The pageantry surrounding the Heisman race officially became a formality after Cam Newton rallied Auburn from a 24-0 deficit to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl. As for the rest of our weekly rankings, the personnel remains the same, but the order changes.
1. Cam Newton » It wasn’t pretty. In fact, Alabama held Newton to his second-lowest rushing total of the season (39 yards on 22 carries). Here’s the important part, though: Auburn scored four touchdowns, and Newton accounted for all of them (three passing, one rushing). The Heisman is his. Last week » 1
2. LaMichael James » James (31 touches, 146 yards, two scores) and Oregon ran Pac-10 rival Arizona right out of Eugene in the second half Friday night, outscoring the Wildcats 34-10 in the final two quarters. Last week » 3
3. Kellen Moore » A prime example of how a team’s fate can affect an individual’s chase. Moore’s 54-yard rainbow pass to Titus Young with two seconds left against Nevada on Friday was a classic Heisman moment. Had Boise State won, it would have vaulted Moore into Newton’s neighborhood. Then Kyle Brotzman missed the first of two chip-shot field goals, and the Broncos lost. Last week » 2
4. Andrew Luck » The Stanford quarterback’s NFL Draft stock is soaring, especially after Saturday’s 305-yard, four-touchdown carving session against Oregon State. Last week » 5
5. Justin Blackmon » In a word: wow. Blackmon, hobbled by an ankle injury and forced to the sideline after nearly every catch Saturday in the Bedlam Series, still managed to grab eight passes for 105 yards and a score in a loss to Oklahoma. Last week » 4
