One full week of college football has passed and the list of Heisman Trophy contenders is no easier to sort through. Sure, some, such as Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang, struggled against mediocre competition, but it's still too early to rule anybody out. At the same time, one outstanding performance doesn't necessarily grant "front-runner" status (West Virginia running back Kay-Jay Harris).
An explanation for Harris' absence: He rolled up his 337 rushing yards and four touchdowns against East Carolina, a team that finished 1-11 last season. A few more weeks of flashy numbers, though, and Harris could find himself in the thick of the Heisman race.
Harris and the Mountaineers face Central Florida - which surrendered 230 rushing yards to Wisconsin last week - on Saturday. West Virginia will then face a solid defense in Maryland before running through a weakened Big East conference. If Harris is able to sustain his success, he might lead the Mountaineers to a BCS bowl - and pick up a Heisman on the way.
Front-runners
Cedric Benson
Senior running back, Texas
Benson wasn't overly busy in Texas' 65-0 win against North Texas last week. But he made the most of his time on the field. On only 15 carries, Benson rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Against Arkansas Saturday, Benson has the chance to impress the voters early against a big-program defense, an opportunity some Heisman hopefuls don't get in week two.
Matt Leinart
Junior quarterback, Southern Cal
Leinart and the Trojans had last weekend off. Even with the time off, one of Leinart's touchdown passes against Virginia Tech on Aug. 28 still resonates. The 53-yard touchdown pass he perfectly placed in running back Reggie Bush's hands in the third quarter of the Trojans' 24-13 win was pure poetry. Bush, who didn't break stride for a millisecond, could probably have caught the pass blindfolded. It was that pretty. Southern Cal is back in action Saturday at home against Colorado State.
Darren Sproles
Senior running back, Kansas State
Sproles rushed for 221 yards against Western Kentucky, putting him in a similar situation to West Virginia's Harris in that neither played a very good team last week. The difference is their track records. Sproles has rushed for 3,451 yards in his last two seasons. Harris is a senior who had only rushed for 524 yards prior to this season. Sproles and the Wildcats face Fresno State this Saturday.
Dark horse
Braylon Edwards
Senior wide receiver, Michigan
Admittedly, there are probably a dozen players who deserve this mention more than Edwards. And Edwards' numbers could suffer if freshman quarterback Chad Henne is throwing him balls all year. But the senior did have a pair of impressive touchdown grabs against Miami (Ohio) last week and he's the best of the Wolverines' talented receivers. Saturday's game at Notre Dame could make or break Edwards' Heisman hopes.
