ESPN More Sports

The Washington Redskins mortgaged their future on QB Robert Griffin III, trading their 2012 first- and second-round picks and their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 in order to draft the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner.


So it came as a surprise to many when the Redskins used their fourth-round pick on Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins.

From an historical standpoint, the Redskins are:

• First team since the 1989 Green Bay Packers to draft two quarterbacks in the first four rounds. In '89, Green Bay selected Anthony Dilweg in the third round then Jeff Graham in the fourth round. (They combined to make seven NFL starts, all by Dilweg.)

• First team since the 1971 Houston Oilers to use two of their first three draft picks on quarterbacks. In 1971, the Oilers took Dan Pastorini with the third overall pick, then selected Lynn Dickey in the third round. (Both went on to start more than 100 games during their careers.)

Cousins was not the only QB transaction made by the Redskins on Wednesday. They also released John Beck, who started three games last season. Combined with Rex Grossman the pair committed 30 turnovers, which was tied with Tampa Bay last season for the most turnovers committed by a team’s quarterbacks.

For what it's worth, the only team to select three quarterbacks in the same draft in the Common Draft Era is the Oakland Raiders, who took Dave Humm (5th), Harry Knight (9th) and Tom Doyle (14th) in 1975.

Draft Wrap-up
• More than 55 percent of the drafted players (142 of 253) came from four conferences: SEC (42 players), Big Ten (41), ACC (31), Pac-12 (28). It’s the sixth straight year that the SEC had the most selections. Almost 20 percent of the players drafted (50 of 253) were defensive backs.

• Alabama had the most players drafted with eight, followed by Oklahoma and Georgia with seven.

• Some schools that did not have any players drafted: UCLA, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Minnesota, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech, Washington State.

• The Browns made the most picks (11) and the Saints made the fewest (5).

• The Minnesota Vikings selected wide receivers Greg Childs and Jarius Wright from Arkansas. Minnesota is the first team to draft two wide receivers from the same school in the same draft since the 2007 Indianapolis Colts took Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall from Ohio State.

• After allowing an NFL-worst 411.6 yards per game in 2011, the Packers drafted defensive players with their first six picks. The Patriots, who finished 31st in yards allowed last season, also took six defensive players with their first six picks. Green Bay and New England became the first teams since the 2002 Titans and 2002 Colts to draft defensive players with their first six picks of a draft, and just the seventh and eighth teams to do so in the Common Draft Era (since 1967).

• The draft started with the Colts taking a quarterback and it ended with them taking a quarterback. Mr. Irrelevant is Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish, the first time since 1997 that a QB was the last pick. (In '97, Mr. Irrelevant was Ron McAda from Army.)

• Speaking of quarterbacks, Case Keenum (155) and Kellen Moore (142) rank first and second, respectively, with the most touchdown passes in FBS history. Both, however, went undrafted. At Boise State, Moore went 50-3 (.943 win percentage), the best record by starting quarterback in the history of college football. (Moore signed with the Detriot Lions shortly after the draft.)

Nine straight Super Bowls have been won by franchise quarterbacks, which means the demand for an elite signal-caller has never been higher.

For proof of this, simply look at the top of the NFL Draft, where Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III continued a decade-long trend of quarterbacks being chosen earlier than ever.

A quarterback has been selected first overall 20 times in the 46 drafts during the common era (since 1967). But in the past 12 drafts, 10 quarterbacks have been chosen first.

The exponential rise has been particularly pronounced over the last 25 years. From 1988 to 1994, the first quarterback was chosen with the 15th pick on average. There wasn’t much difference in the next seven drafts, before the tide turned with the new millennium.

Quarterbacks were taken first overall in five of seven drafts from 2002 to 2008, for an average pick of 1.6. And Andrew Luck’s selection makes it four straight quarterbacks chosen first since 2009.

The mindset is emphasized by when the next quarterback has been picked over the last quarter-century. From 1988 to 2001, the second quarterback typically went in the second round. Over the last 11 years, the second quarterback has jumped into the top half of the first round.

Still not convinced? How about the third quarterback, which has leaped from an average slot in the third round to a late first-round selection over the last 25 years.

Because of this new emphasis on franchise field generals, three quarterbacks were taken with the first eight picks this year, for the third time in the common draft era. You’re welcome, Ryan Tannehill.

Paul Carr contributed to this post.

Stats & Info insights into this morning's top sports stories.

