1.)           Mark Ingram                      Alabama              RB

When a Heisman winner returns to school, they should always be considered the front runner. He’s the best player on the best team in the country.

2.)           Christian Ponder              Florida State       QB

Many forget that Ponder was a Heisman threat last season as he led the NCAA in efficiency before the shoulder injury. He will receive most/all of the credit for a great FSU season.

3.)           Terrelle Pryor                   Ohio State           QB

When you look at Pryor you wonder why he hasn’t gotten more acclaim than he has to this point. Terrelle might get just that if he leads his Buckeyes to an undefeated season.

4.)           Dion Lewis                         Pittsburgh           RB

Any guy who comes in and breaks most of Tony Dorsett’s freshman records deserves a great amount of attention. If the Panthers have a great season it will have a lot to do with Lewis.

5.)           Kellen Moore                    Boise State         QB

The model of consistency in college football is Boise State and the team’s signal caller. Moore threw three picks last and served as a great leader; now he’s on everyone’s board.

6.)           Jake Locker                         Washington        QB

If the Heisman went to the most versatile player in the country then Locker would be a “lock” for the trophy. Unfortunately for him the award is generally tied to record in addition to performance.

7.)           Jacquizz Rodgers              Oregon State     RB

Oregon State has a great chance of winning the Pac-10 this season and Jacquizz Rodgers might be the catalyst for it. He’s a threat in multiple phases of the game.

8.)           Evan Royster                      Penn State          RB

Penn State has a revamped defense, an offensive line that needs to gel, and a new signal caller; the only sign of consistency is Royster. If they have a great season he will surely be the reason.

9.)           Case Keenum                    Houston               QB

The Houston Cougars had their best season since the Andre Ware days. If they have a near flawless season, they could have a second QB hoisting the trophy.

10.)        Landry Jones                      Oklahoma           QB

This is my dark horse to win the Heisman this season. The last time a Sooners QB won the award was in ’03 and no one outside of Norman knew his name before the season; sound familiar?

11.)        Ryan Mallett                      Arkansas              QB

This guy has the arm to win any award on the table. The unfortunate factors that will hinder him are as follows: pro-style offense, suspect defense, won’t finish in the top 5 in the conference.

12.)        Andrew Luck                      Stanford              QB

Jim Harbaugh is lucky man to have a kid of this caliber on his hands. He’s the closest thing to Elway that I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately/fortunately his chances of going #1 in the draft are higher than his Heisman hopes.

13.)        Ricky Dobbs                        Navy                      QB

The trophy sometimes goes to a guy with freakishly good numbers and this guy can produce them. If he can help Navy to a 10 win season he has a great chance of lifting the trophy in December.

14.)        Ryan Williams                    Virginia Tech      QB

They’re has been a three year run on sophomores bringing home the Heisman. Williams has the ability to change any game; if he does it enough, he might find his way to the stage.

15.)        John Brantley                    Florida                  QB

Brantley is in a great situation since he gets to follow the great Tebow. The team has enough talent to win games and the expectations are low. If he throws 40 TDs (like I expect) he should open some eyes.

16.)        LaMichael James              Oregon                                 RB

I fully expect LaMichael James to have another excellent season running the ball. Unfortunately the Heisman committee doesn’t look too kindly upon off the field issues.

17.)        Noel Devine                       West Virginia         RB

The Mountaineers have a new QB leading the charge; what does this mean for Devine? Noel will get more carries than normal. I expect to see something north of 300.

18.)        Ricky Stanzi                         Iowa                      QB

The Hawkeyes will probably end up winning the Big 10 this year in normal Hawkeye fashion. No one on the team will emerge as a true Heisman candidate due to a balanced attack; sorry Mr. Stanzi!

19.)        Andy Dalton                       TCU                        QB

If Dalton had any chance of winning the Heisman it would have been last season. The Horned Frogs won’t have another undefeated season and he won’t have another season with that level of efficiency.

20.)        Jerrod Johnson                 Texas A&M           QB

Last but not least on my list is Jerrod Johnson. He has all the tools to be a Heisman winner but his Jekyll and Hyde moments coupled with an 8-4 campaign on the brink say different.