Do the math: Orton takes home the Heisman

Between the computer inaccuracies of the Bowl Championship Series rankings and the installment of instant replay into the Big Ten, there is always constant controversy surrounding college football. Of course, the Heisman trophy race is no exception, nor is some of the things that will come out of my mouth in this very column.\nLast year's Heisman winner, Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, is probably still receiving hate mail from millions of fans who disagreed with the panel's decision. This year, I will most likely be the one receiving hate mail for the following statement: At this point in time, Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton is without a doubt the Heisman trophy winner.\nNobody can really argue with this one, though. Orton has simply dazzled so far this season, leading Purdue to the top of the Big Ten. Orton must have taken a mulligan on his first few years with the Boilermakers because he appears to be a completely different quarterback. Out of the laundry list of Heisman candidates, though, several names can be erased by simple process of elimination. This puts Orton into the top spot for contention and also puts a sick feeling into the stomachs of Bloomington residents.\nBut if you do the math and look at the trends, it all makes perfect sense. \nHall-of-Famer Archie Griffin stands as the only player in NCAA history to win the Heisman in back-to-back years, therefore Oklahoma's White can be eliminated from contention because he's no Archie Griffin. Arguably the top running back in the nation, Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma is only a freshman and, therefore, is at a huge disadvantage to take home the award -- at least this year. \nUSC quarterback Matt Leinart and California quarterback Aaron Rodgers squared off this past weekend with neither one standing out from the other. And as for Michigan's Braylon Edwards, well, no matter how many back flips he does, there's still no chance. Look at what happened last year to Larry Fitzgerald and there you have it.\nSo is there really any contention to Orton for the Heisman?\nWell, Orton needs not look any farther than to his teammates for that answer. Orton's contention for the trophy all depends on Purdue's performance as a team. The Boilermakers still have Michigan and Ohio State remaining in their schedule, but both are home games. If Purdue drops out of the top-25 for some reason, Orton's chances are as good as gone. However, if Purdue is able to cling onto the Big Ten championship and its top-5 ranking, West Lafayette will be a buzz and Bloomington residents will be enraged.\nOklahoma, on the other hand, has really only one game left on its schedule of any importance. They will be away at Oklahoma State in late October in a Big 12 South matchup. Peterson and White should know by then if the Heisman banquet is even worth attending.\nWhen it comes down to it, though, the Heisman candidate list is just too long. It seems like anybody could have one good game and all of the sudden they are in contention (Sorry guys, but Matt LoVecchio was not added to the list after last weekend's game). Texas running back Cedric Benson is a name I have yet to mention, but anytime a player puts himself before his team, he does not deserve anything. \nThe Heisman race, however, is just as much about politics as the BCS rankings are. No matter what, thousands of fans will be unhappy with the final decision.\nIt's just unfortunate the majority of those fans are right here in Bloomington.