Heisman Trophy Betting – Who’s The Best Bet After Week 5?

Week five of the college football season began to provide more clarity in the Heisman Trophy betting race as the midway point of the campaign approaches.

Quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford will not be helped by the Cardinal’s inability to score a single point in the second half of a 52-31 loss at Oregon on Saturday. Luck came out like gangbusters and torched the Ducks’ secondary in the first half, but he and the rest of his Stanford teammates got pounded in the second half.

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Luck still throws a few floaters every game, and he sometimes tries to push a deep ball into double coverage. These lingering tendencies bothered him against the Ducks, who swarmed him and made him flinch throughout the second and third quarters of Oregon’s 21-point victory. Luck must now take a backseat to other figures in the Heisman race.

If there’s a West Coast player in the mix for the Heisman, it’s Oregon running back LaMichael James. The fleet-footed athlete eviscerated Stanford’s defense for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries in a spotlight game.

If James continues to roll up the big numbers and Oregon steamrolls to an 11-1 or 12-0 season, James will definitely get a plane ticket to New York in December, and he could possibly steal the award if the Ducks reach the BCS National Championship Game with a perfect 12-0 mark.

Current Frontrunner: Denard Robinson, Michigan. He dazzled against Indiana, throwing for 277 yards while running for 218 more. Yes, that’s 495 yards of total offense for the man who is capturing the imagination of college football fans across the nation. Robinson widened his Heisman lead in week five, but the teeth of Michigan’s Big Ten schedule is yet to come. Robinson doesn’t have to win every game he plays, but he will need to beat at least one or two quality defenses in order for his candidacy to be strengthened.

Other contenders:

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, though his candidacy took a hit in a very poor performance at Illinois; Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who is moving up the charts and would rate as a better candidate than Pryor right now .

LSU defensive back/kick returner Patrick Peterson, whose excellence on defense must continue to be respected.

 Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who led his team to a 59-0 win at New Mexico State and will continue to be a factor as long as he rings up big numbers against bad teams; Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton, who is beginning to figure out the passing game and has his team at 5-0.

Eliminated or severely hampered:

Russell Wilson, North Carolina State – The quarterback who was leading the ACC’s hottest team suffered through a bad second half against Virginia Tech. Wilson wasn’t about to lead the Heisman race, but his chances of getting a plane ticket to New York City were pretty much extinguished in the 41-30 loss to the Hokies.

The North Carolina State program hasn’t had much to shout about in recent years, so Wilson needed to garner national attention with a win against the ACC’s most consistent program. The failure to get that victory ruined his Heisman candidacy.

Also eliminated: Andy Dalton, TCU – The Horned Frogs are winning, but are playing poorly. Dalton has no chance of getting to New York this season.

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