama is still waiting for its first Heisman winner. With wins against Tennessee-Chattanooga and Auburn, the Tide would take a 12-0 record into the SEC title game against Florida for the second straight year. Could it also be the year Alabama breaks its Heisman jinx with of all players, Mark Ingram. His season stats are: 194 carries 1,297 yards 6.7 YPC 10 TDs (ranks 5th with 129.7 YPG) / 25 catches 225 yards 9.0 YPC 3 TDs.

While Alabama owns multiple national championships (with so many split championships over the years, who knows the exact number), we know Stanford has zero. The Cardinal do however, own a Heisman winner. Jim Plunkett won the award in 1970, before winning two Super Bowl titles with the Raiders. Gerhart has been quite remarkable the last two weeks, as has his team. Stanford won 51-42 over Oregon on November 7 and then beat the Trojans 55-21 at the Coliseum this past Saturday (most points USC has ever allowed in one game!). The Trojans are 47-3 over their last 50 home games and incredibly, the Cardinal are responsible for all three losses (now you can’t make that up!). Gerhart rushed for a school-record 223 yards (38 carries) and three TDs in the win against Oregon and followed that by rushing for 178 yards and three TDs against USC. He surpassed his single-season rushing record set last year (1,136 yards) against Oregon and that total is now up to 1,395 with two regular season contests and the school’s first bowl game since 2001 still remaining. He’s topped 100 yards in eight of 10 games in 2009 (had 82 and 96 yards in his two other games), giving him 17 career 100-yard games (two of more than 200 yards). He ranks third in the nation with an average of 139.5 YPG on the ground and second in TDs scored and PPG (19 TDs / 10.8 PPG) to Navy’s Ricky Dobbs (22 TDs / 13.2 PPG). Stanford finishes the regular season with two high-profile games, hosting Cal this Saturday in the “Big Game” and then looks to break a seven-game losing streak against Notre Dame on November 28. Is it possible there could be a second Heisman trophy destined for Palo Alto? Gerhart’s season stats are: 262 carries 1,395 yards 5.3 YPC 19 TDs / 8 catches 87 yards (10.9 YPC) 0 TDs.

3) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 3. Colt McCoy of Texas passed for a career-high 470 yards with two TDs and an interception (33-of-42) vs UCF two weeks ago but threw for a much more modest 181 yards (23-of-34) and two more TDs as Texas beat Baylor 47-14 last Saturday. Texas has now reached 10 wins for the ninth straight season, second only to Florida State’s run of 14 consecutive 10-win seasons from 1987-2000. Texas is No. 3 in the lastest AP poll and owns the nation’s longest active streak, appearing in the oldest of all the polls (began in 1936) for the last 153 weeks. McCoy’s win against Baylor makes him 42-7 as a starting QB at Texas and he’s now tied with former Georgia QB David Greene for the most all-time wins in NCAA history. I’ve mentioned almost weekly that while McCoy will finish with outstanding numbers this year, he’ll likely fall short of last year’s incredible stats. Most notable is the fact that he had rushed for better than 500 yards in each of the last two seasons (McCoy led Texas in rushing LY with 561 yards while scoring 11 TDs on the ground), but has hardly run the ball at all in 2009 with just 164 yards through 10 games. McCoy posted a 34-8 ratio last year but it’s just 19-9 this year. He completed an NCAA single-season record 76.7 percent of his passes last year and while he won’t likely top that in 2009, it’s not as if his 72.4 percent mark in 2009 is “chopped liver!” His two TD passes against the Bears extended his school record to 27 straight games with at least one TD pass (has at least one TD pass in 36 of his last 37 games), giving him 104 TD passes in his career, the most of any active QB. He continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 123 (in comparison, Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). Texas’ win over Oklahoma back on October 17 made McCoy just the third Longhorn QB to own three career wins over Oklahoma (Bobby Layne and Peter Gardere are the others). He has 13 career 300-yard passing games, which includes two 400-yard passing performances, vs UCF two weeks ago and a 414-yard effort in last year’s Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State. Both McCoy and Tebow get extra-credit for their four-year careers and will surely be invited to New York. By the time of the Heisman ceremony, it’s very likely the two will be slated to meet January 7 in Pasadena for the national championship. There’s little doubt in my mind that both players would choose a win in that game over a Heisman. McCoy’s season stats are: 254-of-351 (72.4 percent) 2,628 yards 19 TDs 9 INTs / 81 carries for 164 yards (2.0 YPC) 1 TD.

4) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 4. I mentioned in last week’s column that Tebow had led blowouts of Spurrier’s Gamecocks the past two years. Tebow may have clinched the 2007 Heisman Trophy when he accounted for 424 yards and seven touchdowns (2 passing / five rushing) in Florida’s 51-31 win at Williams-Brice Stadium. Then last year, the Tebow-led Gators handed Spurrier the most-lopsided loss of his sure to be Hall of Fame career, 56-6. It looked like deja vu all over again last Saturday in Columbia, as Gators scored on their first three series, including Tebow’s 68-yard TD pass. However, the Gators only led 17-14 in the early fourth quarter when Tebow scored on a one-yard TD, giving Florida its final margin of 24-14. Tebow surpassed Georgia great Herschel Walker to set the SEC mark for rushing TDs with 50 in a victory over the Bulldogs on October 31 and his fourth-quarter TD last Saturday gave him 53 for his career, tying former LSU running back Kevin Faulk for the most all-time TDs in SEC history. He also became the SEC’s all-time leader in rushing yards by a QB vs Georgia and with two more TDs accounted for (rushing and passing combined) vs South Carolina, extended his total TDs to 132 (also an SEC record). Tebow finished 14-of-25 for 199 yards with one TD and zero INTs, adding 26 yards rushing on 16 carries with one TD. That’s been a pretty typical game for him in 2009. No. 1 Florida finished a perfect regular season in the SEC (8-0), going undefeated in the league for the first time since Steve Spurrier’s 1996 national champions. Florida now owns 20 straight wins (longest active streak in CFB), the third-longest streak by a SEC team since 1960. Florida has outscored its opponents 808-to-233 in that streak and Tebow has thrown 34 TDs with just six INTs during that stretch (28-4 ratio the last 16 games), while adding 20 rushing TDs. He has thrown a TD pass in 36 of his last 38 games and as I say each week, his legend continues to grow. Florida has been No. 1 in all five of the BCS standings which have been released and No. 1 in the AP in all but one week in 2009. Tebow’s place in CFB history is secure and a third national title (he was a part-time player when Florida won in 2006) plus a second Heisman would likely give him the unofficial title of “CFB’s best-ever player.” While Florida can “earn on the field” a third national championship in four years in 2009, I don’t believe Tebow has earned a second Heisman this season. The Gators host FIU on Saturday and then FSU on November 28. I don’t think Tebow can do much in those last two games to change any minds. Voters are either going to give it to him or they are not. His season stats follow. They are not those of a Heisman winner. 128-of-198 (64.6 percent) 1,730 yards 12 TDs 4 INTs / 171 carries 604 yards 3.5 YPC 10 TDs.

5) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 1. By this time, you should have been able to answer the question I asked in the intro. Were you able to think of any players who have won a Heisman in the same year in which their team lost to both UCF and UTEP, or like-schools? Don’t feel bad, it was a rhetorical question. Keenum had more than 500 yards passing in each of his two previous games (Southern Mississippi and Tulsa) with Houston winning both times by scoring in the final minute. Keenum threw for two TDs in the closing minutes last Saturday in Orlando cutting into a 37-20 deficit but the Cougars lost, 37-32. Houston now needs help (Marshall must beat SMU this coming Saturday) to just have a chance at representing the West in C-USA’s title game. Keenum will finish this season with the most prolific numbers but I believe his Heisman hopes ‘died’ this past Saturday in of all places, the home of “the Happiest Place on Earth.” If you don’t get that reference, then you are watching too much football. Keenum finished 33-of-56 for 377 yards with three TDs and one INT. Keenum saw his run of 18 consecutive 300-yard passing games in the regular season end vs SMU back on October 24 but he’s topped 300 yards in 22 of his last 24 games and he’s thrown for at least 359 yards in nine of his 10 games in 2009. He has 10 career games of 400-plus yards passing, one behind the school record of 11 held by David Klinger. His three-TD game extended his school record to 26 straight games with a TD pass (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18) and now has 89 career TD passes at Houston. He also now owns 108 TDs accounted for (rushing, passing and receiving), making him the all-time leader in Houston history. Houston leads the nation in total offense (562.6 YPG) and is third in scoring (41.1 PPG) with Keenum leading the nation in total offense (429.7 YPG), which is 107.9 YPG ahead of the player ranked second! Keenum’s season stats are: 358-of-514 (69.7 percent) 4,192 yards 31 TDs 6 INTs / 3 Rush TDs.

On the radar: Kellen Moore (Boise St), Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) and CJ Spiller (Clemson).

Good Luck…Larry

TCU is No. 4 in the latest BCS standings, the highest-ever ranking for a non-BCS school but likely has no chance at making the BCS title game, even if it were to stay unbeaten. In fact, the Horned Frogs are not even guaranteed a BCS bowl bid if they remain unbeaten, as the Boise State Broncos (currently ranked No. 6) are still in the ‘hunt’ for that lone at-large bid available to schools outside of the six BCS conferences. That’s the “state of the union” in CFB circa 2009 regarding entrance to the BCS and one wonders if the same rule applies in the Heisman voting, ‘outsiders’ need not apply?

Will Tim Tebow of Florida win a second Heisman based on his “body of work” and legendary image, despite less than Heisman-worthy numbers in 2009? How about Alabama’s Mark Ingram, a virtual unknown coming into the season? Will he become Alabama’s first-ever Heisman winner? Can Jimmy Clausen’s terrific stats overcome Notre Dame’s three losses (and counting), including the school’s second loss to Navy in the last three years, after 43 consecutive wins over the Midshipmen?

How about last year’s runner-up, Colt McCoy? Texas seems to be a virtual ‘lock’ for the BCS title game (playing the winner of Alabama/Florida) and McCoy is off a career-high 470 passing yards last week. How about Case Keenum of Houston? Isn’t he having the most spectacular season of all the contenders? Then there are his numerous “wild finishes,” the latest of which was last Saturday night in Tulsa. My latest Heisman Watch follows.

1) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 2. Houston’s last visit to Tulsa (in 2007) resulted in a 56-7 loss with Keenum being held to 81 yards passing (zero TDs and one INTs). However, the Cougars crushed the Golden Hurricane 70-30 last year in Houston, as Keenum had 402 yards passing and six TD passes. Considering the fact that since C-USA split into two divisions in 2005, the winner of the Houston/Tulsa game has represented the West in all four league championships (Tulsa in 2005, ‘07 and ‘08 plus Houston in 2006), it was fair to call last Saturday night’s game a “big one!” It turned out to not only be ‘big,’ but featured a remarkable ending, as well. The game was a back-and-forth affair all game and Tulsa went up 45-37 with 3:28 remaining in the contest. However, Keenum drove the Cougars 61 yards on 13 plays, capping the drive with a one-yard TD pas with just 21 seconds remaining. Houston needed a two-point conversion but Keenum was sacked on the tying 2-point try. However, Houston was able to come up with the onsides kick after a Tulsa player mishandled the ball. Set up on his own 39, Keenum completed passes of a 14 and 13 yards to set up Matt Hogan’s 51-yard FG try. The freshman hadn’t made a FG of longer than 34 yards this season but drilled the game-winner! Keenum finished 40-of-60 for 522 yards with three TDs and not a single INT in those 60 attempts. It was the second straight game with more than 500 yards passing for the nation’s most prolific passer, giving him 10 career games of 400-plus yards passing (one behind the school record of 11 held by David Klinger). Keenum saw his run of 18 consecutive 300-yard passing games in the regular season end vs SMU back on October 24 but with back-to-back 500-yard efforts, he’s topped 300 yards in 21 of his last 23 games and he’s thrown for at least 360 yards in eight of his nine games in 2009. His three-TD game extended his school record to 25 straight games with a TD pass (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18) and now has 86 career TD passes at Houston. Houston leads the nation in scoring (42.1 PPG) and total offense (577.9 YPG) with Keenum leading the nation in total offense (434.4 YPG), which is 109.1 YPG ahead of the player ranked second! Maybe he won’t win the 2009 Heisman but for now, I’m placing him No. 1, as he’s been the most spectacular performer of the 2009 season so far. Houston visits Orlando on Saturday to play UCF. These schools have met just twice, the last coming in 2006, pre-Keenum. I want to keep reminding critics that it would be a mistake to think that a QB from Houston can’t win the Heisman. Andre Ware became the first black QB to win the Heisman back in 1989 playing for a Houston team which was then part of the Southwest Conference AND was on probation, meaning the Cougars of 1989 never once played on TV. Keenum’s season stats are: 325-of-458 (71.0 percent) 3,815 yards 28 TDs 5 INTs / 3 Rush TDs.

2) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 1. I’ve had Clausen No. 1 the last two weeks but I’m dropping him to No. 2 this week. Clausen finished 37-of-57 yards for 452 yards in Notre Dame’s 23-21 loss to Navy, all of which are career highs. The 37 completions are a school record and the yardage is the fourth-best in school history. He threw two TDs but committed two costly turnovers. His reaction after his third-quarter interception resulted in a 15-yard penalty and he fumbled at the Navy one-yard line to end the quarter, missing an opportunity for Notre Dame to close the score to 21-14. With Notre Dame pinned deep in its own territory late in the game and trailing 21-14, Clausen was sacked on consecutive plays. The second one gave Navy its final two points and sealed the victory, although Clausen did lead Notre Dame to one final score). It will be tough for Clausen and the Irish (spelled, W-E-I-S!) to bounce back from its loss to Navy. Everyone knows Notre Dame had beaten Navy 43 consecutive times (average score, 36.0-11.9) but the Irish have now lost two of the last three years to the Midshipmen with both losses in South Bend (oh, the humanity!). Media speculation had Notre Dame chasing a BCS berth prior to last Saturday’s game but the loss to Navy effectively ends any hope Notre Dame had for its first BCS appearance since 2006. Last year’s Hawaii Bowl shouldn’t be factored into this year’s Heisman ‘race,’ but it was the ‘launching pad’ for Clausen’s 2009 season. Clausen topped 300 yards passing in five of six games from the Hawaii Bowl and this year’s first five games, averaging 324.2 YPG with 17 TDs and only two INTs! He then averaged 258.0 YPG over his next three games (USC. BC and WSU) with six TDs and not a single INT in 109 attempts. His career-high 452 vs Navy gives him six, 300-yard games (three of more than 400) in his last 10, after posting just two 300-yard games in his 22 games prior to last year’s Hawaii Bowl. To stay at (near) the top of my poll next week, Clausen needs an outstanding effort in this Saturday’s game at No. 8 Pittsburgh. The Panthers beat the Irish 36-33 (in four OTs) in South Bend last year with Clausen throwing for 271 yards (23-of-44, zero TDs and one INT). That kind of game “won’t cut it!” Clausen’s season stats are: 209-of-308 (67.9) 2,770 yards 20 TDs 3 INTs (QB rating of 162.9 is No. 3 in the nation) / 1 Rush TD.

3) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 4. Jimmy Clausen wasn’t the only Heisman candidate to pass for a single-game, career-high in yards this past Saturday. Colt McCoy of Texas passed for a career-high 470 yards with two TDs and an interception (33-of-42), as the Longhorns improved to 9-0 this year (13 straight wins is second to only Florida’s 19-game streak) with a 35-3 win over Central Florida. The school record is 473 yards and is held by Major Applewhite. McCoy now has 13 career 300-yard passing games and it was just the fifth 400-yard passing performance in school history (McCoy has two, the other being a 414-yard effort in last year’s Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State). For those looking for an omen, Texas is now 9-0 for the first time since 2005, the season Texas went 13-0 and won the school’s most recent national championship. I’ve mentioned almost weekly that while McCoy will finish with outstanding numbers this year, he’ll likely fall short of last year’s incredible stats. Most notable is the fact that he had rushed for better than 500 yards in each of the last two seasons (McCoy led Texas in rushing LY with 561 yards while scoring 11 TDs on the ground), but has hardly run the ball at all in 2009 with just 151 yards through nine games. McCoy posted a 34-8 ratio last year but it’s just 17-9 this year. He completed an NCAA single-season record 76.7 percent of his passes last year and while he won’t likely top that in 2009, it’s not as if his 72.9 percent mark in 2009 is “chopped liver!” His two TD passes against the Knights extended his school record to 26 straight games with at least one TD pass (has at least one TD pass in 35 of his last 36 games), giving him 102 TD passes in his career, extending a school record he already owned. He continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 121 (in comparison, Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). Texas’ 13th straight win makes McCoy 41-7 as a starting QB at Texas (Young owned the previous record of 31 career wins at Texas), just one win behind former Georgia QB David Greene, who finished his college career as the winningest quarterback in NCAA Division I history with 42 wins in four years. Texas’ win over Oklahoma back on October 17 made McCoy just the third Longhorn QB to own three career wins over Oklahoma (Bobby Layne and Peter Gardere are the others). Add it all up and this guy has a “Heisman-worthy” resume, including (like Tebow) a bevy of career accomplishments as well. An effort like last week has him moving up in my poll. The Longhorns fell back to No. 3 in the most recent BCS standings (Alabama is now No. 2) but they still almost assuredly control their own destiny. If Texas can win-out, the Longhorns will get the winner of Alabama/Florida in the BCS title game (likely more important to McCoy than the Heisman). Texas plays at Baylor this Saturday. McCoy is 3-0 vs the Bears in his career, completing 69.9 percent of his passes for an average of 289.3 YPG in the air with 12 TDs and five INTs. His season stats are: 231-of-317 (72.9 percent) 1,977 yards 17 TDs 9 INTs / 78 carries for 151 yards (1.9 YPC) 1 TD.

4) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 3. Tebow had his most productive game of the season in the Florida/Georgia game but in Florida’s 27-3 over Vandy last Saturday he returned to “his typical form” of 2009. Tebow completed 15-of-20 passes for 208 yards and a TD (zero INTs). He ran for a modest 27 yards (16 carries) and added a rushing TD. A closer look at the boxscore shows that 64 of his passing yards came on a run-and-catch by Aaron Hernandez late in the fourth quarter and his lone TD pass (also in the fourth quarter) came on a tipped pass when the ball slipped through the fingers of Riley Cooper near the goal line. No one thinks more highly of Tebow than I but it just doesn’t seem right to me that he should be awarded this year’s Heisman. He may be CFB’s most valuable player (as well as its most influential and inspirational leader) but he surely hasn’t been 2009’s most outstanding player, which the award claims it honors. The Gators’ win over the ‘Dores was their 19th straight, the longest active winning streak in the country and tied for the fourth-longest streak by a SEC team since 1960. Florida has outscored its opponents 784-to-219 in that streak and Tebow has thrown 33 TDs with just six INTs during that stretch (27-4 ratio the last 15 games), while adding 19 rushing TDs. Tebow passed Herschel Walker’s record of 49 career rushing TDs in the game against Georgia and last Saturday’s rushing TD now gives him 52 in his career. He also became the SEC’s all-time leader in rushing yards by a QB vs Georgia and with two more TDs accounted for (rushing and passing combined) vs Vandy, extended his total TDs to 130 (also an SEC record). He has thrown a TD pass in 35 of his last 37 games and as I say each week, his legend continues to grow. Florida has been No. 1 in all four of the BCS standings which have been released and No. 1 in the AP in all but one week in 2009. Tebow’s place in CFB history is secure and a third national title (he was a part-time player when Florida won in 2006) plus a second Heisman would likely give him the unofficial title of “CFB’s best-ever player.” While Florida can “earn on the field” a third national championship in four years in 2009, I don’t believe Tebow has earned a second Heisman this season, at least not to this point. Florida visits South Carolina on Saturday, a team it beat 56-6 last year in “The Swamp.” However, Tebow may want to re-live the Gators’ 2007 visit to Columbia, when he passed for 304 yards with two TDs plus ran for 120 yards while adding five more TDs in Florida’s 51-31 win. A performance similar to that would give all the “Tebow voters” every reason to place him No. 1 on their 2009 ballots. Tebow’s season stats are: 114-of-173 (65.9 percent) 1,531 yards 11 TDs 4 INTs / 155 carries 578 yards (3.7 YPC) 9 TDs.

5) MARK INGRAM (Alabama) and TOBY GERHART (STANFORD) Last Week: NR. I’ve had Ingram in my poll before but this is a first for Gerhart. I’ll begin with Ingram, a player who I’ve seen ranked higher in other Heisman lists. I don’t quite understand why he’s ranked that high. Alabama clinched the SEC West title with its 24-15 win over LSU last Saturday, earning an SEC championship game rematch with Florida. The Tide are 9-0 for a second consecutive season, which hasn’t happened since 1973-74 under Bear Bryant. With that in mind, maybe it is time for Alabama to have its first-ever Heisman winner. WR Jones supplied the game-breaking play (a 73-yard TD on a ‘hitch’ pass) but Ingram “did his part.” Held to 36 yards rushing in the first half, Ingram finished with 144 yards for the game (22 carries). It marked his fifth 100-yard game in 2009 (sixth of his career). Ingram played behind Coffee (1,383 yards) last season, gaining 728 yards (5.1 YPC) and scoring 12 TDs. However, he ranks sixth in the nation in rushing in 2009, averaging 127.6 YPG. His season stats are: 175 carries 1,148 yards (6.6 YPC) 8 TDs / 24 catches 216 yards (9.0 YPC) 3 TDs. Toby Gerhart rushed for a school-record 223 yards (38 carries) and three TDs this past Saturday, as Stanford beat No. 7 Oregon 51-42, ending Oregon’s seven-game win streak. Stanford’s previous record of 220 rushing yards was set by Jon Volpe in 1988 and Gerhart also surpassed his single-season rushing record set last year (1,136 yards), upping his season total to 1,217 yards. The win made the Cardinal bowl eligible for the first time since 2001, so Gerhart likely has four more games to extend his single-season school record. He’s topped 100 yards in seven of nine games in 2009 (had 82 and 96 yards in his two other games), giving him 16 career 100-yard games (two of more than 200 yards). His average of 135.2 YPG ranks him second in the nation. His season stats are: 233 carries 1,217 yards (5.2 YPC) 16 TDs / 7 catches 78 yards (11.11 YPC) 0 TDs.

On the radar: Kellen Moore (Boise St). Moore finds himself on the outside looking in, just like his Broncos. Boise St ranks 6th in the latest BCS standings but TCU is 4th and only one of the two schools can qualify. Boise State is now 107-17 since 2000, tied with Oklahoma (107-22) for the most wins this decade (Boise owns an .863 win percentage, which is better than OU’s .829). Moore is 21-1 as the Broncos’ starter, with that lone loss coming 17-16 in last year’s Poinsettia Bowl to TCU. Moore’s season stats are: 181-of-268 (67.5 percent) 2,259 yards 27 TDs 3 INTs / QB rating of 169.3 is No. 1 in the nation / 1 Rush TD.

Good luck, Larry

Tim Tebow played like a Heisman Trophy contender this past Saturday in Florida’s annual “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” vs Georgia, arguably for the first time this season (save his game-winning drive vs Arkansas). Colt McCoy of Texas, last year’s Heisman runner-up to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford (out for the season after shoulder surgery), led a Texas offense which was held to under 300 yards for the second time in its last three games this season in a game at Stillwater with Oklahoma State.

However, as well as the Texas defense is playing these days, McCoy only needs to be efficient for the Longhorns to dominate. That’s exactly what happened, as the Longhorns won 41-14 over the Cowboys and the win moved Texas past idle Alabama into the No. 2 spot in both the latest AP poll and the most recent BCS standings. Bradford, McCoy and Tebow were expected to be in a three-man race all season for the 2009 Heisman with few other legitimate contenders.

That hasn’t been the case. Bradford’s injury dropped him out of the picture on the season’s opening weekend while seniors McCoy and Tebow (playing for the nation’s top-two ranked teams) have found themselves falling short in matching their stats from their earlier seasons. My Heisman Watch last week consisted of five QBs and I made no changes in this week’s five names or for that matter, the order in which I placed them.

My latest Heisman Watch follows with updated results from this past weekend and a peek ahead to this weekend’s games.

1) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 1. I moved Clausen into the No. 1 spot on my Heisman Watch last week and I’ll leave him there this week. However, Keenum is closing in fast and of course, “the 400-pound gorilla in the race,” Tim Tebow, had his best game of the season last Saturday. Notre Dame had an opportunity to relax in the 4th quarter this past Saturday, for the first time since the Irish opened with a 35-0 win over Nevada on September 5. Notre Dame piled up 592 yards of offense in a 40-14 ‘rocking chair’ win over Washington State in San Antonio. Clausen was 22-of-27 for 268 yards with two TDs and no INTs. His second TD pass of the game came on a desperation heave that Golden Tate spectacularly pulled down between three defenders for a 50-yard TD to end the first half. Clausen strongly kept his name in the Heisman Trophy conversation and sat out the fourth quarter after one of his most accurate games of 2009. The maturation of Clausen has been dramatic in 2009 and last week I compared his two games vs USC and BC from last year to this year. I’ll repeat it here, as it’s the reason I currently have him at No. 1. USC and Boston College beat Notre Dame by a combined score of 55-3 in 2008 with Clausen going 37-of-68 for just 267 yards with zero TDs and six INTs. Clausen’s stats vs those two teams in 2009 were, 50-of-82 for 506 yards with four TDs, zero INTs and a rushing TD. Last year’s Hawaii Bowl shouldn’t be factored into this year’s Heisman ‘race,’ but it was the ‘launching pad’ for Clausen’s 2009 season. Clausen topped 300 yards passing in five of six games from the Hawaii Bowl and this year’s first five games, averaging 324.2 YPG with 17 TDs and only two INTs! He’s averaged 258.0 YPG over his last three games with six TDs and not a single INT in 109 attempts. The Irish host Navy this coming Saturday and most know this series’ history. Notre Dame had beaten Navy 43 consecutive times before the 2007 Midshipmen were able to win 46-44 at South Bend in three OTs. That was Clausen’s freshman year, although he did not play in the game. Notre Dame bounced back last year with a 27-21 win over Navy in Baltimore. Clausen completed 15-of-18 passes in that game, although he was hardly a factor with just 110 yards passing, as two of his three incompletions were intercepted. His season stats are: 172-of-257 (66.9) 2,318 yards 18 TDs 2 INTs (QB rating of 164.2 is No. 2 in the nation) / 1 Rush TD.

2) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 2. I mentioned last week that it would be a mistake to think that a QB from Houston can’t win the Heisman. Andre Ware became the first black QB to win the Heisman back in 1989 playing for a Houston team which was then part of the Southwest Conference AND was on probation, meaning the Cougars of 1989 never once played on TV. Keenum was 417 YPG passing but had a season-low 233 yards and just one TD pass in the Cougars’ 38-15 win over SMU on October 24. Keenum bounced back from that ‘off’ performance this past Saturday. Actually, that’s an understatement. The Cougars led Southern Miss 43-29 with under six minutes to go last Saturday but Southern Miss QB Young rallied the Golden Eagles with two TDs, the second coming with just 57 seconds remaining. Houston had to score to avoid overtime and didn’t even need all 57 seconds. Keenum went 5-for-5 in the final drive for 77 yards with his final completion being a 28-yard TD to Patrick Edwards with 21 seconds remaining. He finished the game 44-of-54 for a career-high 559 yards with five TDs and one INT (his other TD passes went for 33, 55, 14 and 17 yards). Keenum saw his run of 18 consecutive 300-yard passing games in the regular season end vs SMU but last week’s game vs Southern Miss means he’s topped 300 yards in 20 of his last 22 games (he’s got nine career 400-yard games) and he’s thrown for at least 360 yards in seven of his eight games in 2009. His five-TD game extended his school record to 24 straight games with a TD pass (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18) and now has 83 career TD passes at Houston. Houston is 7-1 and off to its best start since 1990 (that team finished 10-1) and is ranked 13th in the AP and 15th in the BCS standings. The UTEP loss back on October 3 ‘killed’ any chance the Cougars had of being this year’s “BCS buster” but they can still win C-USA’s West division this season. In order for that to happen, the Cougars will likely have to win this coming Saturday at Tulsa. The Cougars crushed the Golden Hurricane 70-30 last year in Houston (Keenum had 402 yards passing and six TD passes) but in Houston’s last visit to Tulsa (in 2007), the Cougars lost 56-7 (Keenum had 81 yards passing, zero TDs and one INT). To say the least, Saturday’s game is a HUGE ‘test!’ Keenum’s season stats are: 285-of-398 (71.6 percent) 3,293 yards 25 TDs 5 INTs / 3 Rush TDs.

3) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 3. As with all contenders, I’ll list Tebow’s stats at the end of the write-up but I’ll cut to the chase with this factoid. Tebow has attempted 153 passes in 2009, the same number of completions for Boise State’s Kellen Moore (ranked 5th). Clausen (No. 1) has 172 completions, McCoy (No. 4) 198 and Keenum (No. 2) 285. Will Tebow win a second Heisman even though his stats will fall far below his fellow competitors? The short answer is, probably yes. However, I’ll deal with that in December. For now, I’ll keep Tebow at No. 3 but clearly, a few more games like last Saturday and Tebow will be “moving on up,” quicker than George Jefferson. Top-ranked Florida beat the Georgia 41-17 last Saturday for its 17th win in the last 20 meetings between the SEC rivals. Tebow broke Herschel Walker’s SEC record for rushing TDs when he slipped up the middle and ran mostly untouched for a 23-yard score with 1:32 remaining in the first half. It was the 50th rushing TD of his career (Herschel had 49), as Tebow broke the mark in his hometown and maybe more fittingly, against Walker’s Bulldogs. Tebow also finished the first half with 63 yards rushing, breaking the SEC mark for career rushing yards by a QB, previously held by Arkansas’ Matt Jones who had 2,535 yards (Tebow now has run for 2,588 and 51 TDs). Tebow finished the game 15-of-21 for 164 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. He ran for 85 yards (18 carries) with two TDs. The ‘legend’ of Tebow will likely be impossible for Heisman voters to ignore. His place in CFB history is secure and a third national title (he was a part-time player when Florida won in 2006) and a second Heisman would likely give him the unofficial title of “CFB’s best-ever player.” His 128 TDs accounted for (rushing and passing combined) is an SEC record. He has thrown a TD pass in 34 of his last 36 games. Florida is the nation’s consensus No. 1 (AP and in all three components of the BCS) and owns the nation’s longest active wining streak with 18 consecutive wins. Florida has outscored its opponents 757-to-216 in that streak and Tebow has thrown 32 TDs with just six INTs during that stretch (26-4 ratio the last 14 games), while adding 18 rushing TDs. The Gators host Vanderbilt on Saturday, a school they’ve beaten 18 straight times. Tebow had five TDs in last year’s 42-14 win at Nashville (12-of-17 for 171 yards with three TDs and no INTs / 88 YR with two TDs) and a similar game could move him up in my poll. Tebow’s season stats are: 99-of-153 (64.7 percent) 1,323 yards 10 TDs 4 INTs / 139 carries 551 yards (4.0 YPC) 8 TDs.

4) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 4. The Longhorns only gained 275 yards at Stillwater last Saturday but won in dominating fashion, 41-14. Texas returned two INTs for TDs (77 and 31 yards) and Colt McCoy completed 16-of-21 passes for 171 yards with one TD and no INTs. He ran for a modest 34 yards on 11 carries. McCoy had a 34-8 ratio last year (just 15-8 in ‘09) and after topping 500 yards rushing in both of his sophomore and junior seasons (McCoy led Texas in rushing LY with 561 yards while scoring 11 TDs on the ground), has hardly run the ball at all in 2009 with less than 150 yards after eight games (see season stats below). McCoy finished second in last year’s Heisman race but he’ll need an extremely strong finish to finish that high again in 2009. His lone TD pass at Stillwater extended his school record to 25 straight games with at least one TD pass (has at least one TD pass in 34 of his last 35 games) and marked the 100th of his career. He continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 119 (Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). Texas has won 12 straight games (third-longest streak behind Florida and Iowa) and the win makes McCoy 40-7 as a starting QB at Texas (Young owned the previous record of 31 career wins at Texas). McCoy has passed Tennessee’s Peyton Manning (39 wins) and now only Georgia’s David Greene, who finished his college career as the winningest quarterback in NCAA Division I history with 42 wins in four years, is ahead of him. Texas’ win three weeks ago over Oklahoma made McCoy just the third Longhorn QB to own three career wins over Oklahoma (Bobby Layne and Peter Gardere are the others). Add it all up and this guy has a “Heisman-worthy” resume but he’ll likely fall short. However, the Longhorns control their destiny, as if they win-out, they are all but assured of a spot in the BCS title game (likely more important to Mccoy than the Heisman). Texas hosts Central Florida on Saturday and the Longhorns will not take the Knights lightly, as back in 2007 at Orlando, Texas ‘escaped’ with a 35-32 win (McCoy passed for 259 yards with one TD and one INT in that game, rushing for 40 yards on 10 carries). His season stats are: 198-of-275 (72.0 percent) 1,977 yards 15 TDs 8 INTs / 70 carries for 138 yards (2.0 YPC) 1 TD.

5) KELLEN MOORE (Boise State) Last Week: 5. Cincy’s Tony Pike, Todd Reesing of Kansas and Mark Ingram of Alabama have occupied this spot recently but I moved Moore into the ‘5-hole’ last week and will keep him there again this week. Moore threw a career-best five TD passes as Boise State beat Hawaii 54-9 two Saturdays ago and Moore entered last Saturday’s game with San Jose State as the nation’s most efficient passer. He maintained his No. 1 status by completing 21-of-33 passes for 278 yards with three TDs (zero INTs) and one rushing TD (Broncos won 45-7), before heading to the sidelines at the start of the fourth quarter. Boise State is now 106-17 since 2000, behind only Oklahoma (107-22) for the most wins this decade (Boise owns an .862 win percentage, better than OU’s .829). Moore is 20-1 as the Broncos’ starter, with that lone loss coming 17-16 in last year’s Poinsettia Bowl to TCU. Speaking of TCU, the Horned Frogs are once again standing in the Broncos’ way, as TCU is 6th in the most recent BCS standings while Boise State is 7th (only ONE can get that BCS bowl bid!) Moore owns five career 300-yard games (had a career high 414 yards last year vs Nevada) and after finishing with 3,486 yards (69.4 percent) last year (25-10 ratio), is well on his way to topping those totals in 2009. The Broncos will visit Ruston, La. on Friday night to take on the La Tech Bulldogs. Last year’s 38-3 win in Boise gives them seven straight wins in this series but La Tech is 32-15 SU at home this decade (Moore threw for 325 yards in LY’s game with two TDs and one INT). Moore’s season stats are: 153-of-227 (67.4 percent) 1,905 yards 24 TDs 2 INTs / QB rating of 171.0 is No. 1 in the nation / 1 Rush TD.

On the radar. Mark Ingram (Alabama) and Golden Tate (Notre Dame).

Good luck, Larry

When I woke up Monday morning at 6:00 AM my DSL was out and it didn’t come back up until 2:00 PM. About an hour later, my power went out for two hours. By that time I was into my third glass of wine, so I decided to postpone my Heisman Watch until Tuesday. I only bring this up because “my Monday” reminds me of the way this year’s Heisman ‘race’ has gone. Not much has gone as expected and all in all, it’s been a major disappointment.

The 2009 season opened with the last two Heisman winners (Tebow in 2007 and Bradford in 2008) both active, the first time that had ever happened. Colt McCoy, who finished second to Bradford in last year’s voting, was also back for his senior year and many felt we were in for one of the most compelling Heisman Trophy ‘races’ in history. This trio of QBs were expected to jockey for position on voters’ Heisman Trophy ballots, while their individual teams would be competing alll season long for the No. 1 ranking in the BCS standings.

However, Sam Bradford sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder back on September 5 and after sitting out a month, was done for the year after re-injuring his shoulder in 2009’s version of the Red River Rivalry. As for McCoy and Tebow, Florida is the nation’s consensus No. 1 team after eight weeks while Texas comes in No. 3, but neither QB has performed “up to snuff.”

While my internet was out on Monday (and before my power went out), I was reading USA Today and checked Kelly Whiteside’s Heisman Trophy contenders article. He listed eight contenders and said about Tebow’s chances this year, “It’s the 2007 winner’s trophy if he doesn’t continue to try to do too much and make costly mistakes as a result.” I’m not knocking Kelly, as his is the conventional wisdom but shouldn’t Tebow have to play at least ONE outstanding game in 2009 to become just the second player in CFB history to win two Heismans?

My latest Heisman watch (a day late but not a buck short) follows.

1) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 2. I’ve been saying all season that Tebow was not ‘locked in’ to the No. 1 spot in my poll every week and this is the week I prove it. The knock against Clausen early this season as he was piling up his impressive numbers was the quality of his competition. Clausen played an excellent game against USC two weeks ago (see my Oct 19th Heisman Watch) and this past Saturday helped Notre Dame end a six-game losing streak to Boston College. Clasuen threw an 11-yard TD pass to Golden Tate in the last minute of the first half to give Notre Dame a 13-9 lead and his second TD pass of the game to Tate came in the mid-fourth quarter, giving the Irish a 20-16 lead (it would be the final score). Clausen finished 26-of-39 for 246 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. Let’s look at what he’s done the last two weeks vs USC and Boston College, teams which beat Notre Dame by a combined score of 55-3 in 2008. After going 37-of-68 for just 267 yards with zero TDs and six INTs vs those two schools in 2008, Clausen’s stats vs those two teams in 2009 are, 50-of-82 for 506 yards with four TDs, zero INTs and a rushing TD. The maturation of Clausen has been dramatic considering he had just two 300-yard games in his 22 games prior to last year’s Hawaii Bowl. While last year’s Hawaii Bowl shouldn’t be factored into this year’s Heisman ‘race,’ it was the ‘launching pad’ for Clausen’s 2009 season. Clausen topped 300 yards passing in five of six games from the Hawaii Bowl and this year’s first five games (prior to his games vs USC and BC), averaging 324.2 YPG with 17 TDs and only two INTs! Notre Dame opened the 2009 season with a 35-0 win over Nevada but each game since has been highly competitive. Clausen has come through time after time in 2009 (although he did fail to get the Irish into the end zone in the final 30 seconds vs USC) and in what should now be a “wide open” Heisman race, is as reasonable a pick at No. 1 as anyone (at least for this week). The Irish get a ‘breather’ this week, taking on pathetic Washington State in San Antonio. Expect Clausen to get back on that “300-yard express” on Saturday. His season stats are: 150-of-230 (65.2) 2,050 yards 16 TDs 2 INTs (QB rating of 161.3 is No. 2 in the nation) / 1 Rush TD.

2) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 3. A QB from Houston can’t win the Heisman you say? Don’t tell Andre Ware that. He became the first black QB to win the Heisman back in 1989, playing for a Houston team which was then part of the Southwest Conference. Keenum’s Houston team plays in C-USA (a tougher ‘hill’ to climb) but let me remind everyone that Ware won the Heisman in a season in which his Houston team was on probation, meaning the Cougars of 1989 never once played on TV. Now that’s climbing a big hill. Getting back to 2009, Keenum entered last Saturday’s game averaging a nation’s best 417 YPG passing but had a season-low 233 yards and just one TD pass. However, it was more than enough for Houston to win 38-15 over SMU. The Cougars are currently ranked No. 15 in the AP poll and 18th in the latest BCS standings and will host Southern Miss this coming Saturday, facing the Golden Eagles for the first time since they beat them 34-20 in the 2006 C-USA title game (pre-Keenum). Keenum saw his run of 18 consecutive 300-yard passing games in the regular season end last Saturday (he’s topped 300 yards in 19 of his last 21 games) but he did extend his school record to 23 straight games with a TD pass (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18). Keenum’s 78 career TD passes ranks third on Houston’s all-time list. The UTEP loss back on October 3 ‘killed’ any chance the Cougars had of being this year’s “BCS buster” but they can still win C-USA’s West division this season and Keenum’s making a strong case of at least being invited to New York in December. His season stats are: 241-of-344 (70.1 percent) 2,734 yards 20 TDs 4 INTs / 3 Rush TDs

3) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 1. Tebow won’t come close to matching his 2007 numbers (his Heisman-winning season) or even the stats he put up last season when finishing third in the overall balloting (remember, Tebow garnered the most first-place votes of any contender last year). I mentioned in last week’s poll that Tebow had a “Heisman moment” in Florida’s game-winning drive at the end of its game with Arkansas. However, there were no Heisman moments in this past Saturday’s unimpressive 29-19 win at Mississippi St. His 26-yard TD in the first half did tie him with Herschel Walker for the most rushing TDs in SEC history (49) and ironically he’ll have a chance to break that record this coming Saturday in Jacksonville, against the Bulldogs (more on that later). While Tebow and the Gators had little trouble moving the ball outside the 20-yard line, when the Gators got close to the goal line, Tebow was pressured by MSU’s pass rushers and confused by its pass coverage. Tebow was picked off twice, marking the second time in his career he’s thrown two interceptions in a game. Worse yet, his first INT was returned 100 yards for a score in the late first half, turning what could have been a 20-3 Florida lead into a 13-10 game. His second interception, with Florida leading 29-13 in the fourth quarter, was also returned for a score, giving Miss St its final points. He finished 12-of-22 for 127 yards without a TD and those two INTs (also had 88 yards on 22 carries with one rushing TD). Florida won its 17th straight game (longest active winning streak in the nation) and its ninth straight on the road. The defense did its job (13 FDs and 237 yards allowed with zero offensive TDs) but Tebow has not been sharp since returning from the concussion he suffered against Kentucky. As already mentioned, Tebow’s 2009 numbers are underwhelming and his ‘before and after numbers” show six TD passes and just one INT through the Kentucky game but just two TDs and three INTs in the three games since. Tebow’s place in CFB history is secure and a third national title (he was a part-time player when Florida won in 2006) and a second Heisman would likely give him the unofficial title of “CFB’s best-ever player.” His 124 TDs accounted for (rushing and passing combined) is an SEC record and Saturday he will likely pass Herschel for the most TDs rushing in SEC history. He failed to throw a TD pass vs Miss St but has thrown one in 33 of his last 35 games. Florida has won 17 consecutive games with the Gators outscoring their opponents 716-to-199 in that span and Tebow throwing 30 TDs and just six INTs during that stretch (24-4 ratio the last 13 games), while adding 16 rushing TDs. The Gators lost their No. 1 ranking in the AP on October 18 but returned to No. 1 on the 25th. Florida never left the No. 1 spot in the Coaches’ and Harris polls and for the second straight week, top the all-important BCS standings. The Gators take on Georgia this Saturday in what’s billed as “the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party,” knowing they’ve beaten the Bulldogs in nine of the last 11 meetings and 16 of the last 19. Tebow’s beaten the Bulldogs 42-30 and 49-10 the last two years as Florida’s starting QB, throwing for 390 yards with three TDs and zero INTs plus also adding five rushing TDs. I doubt Tebow is interested in anything but a W in this game and of course, for a chance at that third national title. However, one would think he will need a few “big games” along the way to win a second Heisman but then again, maybe he won’t. For this week, I have him third. Tebow’s season stats are: 84-of-132 (63.6 percent) 1,159 yards 8 TDs 4 INTs / 121 carries 466 yards (3.9 YPC) 6 TDs.

4) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 4. Texas head coach Mack Brown told reporters that McCoy had been “off his game” in recent weeks. However, McCoy got it all back together against Missouri this past Saturday. McCoy had just one TD pass in each of the previous two games and was a bit of a question mark earlier in the week due to a bruised right thumb but he completed his first 11 passes and produced TDs on Texas’ first three drives. Texas jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter on its way to a 41-7 win. McCoy finished 26-of-31 for 269 yards with three TDs and one INT. “Colt has had a very tough year,” coach Mack Brown said. “He’s been sick, he’s been hurt, but he’s tough. We’ve got the Colt of old back now and ready to make the stretch run.” McCoy had a 34-8 ratio last year (just 14-8 in ‘09) and after topping 500 yards rushing in both of his sophomore and junior seasons (McCoy led Texas in rushing LY with 561 yards while scoring 11 TDs on the ground), has hardly run the ball at all in 2009 (104 yards / 1.8 YPC). Can Colt win this year’s Heisman? He can with a strong finish that needs to start with a visit to Stillwater this Saturday. With three TD passes on Saturday, McCoy has now thrown a TD pass in a school-record 24 straight games and 33 of his last 34. He continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 118 (Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). McCoy’s “on-target” performance vs the Tigers gave Texas its 11th straight win and makes McCoy 39-7 as a starting QB at Texas (Young owned the previous record of 31 career wins at Texas), tying him with Tennessee’s Peyton Manning for second in all-time career NCAA victories. Texas’ win two weeks ago over Oklahoma made McCoy just the third Longhorn QB to own three career wins over Oklahoma (Bobby Layne and Peter Gardere are the others). Add it all up and this guy has a “Heisman-worthy” resume, with room to spare. McCoy’s beaten the Cowboys in each of his first three tries but the last two have not come easy. The Cowboys “hung tough” with the Longhorns all game in last year’s meeting at Austin, with Texas prevailing 28-24 (McCoy passed for 391 yards with two TDs and a rushing TD). In the 2007 season at Stillwater, the Cowboys led the Longhorns 35-14 into the fourth quarter but Texas came back to win 38-35. McCoy had 282 yards with a TD but threw three INTs (ran for 106 yards). As a freshman in 2006, McCoy passed for 346 yards with three TDs (zero INTs) in a 36-10 Texas rout. What’s in store this Saturday? We’ll see. McCoy’s season stats are: 182-of-254 (71.7 percent) 1,806 yards 14 TDs 8 INTs / 59 carries for 104 yards (1.8 YPC) 1 TD.

5) KELLEN MOORE (Boise State) Last Week: NR. I had Cincy’s Tony Pike in this spot three weeks ago, Todd Reesing of Kansas two weeks ago and Mark Ingram of Alabama last week. Ingram ran for only 99 yards on 18 carries last week plus fumbled late in the fourth quarter, allowing the Vols back in the game. As most know, the Tide ‘escaped’ with a 12-10 win when Terrence Cody, Alabama’s 350-pound nose guard, blocked a 44-yard FG attempt on the final play of the game. Ingram is still “on the radar” but why not give Boise State’s Kellen Moore a week (or more) at the No. 5 spot? Moore threw a career-best five TD passes as Boise State beat Hawaii 54-9 late last Saturday night. Ironically, it did little to help the Broncos, who fell from No. 4 in the first BCS standings to No. 7 in this past Sunday’s second edition. More importantly, TCU leap-frogged Boise, going from No. 8 to No. 6. Just one non-BCS school can get a BCS bowl bid and assuming both Boise and TCU win-out, that lone BCS berth will come down to decimal points. Boise State is now 105-17 since 2000, behind only Oklahoma (106-22) for the most wins this decade (Boise owns an .861 win percentage, better than OU’s .828). Moore is 19-1 as the Broncos’ starter, with that lone loss coming 17-16 in last year’s Poinsettia Bowl to TCU (there are those pesky Horned Frogs again). Moore owns five career 300-yard games (had a career high 414 yards last year vs Nevada) and after finishing with 3,486 yards (69.4 percent) last year (25-10 ratio), is well on his way to topping those totals in 2009. The Broncos will host San Jose State on Saturday, looking to extend their home winning streak of 22 in a row. Note that Boise is 59-2 SU at home this decade, losing only to Washington State in 2001 and to Boston College 27-21 in the MPC Computers Bowl following the 2005 season (a game played on the famed “blue turf”). Moore’s season stats are: 132-of-195 (67.7 percent) 1,627 yards 21 TDs 2 INTs / QB rating of 171.3 is No. 1 in the nation).

On the radar. Mark Ingram (Alabama), Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan) and Golden Tate (Notre Dame).

Good luck, Larry

The 2009 season began with all three of last year’s Heisman top vote-getters active. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) was the ‘08 winner, Colt McCoy (Texas) was the runner-up and Tim Tebow (Florida) finished third but garnered the most first-place votes (not to mention being the ‘07 Heisman winner). This year’s Heisman ‘race’ seemed certain to be limited to a three-man field. So much for “best laid plans.”

Bradford threw for a school-record 4,720 yards and led the nation with 50 TD passes in 2008 but sprained an AC joint in his throwing shoulder at the end of the first half in a game vs BYU on September 5. He would miss the next three games but return vs Baylor on October 10, passing for 389 yards on 49 attempts, which matched the second-most he’d thrown for in his career.

However, Bradford’s college career at Oklahoma may be over after absorbing another setback on Saturday against the Longhorns. Texas CB Aaron Williams was unblocked on a blitz, grabbing Bradford by the waist and jerking him down while Bradford was running backwards. He landed on his shoulder and began writhing in pain right away.

As for Colt McCoy, he banged his thumb on his passing hand against the helmet of an Oklahoma player during the first quarter but insisted that had nothing to do with throws that at times were wildly inaccurate. He was only 21-of-39 for 127 yards with a pair of turnovers within 10 yards of the end zone. He also got away with two passes that could have been intercepted (and perhaps returned for TDs) late in the first half.

That leaves Tebow, whose No. 1 Gators escaped with a 23-20 win over unranked Arkansas in “The Swamp.” The Gators had three turnovers on consecutive possessions in the first half, including two fumbles by Tebow. Just about everything that could go wrong for the Gators did. The offense had four turnovers, missed a FG and scored just once in its first four trips inside the 20-yard line against an Arkansas D which entered the game with the SEC’s worst-rated defense.

So where does the Heisman ‘chase’ stand now? My latest Heisman Watch follows.

1) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 1. I touched on the Florida negatives in the introduction but one could argue that Tebow had a “Heisman moment” in Florida’s game-winning drive at the end of the game. Tebow directed that 69-yard drive beautifully in the final minutes, setting up Caleb Sturgis’ 27-yard FG with nine seconds remaining, giving Florida the 23-20 win. He threw for 30 yards and ran for 22 on the drive with three plays standing out, his 12-yard pass to Riley Cooper on third down (Cooper fell down, then caught the ball on one knee) plus consecutive runs that gained 16 yards and put Sturgis well within his comfort zone for the game-winning FG. Tebow finished 17-of-26 for a season-high 255 yards with one TD and zero INTs in the game. He added 69 yards rushing on 27 carries. The lone TD pass covered 77 yards and represents his career-long. The TD pass also gave him 123 TDs accounted for (rushing and passing combined) all-time, breaking Danny Wuerffel’s SEC record. He’s just one career rushing TD away (with 48) from tying Herschel for the all-time lead in the SEC (Herschel had 49). He’s now thrown a TD pass in 33 of his last 34 games, as Florida won its 16th in a row (longest active winning streak). The Gators have outscored their opponents 687-to-180 in that span with Tebow throwing 30 TDs and just four INTs during that stretch (24-2 ratio the last 12 games), while adding 15 rushing TDs. The Gators lost their No. 1 ranking in the AP on Sunday (’Bama is now No. 1) but in the all-important first BCS standings of the 2009 season, edged the Tide with Texas getting the third-place spot. A Florida/Alabama showdown in the SEC championship game almost seems like a foregone conclusion and if Texas can remain unbeaten, the Longhorns would likely play the SEC winner in the BCS title game (I’m getting ahead of myself). The Gators visit Starkville this Saturday to take on Miss St, as Tebow faces the Bulldogs for the first time in his career (schools haven’t played since 2005). Tebow’s season stats are: 72-of-110 (65.5 percent) 1,032 yards 8 TDs 2 INTs / 99 carries 378 yards (3.8 YPC) 5 TDs.

2) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 3. The only knock against Clausen this year was “quality of competition.” Saturday’s showdown with USC was Clausen’s chance to prove his outstanding start in 2009 was no fluke. Clausen was just 3-of-10 in the first half and when Joe McKnight scored with 13 1/2 minutes to go in the game, the Trojans led the Irish, 34-14 (bye-bye Heisman hopes). However, Clausen came alive after that, quickly taking Notre Dame on a 68-yard TD drive, capping it with his first rushing TD of the season. USC freshman QB Barkley then threw an INT and on a 3rd-and-12 play, Clausen connected on a 15-yard TD pass (34-27 USC). The Irish got the ball back on their own 22 and Clausen led them to a 1st-and-goal at the USC four-yard line but threw three incompletions to end the game. All-in-all, Clausen deserves an A-minus, completing 24-of-43 for 260 yards with two TDs, zero INTs and a rush TD, despite his poor start and suffering five sacks. Clausen had topped 300 yards in four of his five games in 2009 and five of his previous six if one were to include his 401-yard, five-TD performance in last year’s Hawaii Bowl. The maturation of Clausen has been dramatic, considering he had just two 300-yard games in his first 22 games. Note that last year he was 11-of-22 for 41 yards with two INTs in Notre Dame’s 38-0 loss at USC. Clausen proved to be a “real Heisman candidate” against USC and we’ll see how the rest of the season plays out. The Irish host Boston College on Saturday, a school which has beaten them the last six meetings. Clausen has a lot to prove, as in last year’s 17-0 loss at Chestnut Hill, he completed 26-of-46 passes for 226 yards but threw four INTs! His season stats are: 124-of-191 (64.9 percent) 1,804 yards 14 TDs and 2 INTs / 1 Rush TD.

3) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 4. I noted earlier that Tebow had a season-high 255 yards passing this past Saturday. In comparison, Case Keenum had a season-low 334 yerds passing in Saturday’s 44-16 win at Tulane. The Cougars led just 9-6 at the half but continued to extend the lead in the second half with both of Keenum’s TD passes coming in the fourth quarter. He would finish 30-of-43 for 334 yards with two TDs and not a single interception (he had averaged 468.3 YPG in the air the previous three games). While Keenum’s 334 passing yards were his lowest of the season, he extended his run of 300-yard games to 18 straight in the regular season (he’s topped 300 yards in 19 of his last 20 games) and has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 22 consecutive games (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18). Speaking of Ware, Keenum’s two TD passes give him 77 in his career, moving out of a tie with Ware and leaving him third on Houston’s all-time list. The UTEP loss back on October 3 ‘killed’ any chance the Cougars had of being this year’s “BCS buster” but they can still win C-USA’s West division this season. A home game with SMU is up next (Oct 24), a school the Cougars beat 44-38 last year in Dallas. However, this is a “new year” for the Mustangs, as they enter 3-3 overall (2-0 in C-USA) in June Jones’ second season, after going 1-11 in each of the two previous seasons (0-16 in C-USA). Houston trailed 35-23 in last year’s game heading into the fourth quarter before Keenum engineered the comeback. Trailing 38-36, the Cougars got the ball at their own 15 with 1:58 left but Keenum was 5-of-6 on an eight-play drive, capping it with a TD pass with 24 seconds remaining. He finished 28-of-36 for 404 yards with two TDs, one INT and a rushing TD. Keenum’s stats are: 213-of-305 (69.8 percent) 2,464 yards 19 TDs 4 INTs / 3 rush TDs.

4) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 2. While Tebow and the Gators were edging the Razorbacks 23-20, McCoy and the Longhorns edged the Sooners, 16-13. It was sloppy game by both teams and of course Bradford went out early in the first quarter. McCoy banged his thumb on his passing hand against the helmet of an Oklahoma player during the first quarter as well, but insisted that it didn’t affect his performance. He was only 21-of-39 for 127 yards with a pair of turnovers within 10 yards of the end zone. He also got away with two passes that could have been intercepted (and perhaps returned for TDs) late in the first half. The 127 yards passing were a season-low and the second-fewest of his college career, next to him going 7-of-8 for 124 yards in the third game of his freshman season in a 52-7 in over Rice ((I’m no counting the game at Kansas St in late 2006 when he was KO’d in the first quarter after going 4-of-4 for 51 yards with a rushing TD). McCoy is not coming close to matching his stats from last year, in particular his TD-to-INT ratio (34-8 LY but just 11-7 so far in ‘09) and his rushing yards. McCoy topped 500 yards rushing in both ‘07 and ‘08, leading Texas in rushing in 2008 with 561 yards while scoring 11 TDs (has yet to reach 100 YR after six games in ‘09 and is averaging just 1.9 YPC with one TD!). McCoy’s “biggest play” vs Oklahoma came defensively. With the Longhorns leading 16-13 and facing a third-and-2 at the Oklahoma, McCoy was intercepted at the Oklahoma nine-yard line but made a game-saving tackle on the pickoff return at the Oklahoma 31. After his defense got him the ball back, McCoy managed to grind out the final 3:31, giving Texas the win and making McCoy just the third Longhorn QB to own three career wins over Oklahoma (Bobby Layne and Peter Gardere are the others). McCoy drops to No. 4 in my poll this week but could easily move back up. He owns countless single-season and career marks at Texas, which I’ll document (and update) throughout the year. McCoy has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 23 straight games and the win vs Oklahoma was his 38th as a starting QB (Vince Young won 31, which was previous school-high). McCoy also continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 115 (Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). I would imagine that McCoy would gladly give up any Heisman hopes for a chance to play in the BCS title game. To ensure that, the Longhorns need to win-out. They play the next two games on the road, this Saturday at Missouri and then October 31 at Stillwater. Texas crushed the Tigers last year 56-31 in Austin (led 35-3 at the half) with McCoy completely outplaying Missouri QB Chase Daniel in that game. He completed 29-of-32 passes for 337 yards with two TDs and zero INTs (also added two rushing TDs). McCoy could use a similar effort here, to regain some Heisman momentum. His season stats are: 156-of-223 (70.0 percent) 1,537 yards 11 TDs 7 INTs / 48 carries for 91 yards (1.9 YPC) 1 TD.

5) MARK INGRAM (Alabama) Last Week: NR. I had Cincy’s Tony Pike in this spot two weeks ago and Todd Reesing last week. Pike injured his wrist in Cincy’s 34-17 win at USF (Bearcats were still waiting for word Monday on whether he will be able to play with his forearm injury) and while Reesing had an excellent game at Colorado (30-of-51 for 401 yards with two TDs and one INT), his then-No. 17 Jayhawks (now No. 24) were upset by the Buffs, 34-30. That left me searching for a new No. 5 and why not Alabama RB Mark Ingram? How much of a long shot was Ingram at the beginning of the year? Well consider that in Phil Steele’s CFB annual (page 328), he listed nine Heisman favorites, 11 more “contenders,” 28 “possibilities” and 19 “darkhorses.” None of those 66 players were named Mark Ingram! Alabama ‘jumped’ over Florida in the AP poll on Sunday but the coaches’ poll, Harris poll and computers all had Florida No. 1, giving the Gators the No. 1 spot in this year’s first BCS standings (Alabama was No. 2). Ingram had a modest 728 yards rushing last year (just one 100-yard game), as Glen Coffee led Alabama’s rushing attack in 2008 with 1,383 yards (5.9 YPC / 10 TDs). However, Ingram opened the 2009 season with an outstanding game vs Va Tech, rushing for 150 yards and a TD in Alabama’s 34-24 win. After three so-so games, the sophomore has run for 140 vs Kentucky, 172 at Ole Miss and last Saturday vs South Carolina ran for a career-high 246 yards. Since dropping Jahvid Best after his and Cal’s back-to-back awful performances against Oregon and USC, I welcome a RB back into the Heisman-field. Here’s something to note regarding Ingram that surely makes him worthy of being on the list. He’s run for at least one TD in all seven games this year, in 10 of his last 11 games and in 16 of his 21 career games. He’s handled the ball 304 times in his 21-game career at Alabama (rushing and receiving) and has yet to lose a fumble. Alabama hosts Tennessee this coming Saturday and wanna bet that Ingram improves on his performance in last year’s game at Knoxville? This may help your decision. Ingram ran just four times for one yard in the 29-9 win. His season stats are: 135 carries 905 yards (6.7 YPC 8 TDs / 19 catches 186 yards (9.8 YPC) 3 TDs.

Good luck, Larry

October 10th could have been dubbed “Saturday Night Live” in CFB. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford had missed the last month with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder but made his return by completing 27-of-49 passes for 389 yards and a TD. The 49 passes attempts matched the second most of his career and the 300-yard effort was the 14th 300-yard passing game of his career. That matches the school record set by 2000 Heisman runner-up Josh Heupel. Oklahoma’s 33-7 win against Baylor extended its school-record home win streak to 27 games and set up next week’s rivalry game against now-No. 3 Texas.

With all due respect to last year’s Heisman winner, the biggest story this past Saturday night was Tim Tebow’s return to the field after suffering a concussion at Kentucky back on September 26. The day began with Tebow’s status uncertain for what was billed as the defending national champs’ toughest regular-season test. By the time it was over, Tebow “was back” (more on that below) and Florida had won its 15th straight game (13-3), while LSU saw its 32-game winning streak in Saturday night home games snapped.

Completing the Saturday night ‘picture,’ Texas and Colt McCoy beat Colorado 38-14. However, McCoy had two turnovers and the Longhorns were held to 313 yards, their lowest output of the season and 200 yards below their average. The preseason “Big Three” of Heisman contenders are all now back on the field with Bradford and McCoy preparing for this coming Saturday’s Red River Rivalry in Dallas on October 17. My latest Heisman Watch follows.

1) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 1. As if anyone doubted he wouldn’t “answer the bell,” Tim Tebow took the field last Saturday night in Baton Rogue. I wrote in last week’s column, “Assuming Tebow is all right to return for Saturday’s date in Baton Rogue, the concussion he suffered will just add to his legend.” After a conservative start, Tebow was bouncing off tacklers, scrambling away from pass rushers and generally looked like the guy Florida fans have grown to love and SEC defenses have not quite figured out how to stop. Florida’s offense struggled to finish off drives which kept LSU in the game and Florida’s 13-3 win marked the fewest points the Gators have scored in a winning game since Meyer took over in 2005. Tebow completed 11-of-16 passes for 134 yards with one TD (he’s now thrown a TD pass in 32 of his last 33 games) and an interception. He ran for 38 yards on 17 carries without scoring. These are not Heisman-like numbers but I’m sure Tebow would win this year’s Heisman in a landslide if the voting were done today. Tebow’s a unique talent, an inspirational leader, a great kid and is on pace to be the most-honored player in college football history (could be a three-time national champion and a two-time Heisman winner). The Gators have won 15 straight games (longest active in CFB), having outscored their opponents 664-to-160 in that span with Tebow throwing 29 TDs and just four INTs during that stretch (23-2 ratio the last 11 games), while adding 15 rushing TDs. He’s got 48 rushing TDs in his career, second all-time in the SEC (Herschel leads with 49). As long as the Gators continue to win, Tebow will be hard to unseat as the Heisman-favorite. It’s Homecoming for the Gators this coming Saturday when they face Arkansas. The Gators did not play Arkansas in 2007 (Tebow’s Heisman year) and in last year’s 38-7 win at Fayetteville, Tebow was a modest 17-of-26 for 217 yards with two TDs and one INT (32 YR without a score). Can Tebow win the 2009 season without at least a few “great games?” Maybe so? Tebow’s season stats are: 55-of-84 (65.5 percent) 777 yards 7 TDs 2 INTs / 72 carries 309 yards (4.3 YPC) 5 TDs.

2) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 2. While Tebow and the Gators were winning at LSU 13-3, Colt McCoy and the Longhorns won 38-14 vs Colorado. However, they were held to 313 yards, their lowest output of the season and 200 yards below their average. McCoy completed 82.1 percent of his passes (32-of-39) for 265 yards with one TD but had one INT and lost a fumble. After opening with back-to-back 300-yard games, McCoy has averaged 252 YPG through the air over his last three games. He’s on pace to pass for about as many yards as last year but his TD-to-INT ratio of 10-6 through five games leaves he way short of last year’s 34-8 ratio. Also, after rushing for 510 yards (4.5 YPC) as a sophomore and for a team-high 561 yards (4.1 YPC plus 11 TDs) last year, MCCoy has been a non-factor running the ball in 2009 (just 58 yards with one TD). He owns countless single-season and career marks at Texas, which I’ll document (and update) throughout the year. Here goes. McCoy has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 22 straight games and his 95 career TD passes are also best in Texas history. The win vs Colorado was his 37th as a starting QB (Vince Young won 31, which was previous school-high). McCoy also continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 114 (Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). Can McCoy catch Tebow in the Heisman race? He almost has to be great this Saturday vs Oklahoma and the Longhorns must win for him to have a realistic chance. In the Oklahoma game last year, McCoy led the Longhorns on four straight second-half scoring drives (three TDs and one FG), as Texas rallied from a 28-20 deficit to a 45-35 win (he finished 28-of-35 for 277 yards with one TD and no INTs). Of course, McCoy could always count on the Gators losing a game or two. McCoy’s season stats are: 135-of-184 (73.4 percent) 1,410 yards 10 TDs 6 INTs / 34 carries for 58 yards (1.7 YPC) 1 TD.

3) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 4. The Fighting Irish opened the 2009 season with a 35-0 win over Nevada. However, each of their last four games have been decided in the final minute. Michigan’s Tate Forcier threw a five-yard TD pass with 11 seconds remaining to beat the Irish 38-34 back on September 12 and Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4-yard line with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame’s 33-30 win over Michigan State on September 19. Jimmy Clausen threw a two-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph with 24.8 seconds to play to give Notre Dame a 24-21 win over Purdue on September 26 and then on October 3, the Irish beat Washington 37-30 in OT. Clausen told reporters that his turf toe injury is something that he’ll have to deal with the rest of the season but he then went out and completed 23-of-31 for a career-high 422 yards with two TDs and one INT. Notre Dame stayed in the game with a pair of goal-line stands in the second half (allowed three points) and Clausen’s 12-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph with 80 seconds left gave Notre Dame a 30-27 lead. The Huskies sent the game to OT with a 37-yard FG with six seconds remaining in regulation but after the Irish scored on a one-yard TD in the first OT, safeties Harrison Smith and Kyle McCarthy jarred the ball loose from Washington receiver D’Andre Goodwin near the goal line on fourth-and-19 as Notre Dame came away with its first OT win in the Charlie Weis era (had been 0-3). Clausen has now topped 300 yards in four of five games in 2009 and five of six if one were to include his 401-yard, five-TD performance in last year’s Hawaii Bowl. Note the maturation of Clausen, who had just two 300-yard games in his first 22 games. While last year’s Hawaii Bowl doesn’t count, it was the ‘launching pad’ for Clausen’s 2009 season, as he’s averaged 324.2 YPG with 17 TDs and only two INTs since that 49-21 win. His QB rating of 179.3 remains the best of any QB among FBS schools. Of course the knock on Clausen’s stats is that Hawaii finished just 7-7 last year and Notre Dame’s four wins in 2009 have come over Nevada, Michigan St, Purdue and Washington. Notre Dame (now ranked 25th in the AP) was idle this past Saturday but on October 17 will host No. 6 USC, which has beaten the Irish seven straight times. The Trojans won 38-0 last year in the Coliseum with Clausen completing 11-of-22 for 41 yards with two INTs. Is Clausen a “real Heisman candidate?” We’ll find out. His season stats are: 100-of-143 yards (67.6 percent) 1,544 yards 12 TDs and 2 INTs.

4) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 3. Houston was coming off a loss to UTEP that knocked the Cougars from their first top-25 ranking in 18 years. The Cougars got off to a slow start at Mississippi State last Saturday, as the Bulldogs intercepted Keenum twice, returning one for a 71-yard TD. The Cougars would finish the game with 553 yards in total offense but were tied 17-17 going into the fourth quarter. Keenum capped a 78-yard drive with a three-yard scoring pass to put Houston ahead 24-17 but the Bulldogs came right back and seemingly tied the score when Anthony Dixon scored on a TD run with 4:57 left. However, a holding penalty nullified the TD and a fumble by Tyson Lee gave the ball back to Houston. Keenum threw his 4th TD pass (an 18-yarder) less than a minute later, putting the Cougars up 31-17. The final was 31-24 and Houston’s back in the top-25 at No. 23. Keenum finished 39-of-52 for 434 yards (his third straight 400-yard game and 8th of his career) with four TDs and two INTs. He completed 51-of-76 passes (seven shy of the FBS record set by Drew Brees) for a career-high 536 yards with five TDs and not a single INT in those 76 attempts against UTEP but the Cougars lost, 58-41. Did that one game lose Keenum a chance to seriously compete for an invite to New York? I think not, although a second loss would be a ‘killer.’ Keenum topped 300 yards in each of Houston’s 12 regular season games last year (five times topping 400 yards), before throwing for “just” 256 yards (one TD, one INT and two rushing TDs) in the Cougars’ 34-28 Armed Forces Bowl win over Air Force. He’s now extended his run of 300-yard games to 17 straight in the regular season (he’s topped 300 yards in 18 of his last 19) and has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 21 consecutive games (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18). The UTEP loss ‘killed’ any chance the Cougars had of being this year’s “BCS buster” but they can still win C-USA’s West division. Keenum and Houston visit Tulane on Saturday, a school they’ve beaten six straight times. Keenum threw for 384 yards with four TDs and one INT in last year’s 42-14 win over Tulane but at Tulane in 2007 (in just the second game of his career), was just 13-of-21 for 185 yards with one TD and two INTs. Keenum could have 185 yards by halftime this year. I doubt any QB will match Keenum’s passing stats in 2009 (surely not Tebow) but the Heisman won’t be awarded on just stats. Keenum’s stats are: 183-of-262 (69.8 percent) 2,130 yards 17 TDs 4 INTs / 3 rush TDs.

5) TODD REESING (Kansas) Last Week: NR. I had Cincy’s Tony Pike in this spot last week and he could be back in after his 8th-ranked Bearcats take on No. 21 South Florida this coming Thursday night in Tampa. However, I’ll put Todd Reesing in the five-hole this week, after the senior threw for a career-high 442 yards (2nd career 400-yard game) in the Jayhawks’ 41-36 win over Iowa State (was 37-of-49 with four TDs and one INT). Reesing came out of nowhere in 2007 to lead Kansas to 11 straight wins before losing to Missouri in its season-finale to Missouri, costing the Jayhawks a spot in the Big 12 title game. The Jaywaks did however, beat Va Tech in the Orange Bowl to finish 12-1. Reesing threw for 3,486 (61.8%) with 33 TDs and just seven INTs in 2007. He followed by throwing for 3,888 yards (66.5%) with 32 TDs and 13 INTs last year, as the Jaywhawks finished 8-5 after a 42-21 Insight Bowl win over Minnesota. Last Saturday’s win over Iowa St gives Kansas a 5-0 start in 2009 (ranked No. 17 in the AP) and as for Reesing, he seems to be peaking. He opened by throwing for 208 and 260 yards in the season’s first two games but has had 338, 331 and now 442 yards the last three games (three-game average of 370.3 YPG). He has 16 career 300-yard passing games with 81 career TD passes and just 26 INTs. The Jayhawks travel to Colorado this Saturday. Reesing’s first career start came vs Colorado back in 2006 and while he’s 3-0 vs the Buffs, his stats are rather ordinary (54-of-74 for 515 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT). Reesing will have plenty of chances to prove he belongs in the Heisman discussion after this weekend, as the Jayhawks still have games with Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Texas and Missouri to come. Reesing’s season stats are: 133-of-192 (69.3 percent) 1,579 yards 13 TDs 3 INTs / 3 rush TDs.

On the radar: Cincy QB Tony Pike (for more, see LW’s Heisman Watch with Pike ranked No. 5) and his teammate WR Mardy Gilyard. He has 38 receptions, including seven TDs (tied for the most in FBS). He also averages 166.4 all-purpose yards which ranks him 13th in the nation. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (self-explanatory / see intro).

Off the radar: RB Noel Devine of West Virginia ranked third in the nation with 135.0 YPG on the ground (7.4 YPC / 6 TDs) after a career-high 220 yards rushing in West Va’s 35-24 win over Colorado on October 1 (his first carry went for a 77-yard score and was his FBS-leading fifth carry of 70 or more yards over the last three seasons). However, he followed this past Saturday by gaining just 91 yards in a 34-13 win at Syracuse. RB Darius Marshall of Marshall entered last weekend No. 1 in the nation in rushing with 159.8 YPG (7.0 YPC / 7 TDs) and in all-purpose yards (235.8 per game). While Marshall won 31-10 at Tulane, Marshall had his first sub-100-yard game of 2009 with 98 yards.

Good luck, Larry

The 2009 Heisman race opened with Bradford, McCoy and Tebow all alone in a three-man contest. However, Bradford went down with an injury on September 5 (has yet to return). McCoy has been less than spectacular (although he’s been very good) and while Tebow’s been Tebow, he suffered that concussion against Kentucky on September 26. RB Jahvid Best of Cal was the most likely ‘party-crasher’ heading into the season but he’s no longer a serious candidate (see below).

The good news is, that over the next two weekends, the Heisman ‘picture’ will take shape, as Flordia visits No. 4 LSU this Saturday, Texas takes on Oklahoma in Dallas on October 17 and Notre Dame hosts USC the same day. My latest Heisman Watch appears below.

1) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 1. Tebow is reading, watching television, attending class, studying film and doing just about everything else he was before his concussion.However, he isn’t yet practicing as of Monday. Florida coach Urban Meyer said Monday that Tebow is no longer dealing with post-concussion symptoms but that his star player has not been cleared to return to the field or play against No. 4 LSU on Saturday night. Assuming Tebow is all right and ready to return for Saturday’s date in Baton Rogue, the concussion he suffered will just “add to his legend.” Tebow’s a unique talent, an inspirational leader, a great kid and is on pace to be the most-honored player in college football history (could be a three-time national champion and a two-time Heisman winner). He only completed 5-of-10 passes for 103 yards (one TD / 0 INTs) in Florida’s 41-7 win at Kentucky on September 26 but he did add 123 yards rushing (16 carries) and two TDs before his injury. He only topped 100 yards rushing once last year (with 122 yards in the BCS title game vs Oklahoma) but did top 100 yards rushing twice in his Heisman-winning season of 2007 (had 895 YR and 23 TDs that year). The Gators will enter Saturday’s game with the nation’s longest active winning streak with 14 consecutive victories (11-1 ATS). They have outscored their opponents 651-to-157 in that span with Tebow throwing 28 TDs and just three INTs during that stretch (22-1 ratio the last 10 games), while adding 15 rushing TDs. His two rushing TDs against Kentucky gave him 48 in his career, second all-time in the SEC (Herschel leads with 49). As long as the Gators continue to win, Tebow will be hard to unseat as the Heisman-favorite. I’m not “locked-in” to placing him first every week in my Heisman Watch but just who else would you place No. 1? The Gators beat the Tigers 51-21 last year in Gainesville but in 2007, lost at LSU 28-24 (Tebow was 12-of-26 for 158 yards with two TDs and one INT / 67 rush yards and one TD). Tebow’s season stats are: 44-of-68 (64.7 percent) 643 yards 6 TDs 1 INT / 55 carries 271 yards (4.9 YPC) 5 TDs.

2) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 2. Two weekends ago, Colt McCoy saw the Heisman front-runner get hurt (Tebow) and the top RB in the Heisman field (Cal’s Jahvid Best) have a horrible game at Oregon. Like Tebow’s Gators, McCoy’s Longhorns were idle this past Saturday but Best is OUT of the Heisman running for good, as his Bears were manhandled for the second consecutive Saturday, this time at home by USC. The Trojans embarrassed the Bears 30-3 at Berkeley with Best being held to 47 yards (14 carries) after gaining just 55 yards (16 carries) at Oregon. Bye-bye Jahvid. As for McCoy, he threw three first-half TD passes and the Longhorns rolled to a 40-point lead by halftime on September 26 against UTEP. The Longhorns would cruise to a 64-7 win over the Miners. McCoy finished with 286 yards on 28-of-35 for 286 yards with three TDs and one INT (had 15 yards rushing on four carries, as well). McCoy will have little trouble topping Tebow in the statistical ‘war’ but it’s the public perception ‘battle’ which he must win. McCoy began his senior season with an impressive “body of work.” He completed an NCAA single-season record 76.7 percent of his passes last year for 3,859 yards (34 TDs / 8 INTs). He also led the Longhorns in rushing (561 yards / 4.1 YPC / 11 TDs) in 2008. He owns countless single-season and career marks at Texas, which I’ll document (and update) throughout the year. Here goes. McCoy has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 21 straight games and his three TD passes gives him 94 in his career, a school record he already owned. The win vs UTEP was his 36th as a starting QB (Vince Young won 31). McCoy also continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 113 (Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). The Longhorns host a struggling Colorado team this Saturday, one they beat 38-14 at Boulder last year (McCoy was 23-of-30 for 262 yards with two TDs and two INTs). McCoy could use some big numbers this Saturday, setting up the team’s Red River Shootout vs Oklahoma on October 17. McCoy’s season stats are: 103-of-145 (71.0 percent) 1,145 yards 9 TDs 5 INTs / 28 carries for 61 yards (2.2 YPC) 1 TD.

3) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 4. The Fighting Irish opened the 2009 season with a 35-0 win over Nevada. However, each of their last four games have been decided in the final minute. Michigan’s Tate Forcier threw a five-yard TD pass with 11 seconds remaining to beat the Irish 38-34 back on September 12 and Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4-yard line with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame’s 33-30 win over Michigan State on September 19. Jimmy Clausen threw a two-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph with 24.8 seconds to play to give Notre Dame a 24-21 win over Purdue two Saturdays ago and then this past Saturday, the Irish beat Washington 37-30 in OT. Clausen told reporters this past Wednesday that his turf toe injury is something that he’ll have to deal with the rest of the season but he then went out and completed 23-of-31 for a career-high 422 yards with two TDs and one INT. Notre Dame stayed in the game with a pair of goal-line stands in the second half (allowed three points) and Clausen’s 12-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph with 80 seconds left gave Notre Dame a 30-27 lead. The Huskies sent the game to OT with a 37-yard FG with six seconds remaining in regulation but after the Irish scored on a one-yard TD in the first OT, safeties Harrison Smith and Kyle McCarthy jarred the ball loose from Washington receiver D’Andre Goodwin near the goal line on fourth-and-19 as Notre Dame came away with its first OT win in the Charlie Weis era (had been 0-3). Clausen has now topped 300 yards in four of five games in 2009 and five of six if one were to include his 401-yard, five-TD performance in last year’s Hawaii Bowl. Note the maturation of Clausen, who had just two 300-yard games in his first 22 games. While last year’s Hawaii Bowl doesn’t count, it was the ‘launching pad’ for Clausen’s 2009 season, as he’s averaged 324.2 YPG with 17 TDs and only two INTs since that 49-21 win. Of course the knock on Clausen’s stats is that Hawaii finished just 7-7 last year and Notre Dame’s four wins in 2009 have come over Nevada, Michigan St, Purdue and Washington (teams with a combined 6-13 record). Notre Dame is idle this coming Saturday but on October 17 will host No. 7 USC, which has beaten the Irish seven straight times. The Trojans won 38-0 last year in the Coliseum with Clausen completing 11-of-22 for 41 yards with two INTs. Is Clausen a “real Heisman candidate?” We’ll find out on October 17. His season stats are: 100-of-143 yards (67.6 percent) 1,544 yards 12 TDs and 2 INTs.

4) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 3. Case Keenum completed 51-of-76 passes (seven shy of the FBS record set by Drew Brees) for a career-high 536 yards (7th, 400-yard game) with five TDs and not a single INT in those 76 attempts. However, UTEP, which entered the game ranked 109th in scoring offense while averaging just under 243 YPG (not to mention coming off a 64-7 loss at Texas in which it had gained just 53 total yards), scored 58 points on the beleaguered Cougars defense, racking up 581 yards of offense (305 rush / 276 pass). The game was tied at halftime but the Miners outscored Houston 20-3 in the third quarter and then hung on. Keenum would throw three TD passes in the fourth quarter but the Miners got three TDs of their own. Can a defense “lose a Heisman” for a QB? Keenum has racked up 359, 366, 435 and now 536 yards passing to open the 2009 season. He topped 300 yards in each of Houston’s 12 regular season games last year (five times topping 400 yards), before throwing for “just” 256 yards (one TD, one INT and two rushing TDs) in the Cougars’ 34-28 Armed Forces Bowl win over Air Force. He’s now extended his run of 300-yard games to 16 straight in the regular season (he’s topped 300 yards in 17 of his last 18) and has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 20 consecutive games (1989 Heisman-winner Andre Ware owned the previous record with 18). The loss ‘killed’ any chance the Cougars had of being this year’s “BCS buster” and must now re-focus on winning C-USA’s West division (not a given, having lost at UTEP and with a trip to Tulsa on November 7). Houston will have to regroup quickly, as it plays at Mississippi St this Saturday. While the Cougars are just 2-15 SU since 2000 on the road vs BCS conference opponents, one of those wins came at then-No. 5 Oklahoma State this year (September 12) and the other came at Mississippi State in 2005 (28-16). I doubt any QB will match Keenum’s passing stats in 2009 (surely not Tebow) but the Heisman won’t be awarded on just stats. Keenum’s stats are: 144-of-210 (68.6 percent ) 1,696 yards 13 TDs 2 INTs / 3 rush TDs.

5) TONY PIKE (Cincinnati) Last Week: NR. The Bearcats won a school-record 11 games in 2008 and made their first-ever BCS bowl appearance (a 20-7 loss to Va Tech). Tony Pike entered lat season with just 20 pass attempts in his college career but would win the starting QB job and then lose it because on an injury. He returned on October 25 at U Conn but the Bearcats got crushed, 40-16. They didn’t lose again, winning the their final six games of the regular season before the Orange Bowl. Pike completed 64.9 percent of his throws in that six-game winning streak, averaging 233.0 YPG with 11 TDs and five INTs. He was then awful with four INTs vs the Hokies. The Bearcats opened the 2009 unranked (no Big East team made any of the preseason top-25 polls) but the 5-0 Bearcats find themselves ranked No. 8 in the latest AP poll, the first time they’ve been ranked higher than Ohio State (Buckeyes are No. 9) since November 21, 1951. Wow! Pike’s topped 300 yards in three of five games this year, including 362 yards with three TDs in a season-opening 47-15 win at preseason Big East favorite Rutgers and 332 yards and two TDs in a 28-18 win at Oregon State (September 18), which ended the Beavers’ 26-game non-conference home winning streak. Pike had 273 passing yards and two TDs in last Saturday’s 37-14 win at Miami-Ohio. It marked the 114th meeting between the two schools in a series which dates back to 1888, making it the oldest non-conference rivalry in CFB history. Pike has 13 TD passes and just three interceptions in 2009 and has now thrown at least one TD in 15th consecutive starts. The Bearcats are idle this weekend and will get to ‘bask in the glory” of the school’s first top-10 ranking in history. Cincy better not bask too much though, as up next is a Thursday night visit to Tampa on October 15 where the Bearcats will take on 5-0 South Florida, which just moved into the top-25 this past weekend at No. 23. Pike’s season stats are: 116-of-174 (66.7 percent) 1,493 yards 13 TDs 3 INTs / 2 rush TDs.

On the radar: How about Pike’s teammate WR Mardy Gilyard? He has 38 receptions, including seven TDs (tied for the most in FBS). He also averages 166.4 all-purpose yards which ranks him 14th in the nation. RB Noel Devine of West Virginia ranks third in the nation with 135.0 YPG on the ground (7.4 YPC / 6 TDs) and is coming off a career-high 220 yards rushing in West Va’s 35-24 win over Colorado. His first carry went for a 77-yard score and was his FBS-leading fifth carry of 70 or more yards over the last three seasons. Lastly, why not Darius Marshall of Marshall? He leads the nation in rushing with 159.8 YPG (7.0 YPC / 7 TDs) and all-purpose yards (235.8 per game).

Good luck, Larry

The 2009 college football season began on September 3 with both the 2007 winner (Tim Tebow) and the 2008 winner (Sam Bradford) active. Never before had that happened. Throw in last year’s Heisman runner-up, Colt McCoy of Texas, and it was hard to imagine anyone from outside of this “Big Three’ winning the 2009 Heisman.

However, Bradford sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder late in the first half of Oklahoma’s opening game on September 5. A subsequent MRI reported that he suffered a Grade 2 or Grade 3 sprain of the right throwing shoulder and Bradford hasn’t played since. The this past Saturday with Florida leading 31-7in the late third quarter at Kentucky and driving deep in Wildcats’ territory, Tebow was sacked by Kentucky DE Taylor Wyndham.

As he fell back with Wyndham on top of him, Tebow’s head struck teammate Marcus Gilbert’s leg, violently bending his neck forward. Tebow lay motionless for several minutes while Commonwealth Stadium fell silent. He sat up with some help, then slowly made his way off the field to a loud ovation. He was eventually carted off the field with concussion-like symptoms, vomiting several times as he was taken to an ambulance to a local hospital for tests.

If you are a fan of NFL films, you’ll remember this famous line by Vince Lombardi, “What the hell is going on out there?” Is McCoy next to go down? Tebow was released from the hospital Sunday morning, about 12 hours after sustaining a concussion and he flew back to Gainesville with head coach Urban Meyer and his family Sunday afternoon. The top-ranked Gators are off next week (good news) but are scheduled to play at No. 4 LSU on October 10, arguably the toughest game on the defending national champs’ regular season schedule.

It figures to be several days (maybe longer) before Tebow’s status becomes clearer. Getting back to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, he visited renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Alabama this past weekend. The examination is part of standard procedure for an insurance policy Bradford took before the season, protecting him financially against a career-ending injury. The original recovery prognosis on the Grade 2 or Grade 3 sprain was two to four weeks, putting a return for Oklahoma’s game vs No. 21 Miami this weekend within range. We’ll see.

So where does all this leave the Heisman race? My latest Heisman Watch follows below.

1) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 1. Assuming Tebow is all right and ready to return for the Gators’ October 10 date in Baton Rogue, the concussion he suffered will just “add to his legend.” Tebow’s a unique talent, an inspirational leader, a great kid and is on pace to be the most-honored player in college football history (could be a three-time national champion and a two-time Heisman winner). Tebow completed 5-of-10 passes for 103 yards (one TD / 0 INTs) plus added 123 yards rushing (16 carries) and two TDs before his injury last Saturday. He only topped 100 yards rushing once last year (with 122 yards in the BCS title game vs Oklahoma) but did top 100 yards rushing twice in his Heisman-winning season of 2007 (had 895 YR and 23 TDs that year). The Gators won 41-7 on Saturday, extending their winning streak to 14 straight (11-1 ATS), while outscoring their opponents 651-to-157. Tebow has thrown for 28 TDs with just three INTs during that stretch (22-1 ratio the last 10 games), while adding 15 rushing TDs. Saturday’s two rushing TDs gives him 48 in his career, second all-time in the SEC (Herschel leads with 49). As long as the Gators continue to win, Tebow will be hard to unseat as the Heisman-favorite. I’m not “locked-in” to placing him first every week in my Heisman Watch but just who else would you place No. 1? As already mentioned, the Gators are idle this week with a visit to LSU scheduled for October 10. Tebow’s season stats are: 44-of-68 (64.7 percent) 643 yards 6 TDs 1 INT / 55 carries 271 yards (4.9 YPC) 5 TDs.

2) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 2. It was a good weekend for Colt McCoy’s Heisman chances. Tebow got hurt (of course no one is suggesting McCoy is happy about that) and Cal RB Jahvid Beat (and the Bears) “laid an egg” in Oregon (more on that later). After two weeks of first-half hiccups, slow starts and shaking off symptoms of the flu, Colt McCoy threw three first-half TD passes and the Longhorns rolled to a 40-point lead by halftime. The Longhorns cruised to a 64-7 win over UTEP on Saturday, as the defense forced five turnovers by QB Trevor Vittatoe and held the Miners to 53 total yards and seven FDs. McCoy finished with 286 yards on 28-of-35 for 286 yards with three TDs and one INT (had 15 yards rushing on four carries, as well). McCoy will have little trouble topping Tebow in the statistical ‘war’ but it’s the public perception ‘battle’ which he must win. McCoy began his senior season with an impressive “body of work.” He completed an NCAA single-season record 76.7 percent of his passes last year for 3,859 yards (34 TDs / 8 INTs). He also led the Longhorns in rushing (561 yards / 4.1 YPC / 11 TDs) in 2008. He owns countless single-season and career marks at Texas, which I’ll document (and update) throughout the year. Here goes. McCoy has thrown a TD pass in a school-record 21 straight games and his three TD passes gives him 94 in his career, a school record he already owned. Last Saturday’s win was his 36th as a starting QB (Vince Young won 31). McCoy also continues to extend his career record of TDs responsible for (passing, rushing, receiving) at Texas, as his total is now up 113 (Young had 81 and former Heisman-winner Ricky Williams had 76). Like the Gators, the Longhorns are idle this coming weekend, playing next in Austin on October 10 vs Colorado. However, it’s Texas’ October 17 game with Oklahoma in Dallas which gives McCoy his best chance at “closing the gap” on Tebow. McCoy’s season stats are: 103-of-145 (71.0 percent) 1,145 yards 9 TDs 5 INTs / 28 carries for 61 yards (2.2 YPC) 1 TD.