1. BRUINS BOUNCED: The Washington Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime in Game 7. The Bruins lost when facing elimination for the first time in six games. It is the fourth time in the expansion era (since 1967) that both Stanley Cup finalists from the previous season lost in the quarterfinals the following season. FROM ELIAS: It was the first series in Stanley Cup history in which all seven games were decided by a one-goal margin, and only the second series to go to overtime in Game 7 with the two teams having scored the same number of goals in the series. There are two more Game 7s Thursday (Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils at Florida Panthers).

2. KOBE OR KD: Kevin Durant scored 32 points in his final regular-season game. Durant averaged 28.03 PPG this season, 0.17 ahead of Kobe Bryant. Bryant needs 38 points against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday to win the scoring title. Bryant has scored 38 points 152 times in regular-season games in his career, including nine against the Kings. Durant or Bryant will become the eighth player in NBA history to win at least three scoring titles.

3. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL SET: Bayern Munich advanced to the UEFA Champions League final (tied 3-3 on aggregate; advanced 3-1 on penalty kicks) over Real Madrid. It was the first time that a UEFA Champions League semifinal went to penalty kicks since 2007. Bayern Munich will face Chelsea on May 19 in Munich. They will be the first club since Roma in 1984 to play the European Cup Final in its home stadium.

4. NBA FUTILITY: The Charlotte Bobcats lost for the 22nd straight time on Wednesday. They end the regular season at home against the New York Knicks on Thursday. If the Bobcats lose, they will set the record for the worst winning percentage in a single-season in NBA history (would finish at .106 win pct), passing the 1972-73 76ers (finished at .110). Charlotte is still looking for its first win since March 17.

5. NFL DRAFT: The first round of the NFL Draft begins Thursday at 8 ET on ESPN. QB Andrew Luck and QB Robert Griffin III are expected to be the first two players taken. It would be the fifth time in the Common Draft Era (since 1967), and first since 1999, that quarterbacks were selected first and second overall.

Stats & Information gets you ready for the NFL Draft at the end of the month with a look at the biggest need for each team. Today, we take a look at the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys
Need: Secondary

Last season the Cowboys had trouble defending the deep ball, allowing 43 percent of passes over 20 air yards to be completed, fourth-worst in the NFL.

The Cowboys also got burned on throws to the sidelines, giving up 15 touchdowns with just five interceptions on tosses outside the numbers. Only the Bills and Vikings had worse differentials.

Cornerback Brandon Carr was a high-profile addition to the Dallas secondary, but further depth is necessary.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

New York Giants
Need: Linebacker

The Giants’ defense relied on a standard pass rush last season, sending four or fewer pass rushers on nearly 70 percent of dropbacks, which ranked among the top 15 teams in the NFL.

However, the Giants’ linebackers defended or intercepted only nine passes last year, tied for seventh-fewest in the league.

New York also had issues defending short throws in the middle of the field, allowing completions on 71 percent of passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and inside the numbers (26th in NFL).

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Philadelphia Eagles
Need: Defense

The Eagles traded for LB DeMeco Ryans in the offseason, but their defense could use more upgrading. Philadelphia was one of three teams to send four or fewer pass rushers on more than 80 percent of dropbacks last season.

However, even with linebackers frequently dropping into coverage, the Eagles were susceptible to the short passing game.

An interior defensive line presence might be necessary as well to help stop the run. The Eagles line up defensive ends wide, leaving the middle open. The result? They allowed 4.9 yards per rush up the middle last season, which ranked second-worst in the NFL.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Washington Redskins
Need: Quarterback

The Redskins really struggled on long throws in 2011, notching the worst completion percentage (22 percent) and tying for the fewest touchdowns (2) on passes that traveled more than 20 air yards.

Washington is expected to take Robert Griffin III with the second pick in the draft, and he should provide a significant upgrade to their deep passing game. At Baylor last season, Griffin completed 51 percent of passes that flew more than 20 yards in the air, with 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

The Redskins also failed to control the middle of the field in the passing game. Washington quarterbacks ranked 27th in the NFL in Total QBR and 29th in completion percentage on throws inside the numbers last season.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Stats & Information gets you ready for the NFL Draft at the end of the month with a look at the biggest need for each team. Today, we switch conferences to the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens
Need: Secondary

The departure of Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura in the offseason makes finding an heir-apparent to aging safety Ed Reed a priority.

