YCS/Heisman Watch - Week 10

What a week in college football! Not only did we see significant upsets (including props to the Naval Academy), but controversy continues to reign supreme in the SEC! How will the crooked calls affect the YCS? Did Mark Ingram do enough to reclaim the #1 spot in the RSS Heisman Watch? Find out, follow me!

YCS STANDINGS

1. Texas (9-0, last week W vs, UCF 35-3 up next Sat at Baylor)

-Texas remains #1 in the YCS, which may elicit some grumblings from the RSS faithful. But, you have to ask yourself, is a 35-3 win over UCF much worse than what Florida did in an unimpressive victory against Vandy, or how 'Bama skirted yet another conference loss. Behind a suffocating defense and the rebirth of the McCoy to Shipley connection, and Texas looks unbeatable right now. What more can you say after Jordan Shipley set a school record with 273 yards receiving? The one bugaboo all season for this team seems to be their slow starts...they were held scoreless once again in the 1st quarter by UCF.

2. Alabama (9-0, last week W vs. #9 LSU 24-15, up next Sat. at Miss. St.)

-Well, it wouldn't be a normal Monday around RSS if we didn't have another conspiracy theory to advance. Once again, it was the Tide at the center of controversy. Ahead 21-15 with just under 6 minutes left in the 4th, Bama QB Greg McElroy looked to be intercepted by by LSU's Patrick Peterson. Once again though, the eyes of the college football world disagreed with a conference replay official...we'll let you make the call, with the help of a mysterious narator.

Would LSU have been able to do anything with that interception, who knows. The problem is, we'll never know. The SEC has an obligation to investigate these officiating calls because only one of two situations is possible. Either the officials are blatantly biased towards better teams Florida and Alabama, or the SEC is home to the worst officials in college. Either way, something is rotten in the state of the SEC. Give the Tide credit though, they still beat a top 10 team and clinched their spot in the SEC title game. Now if only they can get WR Julio Jones to keep providing those big plays.

3. Florida (9-0, last week W vs. Vandy 27-3, up next Sat at South Carolina)

-Florida is a unanimous #1 in every poll...except in the one that tells you like it is, the YCS! Has Florida done anything in the last month, heck, in the entire season that was really impressive? I didn't think so. Tim Tebow continues to look more Clark Kent than Superman while his coach's holier-than-thou attitude is getting old quick. You know no one in the country would love to derail the Gators title dreams than an old friend of the program, Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Out of the Top 3, Florida will have the closest call next Saturday.

4. Cincinnati (9-0, last week W vs. UConn 47-45, up next Fri. vs. #25 West Virginia )

-How could the Bearcats possibly be disappointed after gaining a school record 711 yards and their QB Zach Collaros gaining a Big East record 555 yards? The answer, by giving up a 37-17 3rd quarter lead to UConn. Teams looking to bust the BCS can't afford to look that bad defensively against a weakened opponent. Also keep in mind the QB controversy that is quickly looming with the return of a healthy Tony Pike. Under normal circumstances, bringing back an early Heisman candidate wouldn't seem foolish in the least. But, should HC Brian Kelly mess with the rhythm his offense has developed? It looks like Pike will get the start, but all eyes will be on UC's head coach on Friday night if there's any early sputtering against WVU.

5. TCU (9-0, last game W at San Diego St. 55-12, up next Sat. vs. #16 Utah)

-Once again, TCU turned in the most dominant performance from a Top 10 team with their demolition of San Diego St. Still, their prospects of a miracle title run are unfortunately out of their hands. They need either a Texas loss, or a regular season loss by either Florida or Bama, which doesn't seem likely at this point. But, give them credit for continuing to make the country take notice. Their last big impression will be made this Saturday against a legit Top 25 opponent in Utah.

6. Boise St. (9-0, last week W at La. Tech 45-35, up next Sat. vs. Idaho)

-Boise continues to lag behind the unbeaten pack after another scuffling conference victory. This time, it was at Louisiana Tech where the Broncos struggled to pull away from weaker competition. Without a quality opponent left on their schedule, it's going to take a lot of Hail Mary's (oh...right, Boise St. probably not a Catholic institution...oh well) for Boise to have a prayer at even a BCS berth, let alone a title shot.

7. Georgia Tech (9-1, last game W vs. Wake Forest 30-27(OT), up next Sat. at Duke)

-Can you believe Georgia Tech has climbed all the way to 7th in the YCS? We told you to keep an eye on powerhouse RB Jonathan Dwyer, who didn't disappoint with another career high 189 yards rushing. But, it was the leadership of QB Josh Nesbitt leading his team back from a 14-0 deficit and leading the GW TD drive in overtime. The only roadblock between them and the ACC title game remains the Dukies...yes, the esteemed Duke football program. Next!

8. LSU (7-2, last game L at #3 Alabama 24-15, up next Sat. vs. La. Tech)

-Admittedly, there's currently a big gap between the Top 7 in the YCS and the rest of the Top 10. Begrudgingly, common sense dictates LSU takes the 8th spot. How can a team possibly move up two spots after losing? Consider their only two losses on the season have come to Florida and Alabama and in both defeats, LSU had chances in the 4th quarter to take the lead. But, injuries will certainly be a concern moving forward after losing their starting backfield against the Tide. We still make more sense than those other polls, right?

