1. Kellen Moore, Boise State: The Broncos had the weekend off after Monday night's win over Virginia Tech, but for Moore to come across the country and be a difference-maker in the fourth quarter in front of a partisan crowd deserves some respect. He led a five-play, 56-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes that proved to be the decisive moment in the 33-30 win. Moore threw three for touchdowns without an interception against the Hokies, and he'll only rack up more impressive numbers against WAC opponents.
2. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State: In a showdown between two similar quarterbacks, Pryor came out on top -- zero turnovers against Jacory Harris' four. Pryor has clearly picked up where he left off in last season's Rose Bowl and is proving that performance wasn't a fluke. He led the Buckeyes to a 36-24 win over Miami, throwing for 233 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 113 yards and a touchdown. There are improvements he can still make in the passing game, but as long as he manages the game without turning it over, and remains a threat to run, the Buckeyes have a Heisman contender.
3. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas: When you're that good, and the competition is Louisiana-Monroe, you can afford to snooze in the first half. Mallett finished with 400 yards passing and three touchdowns with a rushing touchdown. Obviously the competition will get steeper against Georgia, but Mallett set school records against the Dawgs last year with 408 yards and five touchdown passes. It wasn't enough to win, but it was a Heisman-worthy performance.
4. Denard Robinson, Michigan: In a word, wow. Robinson 1, Notre Dame 0. He broke off the longest run in the history of Notre Dame stadium -- an 87-yarder for a touchdown. He set a school record for a quarterback with 502 yards total offense, including 258 yards rushing on 28 carries and 244 more passing. P.S.: He also directed the game-winning touchdown drive, scoring himself from 2 yards with 27 seconds left to give Michigan a 28-24 win. The only reason Robinson isn't No. 1 on my list is because I don't think he can keep it up. He's one player, and eventually defenses stop one player.
5. Patrick Peterson, LSU: He's one of the most electric players I've seen this season. He had only one tackle at Vanderbilt, but there's no doubting he's a lockdown corner with home run ability in the return game. He's a game-changer. Just ask North Carolina, which watched as he racked up 257 yards -- including an 87-yard touchdown -- on kickoff and punt returns.
Glad to see my boy denard in the mix.
