Looks like OSU finally has something to be excited about to start the season. Solid QB, WR, and RB make for a solid core. Fans are even more excited about the upgraded stadium courtesy of T-Bone Pickens. And to top in off, a “big-time” top 25 matchup with the SEC’s Georgia Bulldogs. Add all these elements together and you have the makings for a heartbreaking season opener in Stillwater. I, for one, would find in quite funny with all the preseason hype the Cowboys have received from the media. But will the self-destruction occur today for OSU?

Probably not. I am going to buy into the Oklahoma State team for just one day. They do have a decent team and hopefully they should be able to beat a depleted Georgia team, who lost Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to the NFL. But don’t think for a second this win means anything. There is no way on God’s green earth this team will contend for the big  XII championship.

The Pick- OSU to win, but in a nail bitter. (So take Georgia with the 4 point spread)

Más de seis meses despues de la Super Bowl, al fin tenemos football otra vez. Y mira que sólo era el primer amistoso de pretemporada, que apenas si te sirve para dejar la miel en los labios, pero ver a esos señores en mallas golpearse como si no hubiese mañana ha devuelto la alegría a mi corazón. Se acerca el otoño y, con él, el momento en que mi deporte favorito se pone en marcha… y se acaba. Ya estoy triste porque se acerca el final de la temporada.

Como aperitivo, he aquí las cinco preguntas que tendrán que ser respondidas en la temporada 09 de la NFL:

1- ¿Es Tom Brady el mejor QB de la historia?

Dios, lo que molo

Volver de una lesión de ligamentos y ganar la liga sería… oh, mejor ni pensarlo. Si sucede, cuerpo a tierra, la pregunta de arriba tendría respuesta y la de reportajes, películas y documentales de ESPN y NFL Network al respecto no tendrían fin.

2- ¿Tiene algún sentido el sistema de contratos de los rookies?

Vaya añito te espera, amigo

Que, a día de hoy, una cantidad importante de primeras rondas ande sin contrato es como para no creerselo. CIerto que la carrera de los jugadores de football es muy corta, cierto que se han pasado al menos tres años en college arriesgandolo todo sin recibir dinero a cambio, pero que exijan dinero como si fueran megaestrellas (y más aún), y se les permita… en fín. El año que viene se acerca el apocalypse en forma de agencia libre y descontrol legislativo. En plena crisis económica o arreglan esto o nos quedamos a dos velas en el 2010. Al tiempo.

3- ¿Qué tal irá la revolución de los Denver Broncos?

¿Será ella la que la aconseja?

Josh McDaniels, nuevo entrenador de los Broncos, ha puesto en marcha dos estrategias que pueden parecer de imbecil redomado, pero igual funcionan. La primera es prescindir de su QB franquicia, una estrella en ciernes, para jugar con un director mediocre a más no poder; las personas que no tenemos mucha capacidad para entender la mecánica cuántica tampoco entendemos esto, pero seguro que tiene una explicación. La segunda es igual de imaginativa: dado que son el equipo que peor defiende la carrera en toda la liga, con la primera ronda del draft se selecciona a Knowshown Moreno (un corredor) para un puesto que ya tenían cubierto… esto si lo entiendo, al quedarse con Moreno NO podra correr contra ellos y hacerles 200 yardas. Este McDaniels es un puto genio.

4. ¿Cuándo quedará en evidencia Al Davis?

YOU ARE FIRED, MOFO!

Las apuestas están abiertas, es difícil de predecir: ¿humillará Crabtree a Howard-Bey antes o depues de que García le quite el puesto a Rusell? Que nunca nos falte Al Davis, por favor

5. ¿Habrá tortas por perder partidos para pillar a Bradford, McCoy y Tebow?

No les culpo

Ya los hay que hacen cola

Beanie Man - Can he be a fan thriller?

It’s that quiet time of the year, where aside from the death of Michael Jackson, it’s a bad time for news on the NFL. Reading whether Brett Favre is going to suit up as a Minnesota Viking is hardy as exciting as the thriller in Manila.

If I was to make an off the wall comment such as showing huge concerns about the mental health of Chad Ocho Cinco then it could be argued that I was a little bit dangerous. I guess I do have Wimbledon to watch as Andy Murray looks to become the male tennis equivalent of Billie Jean King by winning a Grand Slam tournament in England.

