Injuries are beginning to plague Heisman hopefuls as the season rolls on.
Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson didn't play this weekend and Wisconsin running back Anthony Davis hurt his ankle early in the Badgers' loss to UNLV.
Michigan running back Chris Perry continued his success with a career day against Notre Dame in front of a national audience.
Quarterbacks are pushing for more recognition as Eli Manning (Mississippi), Philip Rivers (N.C. State) and David Greene (Georgia) remain consistent.
Kellen Winslow Jr. is taking a seat on the pine after playing a minuscule part in Miami's 38-3 win over East Carolina. Winslow might return to the Heisman Watch when he becomes an important target in bigger games for Brock Berlin and the 'Canes.
Front-runners
Chris Perry
Senior running back, Michigan
Perry and the Wolverines purely dominated Notre Dame last weekend in their 38-0 win. The senior rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 44 yards and one touchdown. Perry leads the nation in scoring with 48 points and rushing with 549 yards. The next rusher is 76 yards away.
If Perry had another 12 yards, he'd have gained half of what he did all of last season - in only 3 games. He's averaging almost 7 yards per carry and 8.5 yards per reception. The guy is a first-down machine. Perry is placing himself in a good position to become the first running back to win college football's most heralded award since Ron Dayne of Wisconsin did in 1999.
Philip Rivers
Senior quarterback, N.C. State
Rivers led the Wolfpack in a 17-point fourth-quarter rally that forced the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes into an overtime battle. Yet, once again, Rivers' team couldn't keep up with him, which might spell eventual doom for the senior signal caller. Losing quarterbacks don't win the Heisman Trophy - plain and simple.
But his numbers might save him, if not his team. Rivers threw for four touchdowns and 315 yards against one of the toughest secondaries in the country last week. He also completed 36 of his 52 passing attempts, leaving him with a 76.3 completion percent after facing two ranked teams in consecutive weeks.
By the time the triple-overtime game was finished, Rivers rewrote the Atlantic Coast Conference record book. He now leads the conference in career passing yards, completions and touchdowns.
The Wolfpack won't face another ranked team until Nov. 15, when they travel to Tallahassee to face No. 10 Florida State, meaning Rivers' numbers will soar in the weeks to come.
Chris Gamble
Junior cornerback/wide receiver, Ohio State
Gamble got beat once last weekend when Wolfpack receiver Tramain Hall soared high above him in the end zone. But Gamble wouldn't give up on the play, delivering a major blow to Hall, who somehow held onto the ball.
Gamble's presence on the field is forcing opposing quarterbacks to throw away from him and throw wild passes. Philip Rivers of N.C. State, the all-time leading passer in ACC history, was forced into throwing three interceptions against the Gamble-led defense.
The Buckeyes are holding opponents to 20 points a game, including limiting then-No. 17 Washington to nine points in the season opener.
Gamble will have to improve his numbers as a cornerback and punt returner if he wants a realistic shot at the trophy. Once pass-happy Purdue and Michigan State roll into town, Gamble will get the chance to pad his stats and turn some heads. But for the rest of Big Ten play, he'll have to be content with stuffing the run.
Dark horse
Eli Manning
Senior quarterback, Mississippi
Manning threw for three touchdowns and ran for one in a 59-14 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in limited playing time last week.
He threw only four incomplete passes and amassed 353 yards in the air. Manning, a pre-season All-American according to many publications, is etching his name in the SEC record books as he leads the Rebels into conference play. His first big test will come Oct. 4, when the Rebels head to Gainesville to face Florida.
