Despite agent allegations, Newton still leads Heisman hopefuls (cont.)

6. Andy Dalton, QB TCU, Sr.

Last Week: 21-of-26 passing for 355 yards and three TDs; five rushes for 15 yards in 47-7 win over Utah

Season: 143-of-217 passing for 1,887 yards, 16 TDs and five INTs; 65 rushes for 404 yards and five TDs; one reception for 27 yards

While TCU proved it belongs among the nation's elite in shellacking Utah, Dalton also proved he deserves a spot among the game's top quarterbacks. He was nearly flawless in picking apart the Utes' 10th-ranked pass defense, eclipsing his previous career-high of 344 yards set in '07. In the last eight games, Dalton has posted three of the top seven single-game completion percentages in school history and he's now thrown for over 2,000 yards in four straight seasons.

Next Up: Saturday vs. San Diego State

7. Terrelle Pryor, QB Ohio State, Jr.

Last Week: Idle

Season: 152-of-225 passing for 1,997 yards, 20 TDs and seven INTs; 84 rushes for 463 yards and four TDs; two receptions for 19 yards and one TD

In the two games since losing to Wisconsin, when he had a season-low 89.6 passer rating, Pryor has gone 34-of-44 for 492 yards and five TDs. That was against Purdue and Minnesota, ranked seventh and 10th, respectively, in the Big Ten in total defense, but he's still riding a hot streak. That bodes well as the Buckeyes face the conference's second-rated passing D (Penn State) and No. 2 overall defense (Iowa) in the next two weeks.

Next Up: Saturday vs. Penn State

8. Ricky Stanzi, QB Iowa, Sr.

Last Week: 22-of-33 passing for 290 yards, one TD and one INT in 18-13 win over Indiana

Season: 152-of-230 passing for 2,212 yards, 20 TDs and three INTs; 36 rushes for two yards and two TDs

Last week, I wrote Stanzi is closing the gap on Pryor as the Big Ten's leading candidate. He certainly didn't look the part for 57 minutes against an Indiana defense that was allowing over 380 yards per game. That was until he led the Hawkeyes on a three-play, 88-yard drive -- that took all of 52 seconds -- in which he threw the eventual game-winning TD. His 18th straight game with a TD pass helped keep Iowa's Rose Bowl hopes alive.

Next Up: Saturday at Northwestern

9. Denard Robinson, QB Michigan, Soph.

Last Week: 10-of-20 passing for 305 yards, three TDs and two INTs; 19 rushes for 62 yards in 67-65 win over Illinois

Season: 118-of-186 passing for 1,814 yards, 13 TDs and seven INTs; 183 rushes for 1,349 yards and 12 TDs

At this point, Las Vegas has to be posting odds on whether Shoelace can make it through an entire game. He left in the third quarter against Illinois with dizziness and a headache after an apparent helmet-to-helmet hit, marking the fifth game this season he's left with an injury. Robinson still went over 300 yards passing for the first time against one of the Big Ten's stingiest defenses and had his fifth game with at least 350 yards of offense.

Next Up: Saturday at Purdue

10. Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor, Soph.

Last Week: 30-of-48 passing for 267 yards and one INT; nine rushes for 15 yards in 55-28 loss to Oklahoma State

Season: 226-of-342 passing for 2,859 yards, 20 TDs and six INTs; 92 rushes for 401 yards and seven TDs

Griffin had an opportunity to put on a show opposite another Heisman contender in Blackmon. Instead, his candidacy was derailed. Griffin didn't have a completion longer than 19 yards and, on a career-high 48 attempts, failed to throw a TD pass for the first time in 13 games. He still has two big games remaining against Texas A&M and Oklahoma that can help Baylor's bowl placement, but it's unlikely this long shot can revive his Heisman chances.

Next Up: Saturday vs. Texas A&M