So to stop the boredom and to prevent me having to sit in my living room and scream I have decided not to be beat, it is therefore time to list 5 things I am looking forward to in the 2009 NFL season;

1) Which if any rookie running backs can get 1,000 yards on the ground? I’m sure the likes of Beanie Wells and Knowshown Moreno wanna be starting something good right off the blocks. Will there be a late round superstar such as Shonn Green able to go against human nature or is the rookie  1,000 yard back strictly for 1st round selections only? 

2) Can Tom Brady make a comeback and show his skills at Wembley Stadium in October? Brady and Randy Moss certainly aren’t pretty young things but they do have the ability to light up what will undoubtedly be a cold and rainy day.

3) Will TO finally heal the world of pain he has caused to previous NFL franchises by being a poster boy for the Buffalo Bills? My early prediction is 60 catches for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns – not the projections the Bills want, but TO cannot go on for ever.

4) Will the Lions perform some magic and go from 0-16 to a playoff spot? I am confident every Lions player is staring back at the man in the mirror and wanting to erase the memory of 2008. The Miami Dolphins went 1-15 to 11-5 so why not the Lions going 10-6 and gaining a wildcard behind the skills of Calvin Johnson? The Cardinals put pressure on Larry Fitzgerald and the Cards ended up one drive short of a Vince Lombardi trophy.

5) John Madden was a rock, with you wishing he was coming back for 2009, but he is gone now. Chucky has replaced him, and as a Superbowl winning coach I for one will appreciate his words of wisdom.

Now that the 2009 NFL Draft has been completed, we can now start looking ahead to fantasy football mock drafts.  Here are some of the rookies that were drafted and can potentially be a great help to your fantasy teams this fall.  I have broken this list down to two categories.  Category #1 is “The Matt Ryans”.  These are players that were drafted in the 1^st 3 rounds of the draft.  Category #2 is “The Tim Hightowers.”  These are players that were drafted after the third round and are deep sleepers.  Please understand that this is very early look.  For the  players that interest you, you should watch their development through training camp and preseason games.  

The Matt Ryans (Rounds 1-3)

Matt Stafford (QB-Det), Mark Sanchez (QB-NYJ), Josh Freeman (QB-TB)

-Stafford is probably going to have the toughest road to starting week 1 as they seem set on Daunte Culppepper.  However, none of these guys have great passing options and all are going to be run-oriented.  None should be more than your #3 QB

Knowshown Moreno (RB-Den), Chris Wells (RB-Az), Shonn Greene (RB-NYJ)

-Both these guys are going to a great situation and are going to have an excellent chance to be a starter.  We have seen year after year rookie RBs having an amazing effect in fantasy football.  These are the guys who should have the most impact and can easily be your #2 RB or Flex Option.  I believe these three guys will have the greatest fantasy impact. 

Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR-Oak), Michael Crabtree (WR-SF), Jeremy Maclin (WR-Phi)

-Like RBs, rookie WRs tend to have a big fantasy impact and these were the first three taken.  Maclin has the best QB, but the Eagles have deeper WR depth than most people think and its going to be tough for him to crack the starting line-up.  Cracking the starting line-up is going to be a problem for Bey or Crabtree, however, there QBs are awful.  At best, I don’t see these guys as better than a #3 WR or flex option.

Hakeem Nicks (WR-NYG) Ramses Barden (WR-NYG) Travis Beckum (TE-NYG)

-We all know that the New York Giants needed to address their passing game, and they did in their 1^st three picks.  All three of these guys will get an opportunity.  This is all you need to know about Nicks.  Barden went to a small school in Cal Poly but has all the physical tools needed to be successful, and Nicks and Barder should both compete for a starting spot.  Beckum is a hybrid of a TE/WR and will stricktly be an offensive option to the Giants.  He has some of the best hands I have ever seen.  Nicks is the only guy you will have to draft, while the others should be available on the waiver wire.

Percy Harvin (Min-WR), Kenny Britt (Ten-WR), Brain Robiskie (Cle-WR) Mohamed Massaquoi (Cle-WR), Patrick Turner (Mia-WR), Juaquin Igleslsias (Cle-WR)

-All these guys have two things in common.  They are all going into situation where they can have an immediate impact, and their teams love them and targeted them in the draft.  They should all have the opportunity.  Look for an Eddie Royal to come out of this group.  None of these guys need to be drafted except Harvin and maybe Britt.  I would watch them in preseason and see who stands out. 

