If not for a bad second half against the Oregon Ducks, the Stanford Cardinal may have been in discussion for the BCS National Championship. In fact, I bet they would be the 1st or 2nd ranked team in the country right up there with the Auburn Tigers. They are now 10-1 on the season and 7-1 in the Pac-10 after beating the Cal Golden Bears 48 to 14 on Saturday. Andrew Luck threw for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran 3 times for 72 yards. If not for Cam Newtown, Andrew Luck would be the front runner for the Heisman Trophy possibly. He still should be attending the ceremony. If Oregon falters against Arizona or Oregon State, then Stanford could be sneaking in as Pac-10 Champs.
The Pac-10 has a number of talented players. As of right now, the Pac-10 has 2 players within striking distance of the Heisman Trophy. As always, the player must be on a contending team or at least a team that has been in the mix for a BCS game. Currently, LaMichael James from Oregon and Andrew Luck are 3rd and 4th in the ESPN Heisman Trophy watch. They trail Cameron Newton of Auburn and Kellen Moore of Boise State. The rankings change on a week to week basis but if Oregon and Stanford can stay in the BCS mix and keep delivering, both will have a chance at the end of the season.
Former USC star running back Reggie Bush became the first player ever to return the Heisman Trophy this week. By forfeiting the trophy, Bush officially now has lost the coveted trophy and severely tarnished his reputation. He claimed he "wasn't admitting any wrongdoing" by returning the trophy. Apparently by returning the trophy doesn't imply he did something illegal. The Heisman Trust has already said that they will keep the 2005 trophy vacated and not give it to somebody else (Vince Young).
