CollegeSportsMatchups releases Heisman Trophy watch list

story by Matt Nascone, College Sports Matchups (CSM is a content partner with The City Wire)
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Editors note: The writers made their selection for this week prior to Mark Ingram’s injury. Next week we will see how much impact his injury has on their picks.

Here at CollegeSportsMatchups.com, our goal is to make you as informed about the world of collegiate football as possible. Therefore, every week during the 2010 college football season, our staff writers will give you their top Heisman candidates. Feel free to debate us, commend us or inform us with your own watch list by commenting below.

This week, Matt Nascone will offer his reasons for his top five candidates.

1. Dion Lewis
He is one of the most explosive running backs in the country for one of the most intriguing teams in the country. The Pittsburgh football team will go as far as this sophomore speedster can take them. With games against Utah, Miami and Notre Dame, the Panthers will stay in the national spotlight, which will help Lewis’ candidacy for the top individual award. Lewis has been lost somewhat among the quarterbacks being hyped for the award, much the way last season’s winner, Mark Ingram, was lost in the shuffle of the Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford debate.

2. Jake Locker
Locker should be the first quarterback taken in the 2011 NFL Draft and is the best pro-style passer in the nation. If Washington can catch fire and make a run through the Pac-10, Locker will be the reason why. With a year of running coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense and both of his top receivers (Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar) returning, this could be a special year for Washington football and Locker.

3. Mark Ingram
Alabama’s feature running back will take a shot at doing what only one man has done in the 76-year history of the Heisman Trophy. Former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin won the award two-straight years in 1974-75, and Ingram will attempt to join Griffin on that hallowed ground this season. He does play for the preseason No. 1 squad, but he also shares the backfield with a talented sophomore in Trent Richardson.

4. Terrelle Pryor
Pryor has entered the season as several publications’ favorite to bring home the award. Ohio State is in a great position to run the table on the way to a national championship berth once again, and Pryor could benefit from a weak top portion of the schedule. The Buckeyes face Miami in the ‘Shoe on Sept. 11, but OSU does not face another quality opponent until a trip to Wisconsin five weeks later. Just ask Troy Smith how a weak schedule treated his chances at the Heisman in 2006.

5. Robert Quinn
There are several quarterbacks that could take this slot, but two of them play in non-BCS conferences while one of them is overrated and plays for a team that will not allow him to win. Granted, Quinn’s North Carolina team will not be the best team in the land at the end of the year, but he could put up Ndamukong Suh-like numbers this year and become the defensive player that all the media talking heads tell you could walk away with the award. The chance is slim for Quinn to pull down the award, but the guy told The Herald-Sun that his goals for this season are: “27 sacks and a Heisman.” He deserves to be on the list simply for that comment. Now if the NCAA will just let him get on the field.

For the rest of the CSM writers’ picks, see below.
Todd Anderson (CSM writer)
1. Mark Ingram
2. Kellen Moore
3. Christian Ponder
4. Ryan Mallett
5. Dion Lewis

Chris Benjamin (CSM writer)
1. Terrelle Pryor
2. Ryan Mallett
3. Mark Ingram
4. Ricky Stanzi
5. Kellen Moore

Gary Brown (CSM writer)
1. Ryan Mallett
2. Terrelle Pryor
3. Kellen Moore
4. Jake Locker
5. Dion Lewis

Matt Pellegrin (CSM writer)
1. LaMichael James
2. Case Keenum
3. Dion Lewis
4. Ryan Williams
5. Kellen Moore

Chris Rushing (CSM writer)
1. Mark Ingram
2. Dion Lewis
3. Ryan Mallett
4. Jake Locker
5. Christian Ponder

Check back after the first week of games and throughout the season to see how everyone’s list changed.