The Heisman Trophy didn't intimidate Joe Germaine. Not this year as a senior. Not as an 11-year-old in 1986. As he watched Vinny Testaverde accept the Heisman Trophy nearly 12 years ago, Germaine had a bold question for his Dad. He wanted to know if he could win the award one day.
"I told him, 'Joe, you're the kind of person and the kind of player who can do anything you want to do. If you want that thing bad enough, you can win it,' " Joe Germaine Sr. told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
But the youngster had one more question. He needed to know if the family home was ready for the award. He asked his Dad if the mantle was "strong enough to hold that trophy."
It looks like the Germaine family home won't have to answer that question. Not after Ohio State's 28-24 loss to Michigan State in which Germaine was outplayed by Spartan quarterback Bill Burke. Germaine finished 239 yards passing -- the first time he failed to throw for more than 300 yards in more than a month.
But the loss was one play away from being his crowning moment. Germaine was summoning memories of the 1997 Rose Bowl, driving the Buckeyes toward a game-winning touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. And his final pass of the day was caught in the end zone ... by a player wearing the wrong color jersey. Renaldo Hill pulled down the interception to clinch Michigan State's upset, and knock the Buckeyes from atop the polls.
| RICKY WILLIAMS |
STATS |
| 1. |
Breaking it down: Everyone is buzzing about Major Applewhite, but make no mistake -- this is Williams' team. The Heisman frontrunner rushed for 42 of his 90 yards on the Longhorns' game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. He made up for a sub-par passing day with three catches for 74 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown. It wasn't the most stellar day, but after the Longhorns started the season 1-2, who would have expected six straight wins and a national ranking?
Stock: 
Nov. 14: at Texas Tech
|
Opponent
vs. N.Mexico St.
Sept. 5
at UCLA
Sept. 12
at Kansas State
Sept. 19
vs. Rice
Sept. 26
vs. Iowa St.
Oct. 3
at Oklahoma
Oct. 10
vs. Baylor
Oct. 24
at Nebraska
Oct. 31
vs. Oklahoma St.
Nov. 7
Season
|
Car-Yds
36-215
29-160
25-43
30-318
37-350
31-139
39-259
37-150
23-90
287-1,724
|
TD
6
3
0
6
5
2
2
0
1
25
|
| TIM COUCH |
STATS |
| 2. |
Breaking it down: It's becoming a refrain. Couch characterizes each week's game as the most important of his career. He's certainly treating each one that way. He checked in with another 300-yard passing game, but more importantly Kentucky checked in with another win -- this one over Mississippi State. Kentucky has six wins on the year, meaning the Wildcats are eligible for their first bowl game since 1993.
Stock:
Nov. 14: vs. Vanderbilt
|
Opponent
at Louisville
Sept. 5
vs. E.Kentucky
Sept. 12
vs. Indiana
Sept. 19
at Florida
Sept. 26
at Arkansas
Oct. 3
vs. South Carolina
Oct. 10
at LSU
Oct. 17
vs. Georgia
Oct. 24
vs. Mississippi St.
Nov. 7
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
29-39-498
32-41-372
38-53-301
40-61-406
47-67-499
29-42-315
37-50-391
34-46-326
35-45-338
321-444-3,446
|
TD-INT
7-0
5-0
1-4
3-2
3-1
3-0
3-1
2-2
2-1
29-11
|
| CADE MCNOWN |
STATS |
| 3. |
Breaking it down: Sure it was Oregon State, but McNown once again showed his penchant for the big play. McNown threw for 377 yards against the Beavers -- his second 300-yard game this season -- but his 61-yard touchdown pass to Brad Melsby in the final minute kept UCLA perfect on the season. He also rushed five times for 37 yards and caught a pass for 21 yards.
Stock:
Nov. 14: at Washington
|
Opponent
vs. Texas
Sept. 12
at Houston
Sept. 19
at Miami
Sept. 26
vs. Wash. St.
Oct. 3
at Arizona
Oct. 10
vs. Oregon
Oct. 17
at California
Oct. 24
vs. Stanford
Oct. 31
at Oregon St.
Nov. 7
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
20-30-339
17-32-315
Postponed
14-27-205
10-24-171
20-36-395
15-27-182
19-31-254
23-37-377
138-244-2,238
|
TD-INT
3-1
1-1
1-1
2-0
3-2
2-0
1-2
4-1
17-8
|
| JOE GERMAINE |
STATS |
| 4. |
Breaking it down: For the first time in a month, Germaine failed to pass for 300 yards. But more importantly, the Buckeyes failed to win for the first time this year, putting a wet blanket over all the warm and fuzzy Heisman predictions. McNown supplants him as the top candidate from a national title contender.
Stock: 
Nov. 14: at Iowa |
Opponent
at West Virginia
Sept. 5
vs. Toledo
Sept. 12
vs. Missouri
Sept. 26
vs. Penn State
Oct. 3
at Illinois
Oct. 10
vs. Minnesota
Oct. 17
at Northwestern
Oct. 24
at Indiana
Oct. 31
vs. Michigan State
Nov. 7
Season
|
Att-Cmp-Yds
18-32-301
13-21-150
19-25-211
16-30-213
17-28-307
27-39-339
19-35-342
31-45-351
16-34-239
176-289-2,453
|
TD-INT
2-0
3-0
0-0
1-1
3-0
2-2
3-1
3-0
1-1
18-5
|
| RON DAYNE |
STATS |
| 5. |
Breaking it down: Just like clockwork, another game and another 100 yards. After averaging 20.75 carries over the first four games, Dayne has four straight with at least 30 carries. But Dayne's biggest tests lie ahead as the Badgers enter the crucial point of their schedule, facing Michigan and Penn State.
Stock:
Nov. 14: at Michigan |
Opponent
vs. Ohio
Sept. 12
vs. UNLV
Sept. 19
vs. Northwestern
Sept. 26
at Indiana
Oct. 3
vs. Purdue
Oct. 10
at Illinois
Oct. 17
at Iowa
Oct. 24
vs. Minnesota
Nov. 7
Season
|
Car-Yds
20-111
13-108
22-168
28-130
33-127
39-190
39-164
35-133
229-1,131
|
TD
3
0
1
1
1
3
1
1
11
|
| MICHAEL BISHOP |
STATS |
| 5. |
Breaking it down: He's only thrown for more than 300 yards once this season, but then again the Wildcats haven't needed him to. Only one opponent has finished within 30 points of Kansas State. He threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns against Baylor Saturday, but his true test is next week at home against Nebraska. Like Dayne, it will be a make-or-break game for his Heisman hopes.
Stock:
Nov. 14: vs. Nebraska
|
Opponent
vs. Indiana St.
Sept. 5
vs. N. Illinois
Sept. 12
vs. Texas
Sept. 19
vs. NE Louisiana
Sept. 26
at Colorado
Oct. 10
vs. Oklahoma St.
Oct. 17
vs. Iowa St.
Oct. 24
vs. Iowa St.
Oct. 31
at Baylor
Nov. 7
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
6-11-149
6-13-130
14-20-182
23-40-441
9-25-148
8-23-287
14-21-216
16-26-225
17-29-262
113-208-2,040
|
TD-INT
1-0
2-0
2-0
4-0
0-1
3-0
3-0
1-0
2-0
18-1
|
Daunte Culpepper: A season-low 182 yards passing and a season-high four interceptions in a 10-6 loss to Auburn should be sufficient to halt talk of the Central Florida quarterback winning the award.