The Tim Hightowers (Round 4-7)

Dominique Edison (WR-Ten)

-This guy had the best college football season of any WR in the country.  However, you don’t know who he is because he played at a school called Stephen F. Austin.  He is going into an excellent situation with the Titans and is going to have the chance to compete for a staring job.  He has all the physical tools needed to be a WR and had an excellent columbine.  He is a deep, deep sleeper that doesn’t need to be drafted. 

Tom Brandstater (QB-Den)

-This is what we know about Josh McDaniels.  He helped draft Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in the 2^nd day of the draft.  Now, he has drafted Tom Brandstater.  There starting QB is Kyle Orton.  Who Knows?

Nate Davis (QB-SF)

-They have no QB in San Francisco.  When Mike Singletary says it’s going to be an open competition at QB, its going to be an open competition at QB.  He is a guy who may be worth monitoring in training camp.  This team is more talented than most believe and play in a weak division, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

David Buehler (K-Dal) Ryan Succop (K-KC)

-Whenever a kicker is drafter, you should take note.  All they have to do is beat one guy to become the starter.  However, you should not draft a kicker till the last round anyways.

-Kaplan

Pick 1 – Lions – Matthew Stafford QB - The new face of the Lions – truth is he has a 50% chance of being a bust

Pick 2 – Rams – Jason Smith OT – I predicted this one right – likely I get the next 30 wrong ! lease I was 100% right at one stage today

Pick 3 – Chiefs – Tyson Jackson DE - This guy suddenly sneaked up boards and he looks like the real deal – this will really help Tamba Hali to become a better player.

Pick 4 – Seahawks – Aaron Curry OLB – If I’m a Seahawks fan I’m popping the chamnpagne corks – even though I thought they might go Sanchez this is a safer and more immediately productive pick.

Pick 5 – Jets (via trade with Jets) Mark Sanchez QB – To hear the raucous Jets crowd cheer over ESPN radio (as the bloody NFL.com streaming is toooooooo busy) made me chuckle. I seem to recall each year they boo their own pick. Sanchez will be the Jets starter sometime in 2009 – the poster boy goes to the media microscope – anyone for the next decade of Sanchez Jets endorsements !!

Pick 6 – Bungles – Andre Smith OT – This is a sensible pick, and despite looking like a scared elephant during the combine Andre Smith will protect Carson Palmer’s back and that is a good thing. I had the Bungles picking OT – just got the wrong one !

Pick 7 – Raiders – Darius Heyward-Bey WR – Again I had the right position here – speedy wideout. Lets hope Jamarcus Russell can finally be the man we all expected. This is a little risky as a pick.

Pick 8 – Jaguars – Eugene Monroe OT – Jaguars needed someone to open holes for the MJD show. Sensible pick – not sexy but this will make the Jags offense better.

Pick 9 – Packers – BJ RAji DT – I GOT THIS ONE RIGHT !!!!!!!!! The Packers will be licking their chops here. This is gonna be a man who will be after the blood of Jay Cutler. Can’t wait !!

Pick 10 – 49ers – Michael Crabtree WR – This is great value as this guy could have been a top 3 pick before his foot injury. Niners will want Crabtree to shoulder the load and he could make an immediate impact that many rookie wrs normally fail to do.

Pick 11 – Seahawks – Aaron Maybin DE – Seahawks looking to get tougher and Maybin will make that happen. Seahawks are saying Hasslebeck is the QB loud and clear in 2009.

Pick 12 – Broncos – Knowshown Moreno RB – I HAD THE BRONCOS drafting Moreno at 18. Wise pick – get running with a stud. Broncos fans will be happy even though there are defensive needs still.

Pick 13 Redskins – Brian Orakpo DE – As a Redskins fan I am very very happy we drafted a stud DE and didnt do something stupid like trade the pick for a 40 year old lineman. Jason Campbell will be able to breathe out now too.

Pick 14 Saints- Malcolm Jenkins CB – He will be a great fit for the Saints. The Saints cbs are pretty awful so there will be big pressure on him to perform early. Jenkins will have a baptism of fire.

Pick 15 Texans – Brian Cushing OLB – This is another solid pick for the Texans who are building a qualit defense. They are no longer seen as soft, they just need to grab some offensive talent to go with the D.

