The past weekend was another interesting one, with the Mid-American Conference proving it is a legitimate conference.
This will have large implications all season long, including the introductions of Northern Illinois' Michael Turner and Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski as distant Heisman candidates.
Oklahoma State receiver Rashaun Woods moved himself from a long shot to one of the favorites for college football's top individual prize when he caught seven touchdowns against Southern Methodist last week.
Although Oklahoma and Miami are the country's top two-ranked teams, they don't have any players that offer up large enough statistics to be worthy candidates. Oklahoma's Antonio Perkins became the first player ever to return three punts for touchdowns in one game as the Sooners routed UCLA 59-24, but he still hasn't distinguished himself as a clear-cut candidate. Miami safety Sean Taylor returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown, his third interception of the season, but he still is a nameless face on a good team. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Brock Berlin also haven't put up the numbers to get the credit.
So, here are the current Heisman prospects:
Front-runners:
Rashaun Woods
Senior wide receiver, Oklahoma State
After his ridiculous performance on Saturday, Woods lands himself as the top candidate for the Heisman. He racked up seven touchdowns and 232 yards against a weak Southern Methodist defense and is now second in the country in receiving yards (502) and points scored (54).
He should have a field day again this week against Louisiana-Lafayette, but hopefully the Ragin' Cajuns got the memo on this receiver.
Kevin Jones
Junior running back, Virginia Tech
Jones proved he was the real deal last Thursday night. He ran for 188 yards on three touchdowns in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel. With linemen slipping all over the field in the sloppy, water-logged conditions in Blacksburg, Va., Jones seemed to have special spikes that allowed him to grip the turf and run all over Texas A&M.
Philip Rivers
Senior quarterback, N.C. State
Rivers was 18-of-23 for 253 yards and a touchdown in last week's 49-21 drubbing of Texas Tech. It was the second time this season that Rivers had a completion percentage of more than 80 percent. So far, he has thrown for 1,325 yards and 11 touchdowns, but his team is only 2-2. They'll have to finish the season better than they started it for Rivers to be a serious contender.
Chris Perry
Senior running back, Michigan
He ran for just 26 yards, but Perry is still second in the country in rushing yards (601), behind only Connecticut sophomore Terry Caulley. He should have another big week when the Wolverines take on lowly Indiana this weekend. There's not much of a chance for him to have a bad game against the Hoosiers. We'll just have to see if voters take into consideration that Perry ran up the yards against suspect defenses such as Central Michigan, Houston, Notre Dame and Indiana, while getting shut out by the one good defense the team faced at Oregon.
Dark horse:
Michael Turner
Senior running back, Northern Illinois
He ran for 157 yards on 23 carries and his team upset a good Alabama team last week. The MAC is a huge surprise, with Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski pushing him for the darkhorse spot. The Rockets beat Pittsburgh last week and Marshall the week before. Their only loss came against a good UNLV team, refurbished under John Robinson. Either way, the MAC will be rated higher because of these preseason results. Whoever wins the conference might have a candidate.