From 2008-2010, the Ravens ranked third among NFL defenses in lowest Total QBR allowed on passes that traveled at least 10 yards downfield. In 2011, the Ravens finished 23rd in the league.

While the Ravens finished second in the NFL with 72 passes defended last season, only 31 percent of those were on attempts thrown at least 10 yards downfield, 27th among NFL defenses.

Baltimore needs a safety to match up in coverage against the evolving NFL tight end. The Ravens allowed 2.4 yards after contact on passes to a tight end last season, ranking 30th in the NFL.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame

Cincinnati Bengals
Needs: Offensive line, secondary

Drafting a solid guard will complement young quarterback Andy Dalton and new running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Bengals lost starting guards Mike McGlynn and Nate Livings to free agency in the offseason. Livings was one of two players on offense to play every snap last year.

The Bengals struggled to get any push from interior linemen in the run game last year, averaging only 2.0 yards before initial contact on runs inside the tackles, second-worst in the NFL.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: David DeCastro, G, Stanford and Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: David DeCastro, G, Stanford and Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

Cleveland Browns
Needs: Wide receiver, running back, offensive line

With Robert Griffin III likely off the board already, the Browns can still bolster their quarterback position by drafting a playmaker at wideout.

Colt McCoy finished right at the NFL average with 5.0 attempts per off-target throw last year -- better than Cam Newton, Matt Schaub and Tom Brady -- but got very little help from receivers on catchable passes.

The Browns were largely ineffective on the ground last year, finishing 31st in the NFL with 3.7 yards per rush. A replacement for Peyton Hillis would help, as would better run blocking up the middle and to the right. The Browns averaged just 3.4 yards when running to the right, worst in the NFL.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama and Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State and Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Pittsburgh Steelers
Needs: Linebacker, Defensive Line

With the departure of key defensive players including Chris Hoke, William Gay, Aaron Smith and James Farrior, it’s time for the Steelers to replenish what has been a top defensive unit in football since 2008.

Pittsburgh linebackers tallied 15 tackles for loss in 2011, less than one per game, second-worst among NFL defenses at the linebacker position.

Defensive starters Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and James Harrison will all be age 34 or older by mid-September.

Kiper’s 1st-Round Prediction: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
McShay’s 1st-Round Prediction: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama

Andrew Luck is constantly praised for his accuracy, football intelligence and leadership intangibles, but on Sunday at the NFL combine he proved that his athleticism rivals the top quarterbacks in the league.

Of the 14 quarterbacks who participated in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump at the 2012 combine, only Luck and Robert Griffin III placed in the top four in all three events. Notably, Luck posted the top broad jump of all quarterbacks, and put up comparable numbers to Cam Newton’s combine in 2011.

Unlike Newton, Luck played in a pro-style offense in college that did not ask him to run consistently. But anyone who watched Stanford throughout Luck’s career could see that he has the athleticism and mobility to succeed at the next level.

Luck was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the nation when throwing on the run. The average quarterback completes less than 50 percent of his passes when forced to scramble outside of the pocket, but last season Luck completed 63.6 percent of these passes. He was even better when passing outside of the pocket on designed roll-outs, completing 71.8 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and just one interception on such passes.

Inside of the pocket, Luck’s mobility helped him elude pass rushers and get the ball out quickly. Luck was sacked only 23 times in his career at Stanford, about once in every 50 drop-backs. Of quarterbacks that started at least 20 games since 2009, only Kellen Moore and Brandon Weeden were sacked at lower rates.

Luck chose to remain in the pocket on the majority of the time, but when forced to scramble he averaged 5.9 yards per attempt. Overall, Luck ran for 957 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. Additionally, he caught two passes for 24 yards, including one of the most athletic plays of the season -- a one-handed, sprawling catch down the right sideline against UCLA.

So while Griffin may have stolen the spotlight by running a 4.41 40-yard dash on Sunday, Luck proved that he is one of the top athletes at the quarterback position -- a fact that may be surprising to some, but not those that have watched him closely for years.

The Alamo Bowl may not have the prestige attached to it of some of the traditional New Year's Day bowls, but there will be a lot of statistically-driven memories from the 2011 version in which Baylor overpowered Washington, 67-56.

The teams combined to set bowl records for combined points, touchdowns and yardage in a regulation game. The only higher-scoring bowl game in history was the 2001 double-overtime clash between Marshall and East Carolina, in which the teams combined for 125 total points.

