1 – Robert Griffin III, Baylor.

On my radar screen from Day One – he had the good fortune to play a career game in the nationally televised opener vs. TCU – and he stayed there. Electric, dynamic, a human highlight-video…and a scholar, to boot. I’d love to see him in a Seahawks uniform.

2 – Andrew Luck, Stanford.

Efficient and proficient; if he’d been operating out of a spread, surrounded by some big-time playmakers, there’s no telling what kind of numbers he would’ve put up. But I give RG III the “wow factor” edge.

 

3 – Montee Ball, Wisconsin.

He scored 30 touchdowns – 30! – and his stats stand up better than Trent Richardson’s, across the board. (6.6 per carry, for instance, vs. Richardson’s 5.8)

I gave a lot of thought to LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu, the best player on the best team in the country. But the Honey Badger was slapped with a one-game suspension in the middle of the season. In a Heisman race packed with impressive candidates, the suspension was a deal-breaker. Maybe next year.