With the season reaching its stretch run, wins have become more important in the Heisman Trophy picture.
With a perfect season in the works, Oklahoma quarterback Jason White remains the favorite to win the trophy this season.
The two contenders without a national power team behind them are Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons, whose numbers look like a video game statistical sheet, and Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The sophomore tied former MSU wide receiver Charles Rogers' record of making a touchdown catch in 13 consecutive regular- season games during a loss last week.
As a distant dark horse candidate, Jeff Smoker has entered the award picture, despite being snubbed for a finalist position for the Johnny Unitas Award for the country's top quarterback.
Front-runners:
Jason White
Senior quarterback, Oklahoma
White has put up huge numbers while leading the best team in the country this season, which is the perfect mixture for award success.
He threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in last weekend's win at Colorado, and his team will be looking for revenge when it faces Oklahoma State this weekend. The Cowboys have won the past two battles and will be looking for the upset again this week.
For now, however, the award is White's to lose.
Larry Fitzgerald
Sophomore wide receiver, Pittsburgh
Despite Pitt's 5-2 record after losses to Toledo and Notre Dame this season, Fitzgerald might be the country's most dominant player.
The Panthers still have to play Virginia Tech and West Virginia and will host Miami in the final week of the season, so he will have plenty of chance to make a mark on the national stage.
He tied Rogers' record last week and likely will break it this week against Boston College after having multiple touchdown catches in all but one game so far this season.
The sophomore has collected three touchdowns in two games this season and has caught a pair in the past three games.
With 15 touchdown catches already this season, he might even compete for the all-time record of 27 in a season by Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards. He would need to average a little more than two touchdowns per game in his final five games to set a new mark.
Kevin Jones
Junior running back, Virginia Tech
Jones only rushed for 57 yards and became another reason why Tech's undefeated season ended last Wednesday against West Virginia.
This is a make-or-break week for his award candidacy, and he will have to have a huge day for his team to beat No. 2 Miami in the Big East showdown on Saturday. This weekend's matchup has been anticipated all season, but last week's meltdown against the Mountaineers might take some of the national spotlight off the game.
B.J. Symons
Senior quarterback, Texas Tech
Symons' team lost once again, 62-31 to Missouri, but he still threw four touchdown passes and threw for more than 400 yards.
He continues to put up huge numbers, but his team simply hasn't won enough this season to warrant serious contention.
With his team at 5-3, Symons would have to beat Oklahoma in his final regular season game on Nov. 22 to win the award.
Dark horse:
Jeff Smoker
Senior quarterback, MSU
Smoker has become one of the national media's favorite stories to tell in recent weeks, but that just means the senior will be put under an even more intense magnifying glass in weeks to come.
Smoker's major upside is the fact that he hasn't thrown an interception in 18 quarters. He's also been extremely accurate, despite learning a new offense.
The major problem for Smoker on this season's ballot is that the writers might not be as forgiving as the MSU fans have been this season. The substance abuse battle and team meltdown last season might still be holding him down.
For the Spartan to have a legitimate chance at the award, MSU will have to win its final four games against Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State, which would make them a factor in the national title picture.
But this might be just a pipe dream for Spartans fans, who have waited 37 years to have their team enter November undefeated in the conference.