One of the most notable individual marks came from a surprise source-- the five rushing touchdowns by Baylor's Terrance Ganaway tied a record for a bowl game, shared by Neil Snow (1902 Michigan against Stanford in the Rose Bowl) and Barry Sanders (1988 Oklahoma State against Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl).

Baylor finished with a six-game winning streak, its longest since 1985, and finished with a 10-win season for the first time since 1980. The Bears will be ranked in the final AP poll for the first time since 1986.

The Bears also broke the bowl record for most yardage by a team, surpassing the mark of 718 yards set by Arizona State in the 1972 Fiesta Bowl.

Washington quarterback Keith Price accounted for seven touchdowns (four passing and three rushing), which is an individual bowl record, as noted in the chart on the right.

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III was overshadowed a bit by the work of his teammate. He finished the season with a pass efficiency of 189.5, breaking the FBS single season record that was previously held by Colt Brennan of Hawaii.

He'll wait to see how Russell Wilson (191.6) of Wisconsin fares in the Rose Bowl to see if he can stake claim to being the record holder for that stat at season's end.

Griffin III did complete 6-of-9 passes for 103 yards in the second half when Baylor was trailing. It was fourth straight win for the Bears in games that they trailed after halftime. Griffin's pass efficiency in the second half of games in which his team trailed was 211.2 this season, second-best in FBS behind Brandon Weeden's 212.3.

Griffin becomes the third straight Heisman winner to win a bowl game, joining Mark Ingram and Cam Newton.

It wasn't a surprise that the game was as high scoring as it was. Washington entered the contest 99th in the FBS in points allowed per game. Baylor was worse, at 109th.

Baylor had 10 plays that gained 20 yards or more, tied for its most such plays in any game since the start of the 2004 season.

Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III leads the No. 12 Baylor Bears against the Washington Huskies in Thursday’s Valero Alamo Bowl (ESPN, 9 ET). Let’s take a look at this matchup as Baylor is in consecutive bowl games for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons. The Huskies are trying to win consecutive bowls for the first time since they won bowls following the 1987, ’89-91 seasons.

Low-powered defenses
Expect lots of points to be scored since it’s a matchup of two of the worst defenses in the FBS.

Griffin enters the game with a pass efficiency rating of 192.3, which would shatter the FBS single-season record of 186.0, set by Colt Brennan in 2006.

The Huskies have lost four of their past six games, allowing 38.2 points and 452 yards per game in that stretch. That’s good news for Griffin and the Bears, who pile up big plays in chunks.

Griffin is 26-for-52 with 20 touchdowns and just one interception on throws at least 25 yards downfield. His 20 touchdown passes and eight games with more than one such touchdown pass are both best in the FBS.

Since the start of last season, he’s got 41 touchdown passes that have gained at least 25 yards -- 14 more than any other FBS quarterback -- and his 17 touchdown passes of at least 50 yards are five more than any other FBS quarterback over that span.

Baylor has eight touchdown drives this season of at least 80 yards that lasted one minute or less, most of any team in FBS. In fact, only Oregon had even half as many such drives all season.

Don’t discount Washington’s offense in this one. The Huskies are averaging 31.5 points per game this season -- 36th in the country -- and they are tied for 12th in the FBS in red-zone percentage.

Quarterback Keith Price has been outstanding in that area this season, throwing 22 touchdown passes with a 276.4 pass efficiency rating. Price has thrown at least one touchdown pass in the red zone in every game except one this season.

Stats to watch
• Chris Polk needs 205 yards to become Washington’s all-time leading rusher. Napoleon Kaufman holds the mark with 4,106 career yards.

• Griffin has rushed for 381 of his 644 yards on scrambles this season (59.2 percent), including 19 first downs. He’s also completed 70.5 percent of his pass attempts when opponents blitzed this season with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions.

At the 77th annual Heisman Trophy presentation, Robert Griffin III did something that has never been done before as he became the first Heisman Trophy winner in Baylor history.

Griffin beat out Stanford quarterback, Andrew Luck, by 280 points. For comparison, last year’s winner Cam Newton beat Luck by 1,184 points.

This is the fifth time in the last six seasons that a quarterback has won the sport’s top honor.

Baylor is the sixth different school in the state of Texas with a Heisman, joining Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, TCU and SMU. No other state has had more than three schools with a winner (California, Florida).