Pick 16 Chargers – Larry English LB – This is the biggest move up for a predicted pick. Its not a reach though. You look up picks of him he is a big beast of a man and will be flying round for the Chargers in no time.

Pick 17 Buccs (via trade) Josh Freeman QB – OK they traded up BUT I GOT THIS RIGHT !!! Buccs need a young pup to get ready to drive the car in Fla. Freeman is the perfect fit.

Pick 18 Broncos – Robert Ayres DE – Broncos have taken a risk here. Im not sure this is the safest pick. They could have taken Oher or Macklin. Im not 100% convinced by the value of this pick.

Pick 19 Eagles (traded) Jeremy Macklin WR – Great plan by the Iggles to get Macklin as he wasnt going to fall much further. Macklin and Desean Jackson – could the Eagles have a decent 1 and 2 ? Macklin will return kicks and likely take one to the house as a rook.

Pick 20 Lions Brandom Pettigrew TE – Hmmmmmmm not sure here but Pettigrew is the best TE available. He could be a mega star. Its an intreguing pick to say the least, but its a great compliment pick for Stafford.

As we approach the NFL draft and listen to coverage, I’ve heard constantly that drafting a quarterback at the top of the draft was a 50-50 proposition. But is that really true? And what about other positions — what are the chances of picking a lemon at those spots? As I wondered what positions have been the safest in the draft recently and what positions have been the riskiest, I decided to undertake  a research project to see exactly that.

Here’s the methodology: We looked at the top 16 picks of every draft this decade. We categorized each player as a positive, a negative, or a neutral. We only allowed neutrals for the past three drafts so that we didn’t straddle the fence over and over. We ranked offensive linemen as a group because at this level in the draft, it’s mostly offensive tackles anyway.

We then counted the positives as completions and negatives as incompletions to create a percentage of sorts. Neutrals did not count as attempts so that they don’t skew the rankings.

So here are the results. Feel free to quibble with the positive/negative/neutral ratings, because that would obviously change percentages. I’ve tried to be fair, and if there is a debate, I leaned toward the positive. (That’s the kind of guy I am.) Even with that, there are some pretty clear distinctions by position. Hopefully you’ll find the results are pretty insightful.

And if you want to check out the defensive results, check out this post (online Friday).

Quarterbacks: 8 of 11 positives (73 percent)
Positives: Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Michael Vick
Negatives: Alex Smith, David Carr, Joey Harrington
Neutrals: JaMarcus Russell, Vince Young, Matt Leinart
Thoughts: This percentage was higher than I expected, but that’s because I held the jury out on Young and Leinart. Were I forced to assign a mark, both would be misses. Russell likewise needs to have a good year to move up. Smith could still turn his rating around, but because I forced a mark on him, it has to be a minus because he compiled only one quality season. Leftwich had four pretty good years in Jacksonville, and could still start in the league, so he’s a positive. Vick had six mostly good years in Atlanta, so his on-field performance was a plus too. It’s remarkable to see Ryan in the plus category so soon, because most QBs take 2-3 years to really start to shine. The strong QB class of ‘04 (Manning, Rivers, Roethlisberger) pushes this completion percentage up, but the class of ‘05 (Young and Leinart along with Cutler) could yank the percentage right back down.
This year’s candidates: Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez

Running backs: 9 of 12 positives (75 percent)
Positives: Jonathan Stewart, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Reggie Bush, Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams, LaDanian Tomlinson, Jamal Lewis, Thomas Jones
Neutrals: Darren McFadden
Negatives: Cedric Benson, William Green, Ron Dayne
Thoughts: This is a pretty safe position at the top of the draft. If a running back fits into the top 16, he’ll most likely have some good years as a pro. And most of the time, backs can make an instant impact, which is another plus. We saw that with Stewart this year and Peterson and Lynch the year before. Williams has been hurt a lot, but when he’s played he’s been really good. McFadden is a neutral because he was so banged up as a rookie, but he still averaged 4.4 yards per carry. Dayne had some decent years, but he never notched 800 yards in a season, and so he has to receive a minus. Benson’s in the same boat, but he has a chance (like Thomas Jones) to reinvigorate his career in his second stop this year as a Bengal.
This year’s candidates: Knoshown Moreno, Beanie Wells