3) CASE KEENUM (Houston) Last Week: 5. Why not Keenum? After all, didn’t Andre Ware win a Heisman while playing for the Cougars back in 1989? All the “BCS buster” talk prior to the season centered around the three MWC schools (BYU, TCU and Utah) plus Boise St. However, BYU and Utah have already lost. While TCU is off to an impressive start, the Horned Frogs still have tough road tests at Air Force and BYU plus a home game with Utah. As for No. 5 Boise State, the Broncos look to have “clear sailing” to an undefeated season. That may spell “bad news” for the Cougars but look at what Houston has already accomplished in 2009. Keenum led the Cougars to a 45-35 upset of then-No.5 Oklahoma State in Stillwater back on September, 12. The victory marked Houston’s first win over a top-five team since 1984 and returned the Cougars to the AP’s top-25 for the first time since 1991. Despite being idle the following Saturday, the Cougars jumped from No. 21 to No. 17 in the AP poll. Houston’s 29-28 win this past Saturday over Texas Tech has the Cougars ranked 12th in the latest AP poll. Saturday’s game was the shootout most expected with the two teams combining for 1,063 yards of offense. The Cougars trailed 21-10 in the first half but nailed a 50-yard FG on the final play of the half, to trail 21-13. The Houston defense then held Tech’s high-powered offense to one second half score. Meanwhile, Keenum led the Cougars back. Keenum’s four-yard QB keeper with 49 seconds left gave Houston a 29-28 win over Texas Tech on Saturday night, capping a 95-yard TD drive (kept the game-winning drive going with a seven-yard completion on a fourth-and-three). Keenum finished 38-of-58 for 430 yards (6th career 400-yard game), spreading the ball around well with four receivers catching at least seven passes. He had one TD pass and one INT plus that game-winning TD run. Speaking of Andre Ware, Keenum’s TD throw gave him a TD pass in a school-record 19th straight game, surpassing the former Heisman Trophy winner. Keenum topped 300 yards in each of Houston’s 12 regular season games last year (five times topping 400 yards), before throwing for “just” 256 yards (one TD, one INT and two rushing TDs) in the Cougars’ 34-28 Armed Forces Bowl win over Air Force. He’s now topped 300 yards in each of his first three games this season, extending his run of 300-yard games to 15 straight in the regular season (he’s top 300 yards in 16 of his last 17 games, overall). Also note that Keenum entered this year with 633 yards rushing the last two seasons, adding 16 rushing TDs. The Cougars open C-USA play this coming Saturday at UTEP. In last year’s game vs the Miners, the Cougars recorded the school’s largest-ever come from behind win, beating UTEP 42-37 after trailing 28-9 with 4:37 left in the third quarter. Houston finished with 700 total yards of offense in the game, as Keenum went 41-of-51 for 430 yards with three TDs (0 INTs). In a crazy ending, Keenum found Kierrie Johnson in the back of the end zone on a 16-yard pass that gave Houston a 36-35 lead with 4:54 left. However, on the conversion attempt, Josh Ferguson intercepted Keenum and returned it for two points to hand UTEP a 37-36 advantage. Houston got the ball back one more time though and marched 59 yards on its game-winning drive with Keenum scoring his second rushing TD of the game with 41 seconds remaining. Houston is hoping for “less drama” this time around. Keenum’s stats are: 93-of-134 (69.4 percent) 1,155 yards 8 TDs 2 INTs / 15 carries for 43 yards (2.9 YPC) 3 TDs.

4) JIMMY CLAUSEN (Notre Dame) Last week: 4. The Fighting Irish opened the 2009 season with a 35-0 win over Nevada. However, each of their last three games have been decided in the final minute. Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4-yard line with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame’s 33-30 win over Michigan State last week and a week earlier, Michigan’s Tate Forcier threw a 5-yard TD pass with 11 seconds remaining to beat the Irish 38-34. Clausen entered Saturday’s game slowed by a turf toe injury on his right foot and split time with Dayne Crist, who directed two TD drives with the Wildcat offense in the first half. Weis didn’t want Clausen to play in the second half but he said there was no doubt who was going to finish the game if it got close. Clausen returned to the game when it got tight in the fourth quarter. The Fighting Irish took over trailing 21-17 with 3:41 to go. Clausen was the nation’s No. 2 passer coming in but he wasn’t himself, completing 15-of-26 for 171 yards with one TD and his first interception of the season. However, he found his rhythm in the final minutes, leading Notre Dame on a 12-play, 72-yard TD drive. Clausen was 6-of-9 in the drive, including the game-winning, two-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph with 24.8 seconds to play, which gave Notre Dame a 24-21 win over Purdue. Notre Dame will host Washington this coming Saturday, a school it beat 33-7 last year in Seattle. The Huskies upset USC 16-13 at home on September 19 but last week’s 34-14 loss at Stanford marked the school’s eighth straight road loss. Clausen’s season stats are: 77-of-177 (65.8 percent) 1,122 yards 10 TDs / 1 INT.

5) JAHVID BEST (California) Last Week: 3. The Cal Bears entered last week’s game in Eugene ranked No. 6 in the nation and RB Best was off a school-record tying five-TD effort the previous week at Minnesota. No school took a bigger ‘hit ‘ last week than the Bears, who would lose 42-3 at Oregon, falling all the way to 24th in the latest AP poll. As for Best, he entered the game averaging 137.3 YPG in 2009 (7.8 YPC with 8 TDs) and had a streak of seven consecutive 100-yard games going back to last year. The Ducks’ rush D was allowing 151 YPG but Best was held to 55 yards in the rout on 16 carries (3.4 YPC). Cal was averaging 488.7 YPG in total offense coming into Saturday’s game, including gaining 250.3 YPG on the ground. As mentioned, Best ran for just 55 yards for the Golden Bears, who had 206 yards in total offense (less than half their average). It was Cal’s most lopsided loss under coach Jeff Tedford and the 39-point loss to Oregon marked the worst in Bears’ history when ranked in the top-10. Best was widely considered a top Heisman contender and the Bears had designs on winning the Pac 10 championship and contending for a spot in the BCS title game (or at least, their first Rose Bowl trip since the 1950 season). Is all lost? Maybe not. Best and the Bears host USC this coming Saturday. However, USC held Cal to 165 yards in last year’s 17-3 win, as Best was able to mange 30 yards on 13 carries (2.3 YPC). How confident are you that the Bears will bounce back here?

On the radar: No one!

Good luck, Larry

The 2009 CFB season began its final weekend of September on Thursday night with No. 4 Ole Miss falling 16-10 at South Carolina. The Rebels’ ranking in the AP poll was the school’s highest since it was also No. 4 back in October of 1970 and the win by South Carolina was the biggest win of coach Steve Spurrier’s five seasons in Columbia. South Carolina had been 1-31 all-time against top-five foes prior to Thursday’s night’s victory with its only other win over a top-five opponent coming back in 1981 at North Carolina, 31-13.

With Ole Miss’ loss, ranked teams are now 51-7 (.879) against unranked opponents to open 2009 but just 23-24-1 ATS or 48.9 percent (there have been 10 non-lined games). There is just one game featuring ranked opponents on Saturday, as No. 9 Miami-Florida visits No.11 Va Tech (more on this later).

Already this season, the AP’s No. 3 team has lost twice in first three weekends. Oklahoma was ranked No. 3 in the preseason but lost to then-No. 20 BYU 14-13 at Cowboys Stadium on September 5 with last year’s Heisman-winner (Sam Bradford) missing the entire second half with an injury. BYU’s win marked the school’s third-ever win over a top-3 team. There were no major upsets in CFB ’09’s second weekend but another No. 3 team lost last weekend.

USC lost 16-13 up in Seattle last Saturday to Washington (Trojans were favored by three TDs), now coached by former USC assistant Steve Sarkisian. Pete Carroll came to USC in 2001, inheriting a team which had topped six wins just once (in 1998) in the five years prior to his arrival. His first team went just 6-6 after losing 10-6 to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl but over the last seven seasons, Carroll’s Trojans are the only team in the country which has finished in the top-five each year.

USC won the AP national title in 2003, the BCS title in 2004 and came oh-so-close to winning a third straight national title in 2005, losing 41-38 to Texas in that classic Rose Bowl showdown. As great as Carroll’s record has been, last Saturday’s loss marks the fourth straight year he’s lost a game as a double-digit favorite when ranked No. 3 or higher. His 2006 team lost two such games. No. 3 USC lost 33-31 at Oregon State as a 10-point favorite mid-season and then after climbing back to a ranking of No. 2, lost 13-9 at UCLA (as 11-point favorites), when a win would have gotten the Trojans into the BCS title game for a third straight season.

The Trojans were 41-point favorites and ranked No. 2 in the country in 2007 when they lost 24-23 at home to Stanford. The loss ended USC’s 35-game home win streak plus snapped its 24-game Pac-10 home win streak as well. No. 1 USC was favored by 25 points last season when it lost 27-21 at Oregon State on a Thursday night in its third game of the year. So what’s going on?

USC’s loss this past Saturday dropped them to No. 12 in the AP poll, the first time the Trojans have been out of the top-10 since the second half of the 2007 season (the year they lost as 41-point favorites at home to Stanford). USC fell to No. 10 in the Coaches’ poll, which unlike the AP poll, is part of the BCS formula. The first BCS standings don’t come out until October 18 and we should remember that back in 2003 LSU was ranked just No. 12 in the initial BCS standings, yet went on to beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game that year (same season the Trojans finished No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches’ polls, yet just No. 3 in the final BCS standings).

USC’s loss was Washington’s gain, as the upset win allowed the Huskies to enter the top-25 (at No. 24) for the first time since September 28, 2003. Washington hadn’t had a home win over a team ranked in the AP top-three since November 14, 1981, when it beat another 3rd-ranked USC team 13-3. What’s happened at Washington is truly remarkable. The Huskies lost 21 of their last 23 games under coach Tyrone Willingham, including all 12 in 2008 to become the first winless team in school history and the first Pac-10 school to go 0-12.

New head coach Steve Sarkisian claimed he expected his Huskies to compete immediately and I guess he was right. The Huskies opened the 2009 season by losing at home to then-No. 9 LSU 31-23 in Seattle but out-gained the Tigers 478 yards to 321 and led in FDs 25-17. The defeat marked Washington’s 15th straight loss (tying a conference record) and its ninth straight at home. However, the Huskies ended both of those losing streaks with a 42-23 win over Idaho on September 12. Then, last Saturday in their third straight home game, shocked the Trojans.

Has any school ever lost 15 straight games and then after back-to-back wins (one coming at home against an Idaho team which had just snapped a 14-game road losing streak the weekend before), found itself in the top-25? I don’t know the answer for sure but it seems unlikely. By the way, the winner of Saturday’s Washington at Stanford game will move to 2-0 in Pac 10 play and be in first place (you can’t make this stuff up).

Last weekend was a bad one for the MWC, as then-No. 7 BYU got crushed at home 54-28 by Florida State and then-No. 18 Utah (owners of CFB’s longest active winning streak with 16 straight victories) lost 31-24 at Oregon. The MWC’s last hope for a BCS bowl bid now rests with current No. 15 TCU but the Horned Frogs have a very tough test on Saturday with a date in “Death Valley” against Clemson.

TCU isn’t the only ranked team playing on the road and facing a dangerous opponent this weekend. No. 6 Cal visits Oregon where the Ducks just ended Utah’s 16-game winning streak last weekend, No. 22 North Carolina is at Ga Tech (Yellow Jackets are currently unranked but were No. 15 in both the AP and Coaches’ preseason poll and are the small favorite in the game) and as already mentioned, No. 24 Washington is at Stanford (Cardinal are favored by about a TD).

I noted in an article over the summer that no school has begun a season unranked by the coaches and gone on to play in the BCS title game (11 years). More recently, no school not in the coaches’ top-10 during the preseason has reached the title game over the last five years. However, I also noted the following in that same article.

Utah was unranked going into last year by the coaches, yet finished as college football’s only unbeaten team in 2008. The Utes finished 13-0, including their impressive 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Speaking of Alabama, the Tide were also unranked at the beginning of the 2008 season, yet won their first 12 games before losing to Florida in the SEC championship game and then to Utah. That leads me back to this year’s Miami-Florida team.

The ‘Canes entered the 2009 season unranked and why not? They had gone just 19-19 over the previous three seasons and many were questioning whether head coach Randy Shannon was “up to the task,” considering Miami would open the 2009 season with the toughest four-game stretch in the nation. Miami is 2-0 halfway through its ‘gauntlet,’ beating then-No. 18 Florida State 38-34 in Tallahassee and then-No. 14 Ga Tech 33-17 in Miami.

Miami’s win over Ga Tech moved the ‘Canes to No. 9 in the AP poll (up from 20th) but the lag-behind coaches only have them ranked 13th (what else is new?). Miami plays at No. 11 Va Tech on Saturday and then hosts Oklahoma on October 3. If Miami is 4-0 when we wake up on October 4, watch out! The again, the ‘Canes could be 2-2 and Shannon will be back on the ‘hot seat.’

Most feel that current No. 8 Boise State has the best chance of being this year’s “BCS-buster” now that BYU has lost. After all, No. 15 TCU must play at Clemson this Saturday, at BYU on October 24 plus host Utah on November 14. Meanwhile, the Broncos will be significant favorites in each of their remaining 10 games. Life is pretty good up there on that blue turf and Chris Peterson (currently 38-4 in his fourth year at Boise) should think long and hard about leaving “the coop” as predecessors Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins did.

I won’t argue against the fact that Boise is the most-likely “BCS-buster” in 2009 but C-USA’s Houston will deserve a serious look if the Cougars beat Texas Tech this Saturday in Houston. The Cougars won 45-35 at Stillwater over then-No.5 Oklahoma State on September 12, giving the school its first win over a top-five opponent since 1984. The win got them back in the AP top-25 at No. 21 two weeks ago (first ranking since the David Klingler-led team of 1991) and despite a bye last week, the Cougars are up to No. 17 this week (although just 23 in the coaches’ poll).

Good luck…Larry