Top Five Heisman Candidates in 2010

The Heisman Trophy is awarded each year to the most outstanding college football player in the United States. The award is extremely prestigious, and every star college football athlete would love to win this amazing trophy. When did they start awarding the Heisman Trophy? The first trophy was awarded in 1935, and the first winner was Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago. Over the years many great athletes have joined this amazing club of winners, and on December 11th there will be another name added to the list. Let's take a look at the top five candidates to win the Heisman Trophy in 2010.

Top Five Heisman Trophy Candidates in 2010

1. Cameron Newton (Auburn)- If Newton wasn't the large favorite before, he is now after he engineered an amazing comeback against Alabama to keep the Auburn Tigers national title hopes alive and well. Newton has thrown for 2,254 yards and 22 touchdowns, and he has also run the ball for 1,336 yards. Newton averages 5.9 yards per carry on the ground. He has simply carried this Auburn team, and he is definitely the front runner at this point.

2. LaMichael James (Oregon)- The Oregon Ducks are ranked first in the country, and James is the leader of their offense. He averages 6.1 yards per carry, and he already has 19 touchdowns this season. He is the type of runner that can go the distance every single time he touches the football. If Newton doesn't win for some reason, James likely will.

3. Andrew Luck (Stanford)- Andrew Luck will likely be the number one draft pick in the NFL Draft when he leaves school, and I can certainly see why. Stanford's offense lacks the weapons that a team like Auburn or Oregon has, but Luck does it all for this offensive unit. He has thrown just seven interceptions, while passing for 28 touchdowns this year. Luck has a remote chance of winning it, but he will almost certainly finish in the top three.

4. Kellen Moore (Boise State)- Boise State lost to Nevada last week, but it certainly wasn't Moore's fault. In the last two years combined he has now thrown 69 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions. He is completing 71.1% of his passes this year. In my opinion, his statistics are more impressive than anyone else except for Newton, but the Boise State loss hurt his chances of winning or placing in the top two for this award.

5. Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)- Blackmon has helped Oklahoma State fans forget about Dez Bryant much more easily than they expected. He starred in the Bedlam rivalry game last week despite a severely sprained ankle. Blackmon has 102 catches on the year, and he is averaging 16.3 yards per reception.

The top four will likely be invited to New York City for the presentation, but it would be a shock to see someone other than Newton or James win the award this year.