Wide receivers: 12 of 20 positives (60 percent)
Positives: Calvin Johnson, Ted Ginn Jr., Braylon Edwards, Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams, Reggie Williams, Lee Evans, Michael Clayton, Andre Johnson, Donte Stallworth, Santana Moss, Plaxico Burress
Negatives: Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, David Terrell, Koren Robinson, Rod Gardner, Peter Warrick, Travis Taylor
Thoughts: There are some legitimate superstars (Calvin and Andre Johnson, Fitzgerald) in this category, but the overall batting average isn’t wonderful. Some of the busts – Williamson, Mike Williams, Rogers, Terrell – have been completely useless as pros. (They almost make me want to have a double-negative category.) Ginn has shown enough potential to be a positive, and while Clayton has only had one dynamic season, the fact that Tampa re-signed him moved him onto the plus side as well. Reggie Williams is another marginal plus. Roy Williams hasn’t lived up to his hype, but he had good years in Detroit. I remember covering Gardner’s Pro Day; he tore it up, especially on his vertical jump, and thus moved from a late first-round pick up to No. 15 overall. A similar workout-phenom jump happened to Williamson. Such overdrafting mistakes based on workouts can kill a team. All in all, this is a position that plays out as more of a risk than others.
This year’s candidates: Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Derrius Heyward-Bey

Tight ends: 3 of 3 positives (100 percent)
Positives: Kellen Winslow II, Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks
Neutrals: Vernon Davis
Negatives: None
Thoughts: It’s a little weird to look at this list, because none of the guys on the list has been lights-out dominant. But Winslow, Shockey, and Franks have all been productive (if a little tempermental, in the cases of Winslow and Shockey). Still, in our simple plus/minus grading, each of the three gets a plus. Davis would get a minus, but there’s still hope, and he actually started to come around at the end of the season after Mike Singletary went beyond benching and banished him off the sideline in a midseason game. Because there’s still hope for Davis, we’ll leave him neutral for now.
This year’s candidates: Brandon Pettigrew

Offensive line: 14 of 16 positives (88 percent)
Positives: Jake Long, Ryan Clady, Branden Albert, Joe Thomas, Levi Brown, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Jamaal Brown, Shawn Andrews, Jordan Gross, Bryant McKinnie, Levi Jones, Leonard Davis, Kenyatta Walker, Chris Samuels
Neutrals: Chris Williams
Negatives: Robert Gallery, Mike Williams
Thoughts: This position was one where the history is striking. If you want a safe pick at the top of the draft, take the offensive tackle. While there are a couple of notable busts, most of the time you get good value out of it. Some of these tackles are superstars, including recent top picks Long, Clady, and Thomas. But even the tackles who haven’t been started for a while, either at tackle or inside at guard. For example, Leonard Davis was not a great tackle, but he’s become a roadgrader at guard. Gallery moved to guard from tackle as well, but he’s a starter who hasn’t proven to be dominant. The numbers here surprised me in this research project, and they make me lean even more to this year’s crop of quality offensive tackles.
This year’s candidates: Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, Andre Smith, Michael Oher, Eben Britton

There were many big offensive and defensive plays on Saturday. But i had to pick one offensive and one defensive play that stood out as the play of the week. This was no easy task and i might have overlooked a play or two that i either didn’t see or forgot about.

Offensive play of the week: The offensive play of the week is the 96 yard kickoff return by Texas WR/KR Jordan Shipley. The Longhorns were trailing rival Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 14-3 when Shipley returned the kick for the touchdown. The return got Texas right back in the game when it was looking like Oklahoma was about to run off with the victory. Shipley ended the game with 11 receptions for 112 yards receiving and two total touchdowns.

Defensive play of the week: The defensive play of the week comes courtesty of University of Tennessee cornerback Eric Berry. This is actually a combination of two tremendous plays by Berry. The first play is an interception off Georgia QB Matt Stafford in the endzone and the subsequent return. The following play is the big hit Berry put on All-SEC running back Knowshown Moreno that forced Moreno out of the game. The interception was Berry’s fourth on the season.

BYU's Hall is new to the Heisman Watch's Top 5

1. Chase Daniel | QB | Missouri
Nebraska, Oklahoma State, then a trip to Texas. Can Daniel continue to put up huge numbers?

2. Knowshown Moreno | RB | Georgia
Moreno’s numbers may not be as gaudy as the QB’s on this list, but he’s still been dominating the competition. Solid games against Bama and UT could put him atop this list.

