Some players shone on the brightest stages, while others racked up numbers against intramural competition. Here are the five players, and one darkhorse, I believe could make it to the Downtown Athletic Club this December

--Troy Smith, Sr. QB, Ohio State: In the first regular season 1 vs. 2 match-up in more than a decade, Smith led his Buckeyes to victory in a very hostile environment. Smith went 17 for 27 with 267 yards and two touchdown passes in a 24-7 win at Texas, giving the Longhorns their first home loss since September 2004. YTD: 566 yards, 5 TDs, 67.3 percent completion percentage)

--Steve Slaton, So. RB, West Virginia: Slaton only played in two series of the Mountaineers blowout win over Eastern Washington. In those two series, Slaton compiled 105 yards and two scores on eight carries. We'll see if he makes it through the first quarter when his squad takes on Maryland Thursday night. YTD: 41 carries, 308 yards, 4 TDs, 7.5 yards per carry

--Adrian Peterson, Jr. RB, Oklahoma: After being told to give more effort by one of his coaches, Peterson ran for 165 yards and two scores in a 37-20 win over Washington. The Sooners might need that and more when they travel to Autzen stadium for a meeting with Oregon Saturday. YTD: 56 carries, 304 yards, 3 TDs, 5.4 yards per carry

--Brady Quinn, Sr. QB, Notre Dame: Quinn followed up an off game with a solid performance against Penn State. After not throwing any TDs against Georgia Tech, Quinn threw for 287 yards and three scores in Notre Dame's 41-17 win over the Nittany Lions. YTD: 543 yards, 3 TDs, 65 percent completion percentage

--Michael Hart, Jr. RB, Michigan: As a Spartan, it pains me to write this. However, I recognized talent when I see it. Hart has been a workhorse since he arrived in Ann Arbor. Injuries slowed him down his first two seasons, though. This year, Hart has put in games of 146 and 116 yards on 31 and 19 carries, respectively. That comes out to 5.2 yards per carry. If he can stay healthy, Hart could be in this discussion for a while. YTD: 50 carries, 262 yards, 3 TDs, 5.2 yards per carry

--Ian Johnson, So. RB, Boise State: He doesn't play in a power conference, and if he's on televison, it'll be on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, but Johnson has played his way onto this board early in the season. In two games, Johnson has amassed 329 yards on 35 carries. That's an amazing 9.4 yards per carry. In his last game against Oregon State, Johnson ran for 240 yards and five touchdowns. If he played anywhere else, he might be at the top of the Heisman heap. YTD: 35 carries, 329 yards, 7 TDs, 9.4 yards per carry

Watch out for:

--Kenny Irons, Sr. RB, Auburn

--Ben Olsen, So. QB, UCLA

--Ted Ginn, Jr., Jr. WR, Ohio State

--Chris Leak, Sr. QB, Florida

--Drew Stanton, Sr. QB, Michigan State

--Eric Ainge, Jr. QB, Tennessee