9. Oregon (7-2, last game L at Stanford 51-41 , up next Sat. vs. Arizona St.)

-Keeping with our common sense theme, Oregon has to slot in at #9 despite a surprising loss at Stanford. Give Jim Harbaugh and Stanford credit for playing well, and you have to be skeptical of a USC hangover for Chip Kelly's Ducks. Still, Oregon controls their own destiny for a Rose Bowl bid. The more interesting matter for Oregon will be how the team handles reinstatement of troubled RB LeGarette Blount, who once again is being given a second chance.

10. USC (7-2, last game W at Arizona St. 14-9, up next Sat. vs. Stanford)

-USC barely claims the last spot in the YCS over Ohio St., who they beat in October, although it seems like a lifetime ago for this year's Trojans. Although excuses will surely follow, this team simply doesn't look like the Trojans of the past few years. The once sensation Fr. QB Matt Barkley was only 7/22 for 112 yards. Maybe he's hit the freshmen wall, but if he were at a different school instead of under Pete Carroll you might hear the R word starting to be whispered...regression.

Dropped from the YCS: Iowa

Just Missed Out: Ohio St., Pittsburgh

-The bloom finally fell of the rose (and yes, I've been waiting to use that particular pun) for the Hawkeyes with their loss over the weekend at home to Northwestern. Yes they lost starting QB Ricky Stanzi to an ankle injury in the 1st half, but everyone knew eventually Iowa's talent level would catch up with them, it was just surprising that it came a week early. Their next opponent, Ohio St., sits just outside the YCS after their most impressive win in 2 years at Penn St. Don't look now, but QB Terrelle Pryor is turning into a leader, making up for his costly fumble last year against the Nittany Lions. Meanwhile, Pitt has to be in the discussion for still having 1-loss...but that's where they should stay. Look at their schedule if you have to ask why.

RSS HEISMAN WATCH

1. Mark Ingram-RB-Alabama (last week 22 rushes, 144 yards)

-Mark Ingram reasserts himself at the top of the Heisman Watch for his performance against a tough LSU defense. Once again, it's not just the numbers Ingram has posted this season, it's the way he's gone about it. No back in the country runs as hard as Ingram, and no back had more important yards than Ingram did on Saturday to salt away his team's victory. Ingram's lead isn't insurmountable, more TDs would help his cause, but he certainly has the look of a Heisman winner.

2. Colt McCoy-QB-Texas (last week 33/42, 470 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT)

-Colt McCoy may have started his push for the Heisman a couple of weeks too late, but since his uneven performance against Oklahoma, the Longhorns QB has steadily increased his Heisman chances. The key for McCoy will be to put together consecutive impressive statistical games. It seems every time he finally has a good game, he throws for under 200 yards the next. He will literally have to feast on late opposition down the stretch to catch Ingram.

3. C.J. Spiller-RB-Clemson (last week 22 rushes 165 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 67 yards, 1 TD)

-C.J. Spiller makes his long-awaited debut on the RSS Heisman Watch. Finally after weeks of outstanding all-around performances, he finally made us take note with his miniature Heisman pose against Florida St. Spiller is one of the leading all-purpose gainers in the country, and his spectacular highlights have been a bright spot for Clemson. Hopefully he gets an invite to New York for his efforts, then again, he plays for Clemson.

4. Tim Tebow-QB-Florida (last week 15/20, 208 yards 1 TD, 16 rushes, 27 yards, 1 TD)

-You know that rash you've had for about a month that you can't get rid of...that's Tim Tebow's Heisman campaign. Despite lackluster numbers, he somehow manages to stick in the national consciousness because of his charisma, leadership, and past accomplishments. Don't discount the talking heads that will come out of the woodwork if Florida remains undefeated throughout the season. Please Heisman voters, take a stand! Don't continue to make the award about the best player on the best team...just say no to Tebow.

5. Case Keenum-QB-Houston (last week 40/60, 522 yards, 3 TDs)

-While I've said before I'm hesitant to give credit to "system QBs", Case Keenum has forced his way back into the Top 5 with his most recent eye-popping performance. While Keenum's pro prospects won't be determined for a while, you gotta think he's having a blast bringing Houston's XBox style offense to life.

Dropping Out of the Race: The two golden boys from Notre Dame, Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate drop out of the Heisman Watch for good. Maybe the dwindling Notre Dame apologists can still find some award to hand one of these guys, because they are talented players...too bad that won't help Little Tuna's job security.

Keep an Eye On: Dion Lewis-RB-Pittsburgh

While we've already expressed our skepticism over Wanny's Panthers, there's no questioning the talent of freshman sensation Dion Lewis. Lewis is well over 1000 yards on the season and has been one of the major reasons Pitt has climbed into AP Top 10. He'll get a chance to impress in front of a national audience this Saturday against a reeling Fighting Irish.

That's it for this week's YCS and Heisman Watch. Feel free to tell us how wrong we are by commenting on one of our posts. Also look for our NFL recap tomorrow as well as Our Top 10 Games of the Decade...we promise. Until tomorrow, it's bye for now!