Alabama's Mark Ingram re-entered the Heisman Trophy picture with his stirring return to the lineup two weeks ago against Duke. He moved back up among the leaders with another stellar performance last week on the road at Arkansas.

Here's a look at how I would rank the SEC's Heisman candidates entering Week 5:

1. Alabama running back Mark Ingram: He's the best player in college football -- period. Isn't that what the award is supposed to be about? Watch him run. Watch him block. Watch him never go down on the first hit, and watch him compete on every play like it's his last. He's still hurt a little bit by the fact that he didn't play in the first two games, but his 157-yard performance last week against Arkansas and that 54-yard touchdown run in the first half thrust him right back among the leaders.

2. LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson: If Ingram is the best player in the SEC, then Peterson is the most explosive player. Every time he gets his hands on the ball or even gets near the ball, you expect something big to happen. He returned his second punt for a touchdown last week against West Virginia, a week after coming up with two spectacular interceptions against Mississippi State. If LSU can keep winning, don't count him out.

3. Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton: Just looking at pure statistics, you could make a case that Newton should be the top Heisman candidate in the SEC right now. He's leading the SEC in rushing with 485 yards, is second in the league with nine touchdown passes and has done some of his best work in the clutch. There's no doubt that Newton is the league's MVP at this point when you consider what he's meant to the Tigers. And if he keeps rolling up gaudy numbers, he's going to be right there in the Heisman mix.

4. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett: He's got some serious ground to make up after throwing three interceptions in last week's loss to Alabama, including a couple of really bad throws. But he still has great numbers, and he's going to put up great numbers the rest of the way. If the Hogs can win 10 games and Mallett throws for 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns, he has a great chance to be invited to New York.