3. Mark Sanchez | QB | USC
At this point, some are wondering if Sanchez is really one of the best or just a product of the machine that is the USC Trojans.

4. Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma
Bradford may have fewer yards and TD’s than Daniel, but he’s been every bit as impressive against slightly better competition.

5. Max Hall | QB | BYU
Not in a BCS conference? Doesn’t matter. Hall’s 1200+ yards and 15 TDs make him a worthy candidate.

Each week, BasketballForum.com’s posters vote for the top Heisman candidates. Don’t miss your chance to vote in next week’s Heisman Watch in BasketballForum.com’s College Football Forum.

Daniel is the new #1

1. Chase Daniel | QB | Missouri
It was inevitable. The Tigers cupcake schedule has allowed Daniel put up huge numbers in the first 3 weeks of the season.

2. Mark Sanchez | RB | USC
As expected, the big win over Ohio State moved the Trojan QB up a spot in BBF’s Heisman Watch.

3. Tim Tebow | QB | Florida
A strong game against the Vols could put Tebow back on top.

4. Knowshown Moreno | RB | Georgia
Moreno and the Dawgs scored just 14 points this past week. The RB carried the ball 20 times but only ran for 79 yards. He’ll need bigger numbers if he wants to stay in the hunt.

5. Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma
The 5 TD’s this past week puts Bradford up to 12. The 214 ranking isn’t bad either.

Each week, BasketballForum.com’s posters vote for the top Heisman candidates. Don’t miss your chance to vote in next week’s Heisman Watch in BasketballForum.com’s College Football Forum.

UGA's Moreno is gaining ground on SEC-rival Tebow.

1. Tim Tebow | QB | Florida
As expected, the numbers aren’t as gaudy, but the results are the same. Tebow and the 2-0 Gators get a week to rest before traveling to Rocky Top to face the Vols.

2. Knowshon Moreno | RB | Georgia
Two matchups against sub-par opponents have allowed Moreno to rack up the carries and TD’s (6). Next up for the Bulldogs: USC Gamecocks.

3. Chase Daniel | QB | Missouri
Through two weeks, Daniel has 568 yards and 6 TD’s. With those numbers, it’s a wonder the Tigers’ QB isn’t #1 on this list.

4. Mark Sanchez | QB | USC
Sanchez quickly put all worries about his knee to rest, throwing for 338 yards (26 of 35 passes) and 3 touchdowns in the Trojans week one romp over Virginia. The USC QB could raise his stock with a big performance against #5 Ohio State.

5. Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma
More cupcakes, more huge numbers. With Washington, TCU, and Baylor up next, Bradford may continue to pile on the stats.

Each week, BasketballForum.com’s posters vote for the top Heisman candidates. Don’t miss your chance to vote in next week’s Heisman Watch in BasketballForum.com’s College Football Forum.

This week’s ballots can be found here.

Tebow passed for 32 TD and ran for 23 TD in '07

1. Tim Tebow | QB | Florida
As would be expected, the 2007 Heisman Award Winner leads the way in this year’s Heisman preseason voting. Tebow is attempting to become the first two-time Heisman winner since Ohio State’s Archie Griffindid it in ‘74 and ‘75.

2. Chris Wells | RB | Ohio State
Wells’ Heisman hopes hinge on the the Buckeyes’ Sept. 13 matchup with #2 USC. A strong showing could vault Beanie into the #1 spot on many voters’ Heisman lists.

3. Knowshon Moreno | RB | Georgia
Moreno will attempt to become the second sophomore to ever win the Heisman. First, he’ll have to lead his #1 Georgia Bulldogs over SEC rival Florida and the only man to win the prestigious award as an underclassman.

4. Pat White | QB | West Virginia
All of West Virginia hopes that White will pick up where he left off in ‘07. In the Mountaineers’ upset win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, White threw for 176 yards and 2 TD and ran for 150 more yards.

5. Chase Daniel | QB | Missouri
Daniel and the Missouri Tigers were one of the surprise stories in ‘07. In ‘08, they’re national title contenders. One thing is for sure – the Big 12 and the rest of the country won’t be sleeping on the Tigers this year.

Each week, BasketballForum.com’s posters vote for the top Heisman candidates. Don’t miss your chance to vote in next week’s Heisman Watch in BasketballForum.com’s College Football Forum.

This week’s ballots can be found here.