Week 3 Heisman Watch: (WVU quarterback) Geno Smith leads wide open race as Matt Barkley falters

[Lasher]

Week three of the college football season is in the books and the race for the 2012 Heisman Trophy has been dramatically altered.

USC's Matt Barkley is the latest preseason favorite to stumble badly in the early going after he had a bad outing in a loss to Stanford.

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1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia -- Smith is off to a great start so far this season, with 734 passing yards and nine touchdown passes (with no interceptions) in his first two games. He is completing an amazing 88 percent of his passes and has an efficiency rating of 209. He is on pace to run and pass for 60 touchdowns. Granted, he is putting up these numbers against awful competition, but we all know he's a very good quarterback playing in a passer-friendly system. It's going to be difficult to for him to maintain this level against Big 12 competition, but he'll still be very productive.

As with Robert Griffin III last year, he's not expected to lead his team to an undefeated season and so Heisman voters will look to his overall numbers and how well he performs against Big 12 traditional powers like Texas and Oklahoma to gauge his worthiness. Given his solid name recognition, his potential for an elite statistical season and his odd status as a Mid-Atlantic player competing in the Southwest, he's at the top of this Watch...for now.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/20205571/week-3-heisman-watch-geno-smith-leads-wide-open-race-as-matt-barkley-falters

[Hubert Flottz]

1. "against awful competition"

I think Marshall might turn out to be better than the drubbing they've gotten from the talking heads indicate. They looked speedy and skilled on offense, in their two games I watched. WV scored 59 on the Herd, so the untried Herd defense, lost by less points than Clemson lost by,(60)with a team that had had an entire season to gain their game experience. Marshall has a good coach and the proof is in the kids he's rounded up for his offense.

The Mountaineers outclassed Marshall across the board in the Coal Bowl, but then West Virginia outclassed a much more experienced Clemson team. West Virginia played well in the first half of the second game and then coach Holgerson did the smart thing and let the nonstarters play. It may have saved some of our starters from getting banged up and it gave the younger guys a chance to gain some experience. The second half was still a good game to watch. The defense for the other team did lay on some licks but the West Virginia Offense looks a step better than it did in the Orange Bowl.

Geno Smith is a classy player, and a classy young man, like Pat White. No fuss or trouble out of them, no cocky attitude, even though they are both great players. Geno Smith is all business on the field and in the classroom. I'm proud of him and I hope above all that he stays healthy and secondly, that he can continue to play on at the level he has in the past and can improve still more with the rest of our guys. I'd love nothing more than to see him carry that Heisman off the stage in New York and I'm really going to love to watch him play on Sundays in 2013. I believe that Geno will go in the first round of the NFL draft, if his guardian angel is a "starter" too.

I don't think I've ever seen the Mountaineers look as quick as the have so far. They are a joy to behold.

[Lasher]

2. Yeah, tell USC and Virginia Tech about "awful competition"

Here's another look at the Heisman race:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/heisman

This week we welcome the Yertles to Morgantown for another drubbing. I hope our defense and special teams continue to improve.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. I think our special teams have improved since last season...

maybe not the place kicker so much. I think the defense is in good hands now, but the depth might be a tad iffy. I think our D looks every bit as good as Arizona State does. The new 4-3 D looks good as long as the starters are out there and not all that bad when the back-ups go into the game. We have some great speed on defense as well as on our offense. I think the sports writers who said WV would finish as high as second in the Big 12, may have "mis-underestimated" the Eers.(I hope so)

Maryland is re-tooling too, but they usually come to play. Not ever a team to take lightly.

I'll check out your link. Hope you are doing okay.