by Juan Leer

Created on: October 22, 2010

The 2010 season has been very interesting, with a lot of topsy-turvy at the top of the polls and in the Heisman races. As we approach the halfway point of the season, however, some of the top Heisman candidates have started to distinguish themselves.

The leader, at this point, seems to be Cameron Newton of Auburn. In his first season, he has been the top dual-threat QB in the country, bowling over and past defenders running the ball while remaining near the top in the country in passing efficiency. He has Auburn playing great football and looking like one of the top teams in the country. If both he and Auburn can keep it up, Newton looks to have a great chance to win the Heisman.

Another candidate is Denard Robinson, though he plays for a Michigan team that is beginning to struggle. He started out the season very strong, and is on pace for over 2,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing, a feat which has never been accomplished in college football. However, he has had some injury problems this season, and the Wolverines defense is atrocious, meaning that it could be tough for Michigan to be a contender in the conference, which will make it difficult for him to get the respect needed to win the Heisman trophy.

A candidate on the West Coast is LaMichael James out of Oregon. He is the most explosive running back in the country, and is putting up eye popping numbers in a video game type of offense. He is liable to break a big play at any time, and is the biggest reason that Oregon seems to be the best team in the country. If Oregon remains undefeated and gets a spot in the national title game, James will have a great chance to win the college game's biggest trophy.

Finally, there is Andrew Luck, the quarterback for Stanford. He is one of the most talented players in the country, and has a chance to the first pick in the NFL Draft in April. He has helped lead Stanford to a resurgence as a program, and they have a chance to finish the season in the top 10 of the rankings. Look for him to continue to put up good numbers and show his impressive skill, meaning he will have a chance to win the Heisman.

Whatever happens, it will certainly be an interesting race in what has been a very entertaining college football season.

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