Preseason Heisman Favorites

Preseason Top 5 Heisman Candidates: 

1. Andrew Luck- The 6'4, 235 pound quarterback enters this season as the face of College Football after a very impressive 2010 campaign and a 2nd place finish in Heisman voting. If Luck repeats the year he had last season and leads Stanford to another great season then he should be a shoe in for the Heisman Trophy.

Richardson will have to face some of the

toughest defenses in the nation

2. Kellen Moore- Boise St's starting quarterback for the last three seasons is entering his Senior year and looks to lead the Broncos to their first National Title game. Moore lead the nation in passer rating last season along with throwing for 3,845 yards and 35 touchdowns. Moore's Heisman hopes rely on how far he carries the Broncos. 

3. LaMichael James- The speedy Oregon running back finished third in the Heisman voting last year despite missing the first game due to a suspension. The 5'9 back eventually rebounded by leading the nation in rushing with 1,731 yards. James also reached the end zone an NCAA best 24 times. Look for James to be the leader of arguably the best running back core in College Football.

4. Trent Richardson- Richardson is the best player on the nation's best team and looks to thrive with uncertainty at the quarterback position. Richardson had an unimpressive 700 yards on the ground last season but was the back up to 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Look for the Bama back to get at least 250 touches, twice as much as he had in 2010. If he gets anywhere near his amazing 6.2 yards a carry from last season he should be in the hunt.

5. Stephen Garcia- Despite not being the most talented player on the South Carolina roster I think Garcia has the best shot at winning the Heisman out of anyone playing for the Gamecocks. Most of that is due to All American Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery along with Marcus Lattimore in the backfield keeping defenses on edge. Garcia has a chip on his shoulder after being suspended the entire offseason and looks to improve on his 3,000 yard 20 touchdown season in 2010. 

Preseason Outlook: Non AQ

Here's a look at the top teams that can't automatically qualify for a birth in a BCS Bowl but still have a shot at cracking the Top 25.

1. Boise St: Heisman Trophy finalist Kellen Moore returns to lead the Broncos to hopefully another BCS game and maybe even a national title appearance as they move to the Mountain West. Kellen Moore will be helped by running back Doug Martin, who had over 1200 yards last year, and receiver Tyler Shoemaker. The defense has always taken a back seat to the powerful offense but it is still extremely good, giving up only 12.8 point per game last season. The defense is a little under sized in some areas but is always one of the  fastest and most aggressive defenses in College Football. Boise St starts off with a big game vs Georgia and will face TCU on  November 12th. Article on Kellen Moore and the Broncos here: Boise St in 2011

Ed Wesley looks to lead TCU back to a BCS Bowl

2. TCU: The Horned Frogs are coming into the 2011 season after an upset win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl to finish off the season with a 13-0 record. They are also just a year away from a move to the Big East. TCU loses Andy Dalton, a four year starter at quarterback, and some key players from the best defense in the nation but should only drop of a little bit despite those loses. They return leading rusher Ed Wesley and their top receiver in sophomore Josh Boyce. The defense will be very good in 2011 but not the same team that stepped on the field last season and gave up only 12 points a game. The battle between TCU on November 12th will likely determine the winner of the Mountain West.

3. Notre Dame: Brian Kelly enters his second year as head coach of the Irish and he has them poised to get back to double digit wins in South Bend. Quarterback Dayne Crist is back after a knee injury forced him to miss the final four games and the bowl appearance. He will be joined by Cierre Wood in the backfield and his top three targets from last season will be back, led by Michael Floyd. Junior Manti Te'o was sensational last season and will likely be the leader of an improved front seven. A difficult schedule that includes South Florida, Michigan, Michigan St, Pittsburgh, Air Force, USC, Navy, Maryland, Boston College, and Stanford and a developing secondary could keep the Irish from that ten win season.

Tim Jefferson will lead the Falcons'

triple option attack

4. BYU: BYU fans wish Jimmer played football but instead they'll have to rely to sophomore quarterback Jake Heaps for the upcoming season. The Cougars enter their first season as an independent and Heaps will be at control of the offense. Heaps started last year as a freshman and helped salvage their season after winning five of their last six games and ending with a 7-6 record. Running back JJ Di Luigi, best name in College Football, was a threat in both the running and passing games last season (917 rushing 443 receiving) and comes back as the leader in both categories. BYU's best defenders, LB Jordan Pendleton and DT Romney Fuga, didnt play much last season due to injuries but are coming back to lead a much improved defense.

5. Air Force: Tim Jefferson comes back to lead an Air Force team that ranked second in the nation in rushing last season thanks to the triple option offense. Jefferson comes back with leading rusher Asher Clark and leading receiver Jonathan Warzeka back on the roster. The back seven of the defense will be strong with a great returning linebacking core and a solid secondary. The problem will be up front on the line. The Falcons should hang close with the likes of TCU and Boise in the Mountain West but I think they are just out of reach.

Others to Watch

-Navy Midshipmen: The triple option looks to continue despite not having Ricky Dobbs

-San Diego St Aztecs: RB Ronnie Hillman will be one of the best in the nation

-Houston Cougars: Case Keenum is back.

- Central Florida Knights: The Knights look to improve on a top 25 finish last season

-SMU Mustangs: The most talented team in the C-USA looks to make a third straight Bowl game

More Previews:

ACC

Big 12

Big East

Big Ten

Pac 12

SEC

Boise St's season lies on the arm of Kellen Moore

Heisman Trophy finalist Kellen Moore anchors

the Broncos potent offense.

Boise St has been waiting and waiting for that shot at a football national championship since then broke onto the scene big time back in 2007 by beating Oklahoma in one of the best BCS Bowl games of all time. Boise has been the most dominating programs over the last decade, winning the most games and having the best win percentage out of any team in College Football. They have continually been looked down upon because of having a weak schedule yet continue to win games season after season. Can Kellen Moore prove the doubters wrong and lead the Broncos to the pinnacle of College Sports this season?

Kellen Moore has been one of the elite players in College Football since he stepped on campus in Boise his freshman year. Moore has lost only two games while being under center for the Broncos  (TCU in '08, Nevada '10) and looks to have another undefeated season like he did in 2009. Moore's personal achievements culminated last season when he was selected as one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy Award.

Moore dominated in almost every passing category last season, ranking 1st in passer rating, 6th in passing yards, 3rd in completion percentage 4th in touchdowns and all while throwing only 6 interceptions. Last season wasn't a one time thing either. The lefty has thrown for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in all three seasons. Despite all of these accomplishments Kellen Moore has been one of the most humble characters off the field, not getting into any trouble and always having time to talk to the press. Moore looks to continue his amazing career this season even with the schedule being more difficult this upcoming season.

Kicker Kyle Brotzman after missing two field goals

against Nevada

Boise St moves to the Mountain West conference from the WAC for the 2011 season. They had hoped to face the likes of Utah, BYU, and TCU year in and year out but Utah left to help form the new Pac 12, BYU went independent, and TCU will head to the Big East for the 2012 season. Their schedule will still be more difficult then in years past by facing TCU, rival Nevada, Air Force, Georgia, and San Diego St.

This upcoming season maybe the best shot in years for the Broncos to make that title run, barring any Kyle Brotzman like moments. Many analysts, coaches, fans, even college presidents (looking at you Ohio St.) look down on Boise St as an elite program. Over the past decade they have continued to prove those doubters wrong and have turned themselves into a Top 25 program year in and year out and it looks like they wont be going away for a long time. Sooner or later they will break that barrier and with Kellen Moore under center and Chris Petersen at command I could see that happening this season.