Top 10 Heisman Hopefuls after Week 7

Goodbye, Mr Heisman...I wonder if that was going through Peterson's head as he decided to celebrate that touchdown? He not only said goodbye to that award, but his teammates also said goodbye to any chance they had to play in the Big 12 title game. That play will probably be the last one that Peterson plays in a Sooner uniform. For all intensive purposes the Heisman becomes a two horse race with no disrespect to Mr. Slaton, but he'll need one heck of a run to unseat the other two. Garrett Wolfe needed to keep the momentum going but that came to a screeching halt last weekend. 1. Troy Smith - Smith has another solid performance in the Buckeye's win against the Spartans. He threw for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it is his presence on the field which is most impressive. Troy Smith has the moxie of a Heisman winner and when he is on the field the team knows they can lean on him and he'll push them to victory. 2. Brady Quinn - Quinn will benefit the most from Petersonless race because at the time he was the third wheel. Notre Dame had a week off to rest and relax for the Bruins. Quinn needs to put up some impressive numbers in the upcoming weeks to overcome the fact that Smith leads the #1 team in the nation. It will most likely all come down to how he performs against Southern California at the end of the season. 3. Steve Slaton - Slaton now becomes the best chance for a running back in this Heisman Race, which isn't saying too much since he is only a sophomore. He had 178 yards and one touchdown against the Orange but was overshadowed by his teammate Pat White who had over 200 yards rushing. This week is another stat building week before the real test against Louisville comes calling. 4. Calvin Johnson - With a week to rest his legs, Johnson will again be vaulted in the limelight as the Yellow Jackets travel to play Clemson in a primetime game. Surprisingly this could be a preview of the ACC title game. Johnson just has to hope that Reggie Ball shows up to play, and delivers the ball in somewhere in the vicinity of where he is running his route. If he keeps up his play he'll be a strong candidate since he is the best shot a receiver has at this award. 5. Michael Hart - The problem with Hart is that he is not flashy but by all means he is good. Against a defense that only allowed an average of 70 yards rushing per game, Hart ran for 112 yards and a touchdown. He runs the ball hard and is difficult to bring down but still gets noticed by no one. Michigan's top three ranking should help him get noticed more, but it could be too little too late. 6. Marshawn Lynch - The Bears' running back had another huge day running for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns against Washington State. Lynch is going to have a problem moving up because most of his games are played when the East Coasters are in bed. Lynch needs to take advantage of the media frenzy that will occur when Cal plays USC for the Pac 10 championship. If he has a big day there he will open a lot eyes. 7. Garrett Wolfe - Wolfe's chances all but ended with his 25 yard performance against Western Michigan. I think it is very unlikely that a Heisman winner would come from a team with 3 or more losses and not to mention that he plays in a non-BCS conference too. 8. Erik Ainge - Ainge has had a solid year and leading Tennessee to that impressive comeback against Georgia only helps his chances for next year. His 1657 yards and most importantly 69 percent completion percentage are nothing to be overlooked. 9. Darren McFadden - Another sophomore running back breaking into the list. McFadden seems to have his biggest games against the toughest opponents which is good because we all know the Heisman voters only watch marquee games. 10. P. J. Hill - I know many of you will have no clue who this guy is so let me introduce you to the next great Wisconsin running back. Hill is only a freshman and has rushed for over 100 yards in ever game but one (54 yds vs Michigan). As it stands right now Hill has over 1000 yards, 11 touchdowns, and a 5.8 ypc average. Honorable Mentions: Patrick White, Chad Henne, Ray Rice, DeSean Jackson, Chris Leak, and Colt Brennan