Handicapping the Heisman v. 1.0

The college football season is a month old, and many of the Heisman contenders we expected in the preseason have performed mostly how we expected.

But rarely is a Heisman winner established in September. Doug Flutie of Boston College may be the only one. Flutie had six touchdowns in the opening month in 1984. Last year, not many even listed Mark Ingram as a possibility at this point in the season. It wasn't until the South Carolina game in mid-October that Ingram made his run.

This year, Ingram is again very much in contention along with a host of quarterbacks.

Here are the top contenders:

Mark Ingram, Alabama RB. Despite knee surgery, Ingram looks as powerful as last season when he wore down opponents en route to a national championship and Heisman Trophy. While history suggests it's nearly impossible to win back-to-back Heismans, Ingram has shown against Duke and Arkansas that barring a Bama loss, it'll be tough to knock him from the podium. Take the win at Arkansas. Ingram had 157 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a late score, to help Alabama to a 24-20 victory. Odds to win: 4:1

Denard "Shoelace" Robinson, Michigan QB. Robinson wasn't on anybody's preseason list of contenders. But his play out of the blocks, particularly against UConn and Notre Dame, put him in the Michigan record books and breathed hope back into a program. Without Robinson, the only talk about Michigan would be how soon Rich Rodriguez will be fired. Odds to win: 5:1

Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State QB. The lanky long-strider for the Buckeyes is extending the kind of play he started in last season's Rose Bowl. The only trouble is OSU has only played one quality team - Miami - and Pryor might not be able to bolster his numbers against Big Ten opponents until the Bucks play Wisconsin or Iowa. But he has more than 1,200 offensive yards and 13 touchdowns. Odds to win: 5:1

Andrew Luck, Stanford QB. Luck's stock has risen alongside the Cardinal's undefeated start, not the least of which includes ESPN NFL Draft expect Mel Kiper, Jr. promoting him to the top spot on his "Big Board" of prospects. Odds to win: 7:1

Kellen Moore, Boise State QB. Moore's individual hopes are likely to be parallel with the Broncos' pursuit of a national championship. The same argument that's made about Boise's supposed hollow chance at playing for the BCS championship could be saddled to Moore. He isn't doing it against top-shelf opponents. Odds to win: 9:1

LaMichael James, Oregon RB. The speedy Duck tailback's hopes of a trip to NYC likely hinge on his team's record, presumably if the Ducks can stay undefeated. He's averaging 8.19 yards per carry and is second in the nation with 158.3 rushing yards per game. Odds to win: 12:1

Ryan Mallett, Arkansas QB. With a win over Alabama last week, the 6-foot-6, strong-armed Mallett would have been a favorite to win the trophy. But two late interceptions virtually erased his name from the conversation. If the Hogs win out and Bama loses, Mallett might sneak an invitation to New York (a.k.a making the top four), but he won't be a serious contender. Odds to win: 15:1