Baylor is ranked 15th in the pre-bowl AP poll. It’s the lowest pre-bowl ranking for a Heisman winner’s team since Ricky Williams’ Texas squad was No. 20 in 1998, and the second-lowest in the last 25 seasons. Williams is also the last player from a Texas-based school to win the award.

Griffin is the first Heisman winner from a school that has never won a national championship since Wisconsin's Ron Dayne in 1999.

The junior quarterback has been Mr. Big Play, with half of his 36 TD passes having covered 35 yards or more. He's on pace to set the single-season passing efficiency record, thanks in part to his 10.8 yards per pass attempt, which is third-best in FBS history behind Michael Vick and Ty Detmer.

Griffin leads the nation with a passing efficiency rating of 192.3, which would be an NCAA single-season record if he can sustain it through his team’s bowl game. As good a mark as that is, Griffin has been even better when the game has been on the line.

When the game is in the second half, and the scoring margin is within eight points, his passing efficiency rating is 211.8, with seven touchdowns and only one interception.

When it came to pressure, Griffin handled it as well as any other quarterback in the nation. Griffin completed over 70 percent of his pass attempts when opponents blitzed this season with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Griffin is the fifth Heisman winner from the Big 12 Conference and 29th quarterback ever honored.

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded at 8 pm ET on ESPN. Here's a statistical snapshot of the strengths of each of the finalists for the sport's most prestigious honor.

Andrew Luck, Stanford
Luck’s 2011 season stats are eerily similar to those of his 2010 season where he was the Heisman runner-up. His completion percentage, touchdowns and interceptions, yards-per- attempt, and number of 20-yard completions are nearly identical.

Luck did improve statistically in two areas.

On passes that went at least 10 yards down the field, he finished with 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions, an improvement upon his 16-to-7 ratio in 2010

Luck’s accuracy on play-action passes (73 percent completion rate) was a near-match for 2010 (72 percent), but an increase of how often he passed out of play action (from 22 percent of the time to 28 percent) resulted in his doubling the number of touchdowns he made on such plays, from eight to 16.

Stat to know:Luck is trying to become Stanford's first Heisman winner since Jim Plunkett (1970).

Robert Griffin III, Baylor

When it comes to pressure, Griffin handled as well as any other quarterback in the nation. Griffin completed over 70 percent of his pass attempts when opponents blitzed this season with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Griffin excelled in 2011 with the deep ball, as much as anyone in the country. Griffin completed a higher percentage of his passes and threw more touchdowns than many other notable quarterbacks on throws of 25 yards or more downfield this season.

Griffin’s 17 touchdown passes of at least 50 yards over the last two seasons are the most in college football by a considerable amount, five more than Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones. Griffin leads FBS with 10 touchdown passes of at least 50 yards in 2011.

Stat to know: Baylor has never had a Heisman Trophy winner. If Griffin wins, Baylor will be the sixth different school in the state of Texas with a Heisman, joining Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, TCU and SMU. No other state has had more than three schools with a winner (California, Florida).


Trent Richardson, Alabama
What made Richardson so good this season was that he was tough to tackle. Nearly half of his rushing yards (767 of 1,583) came after contact. He broke for at least 10 yards at a rate of nearly once every six runs.

Richardson had 21 rushes of 15 yards or longer in SEC play this season, including three in the Iron Bowl against Auburn. Only Cam Newton has had more in SEC play (22) over the past eight seasons.

In his last chance to impress Heisman voters, Trent Richardson ran for a career-high 203 yards on 27 carries Saturday against Auburn.

Richardson showcased his versatility by gaining 100 yards after contact and by breaking five runs for at least 10 yards, including ones of 35 and 57 yards.

Richardson’s performance was reminiscent of Alabama’s Mark Ingram, who also excelled in his last chance to secure votes, rushing for 113 yards, 75 coming after contact in the 2009 SEC title game against Florida.

Stat to Know: Richardson and Mark Ingram would be just the third pair of running back teammates to both win the Heisman Trophy, joining Charles White (1979) & Marcus Allen (1981) from USC and Doc Blanchard (1945) & Glenn Davis (1946) from Army.

Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

Mathieu has only a pair of interceptions this season, but he has forced an FBS-high six fumbles.

Mathieu is also tied for the lead in the FBS with five fumble recoveries, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

LSU is ranked third in the nation in pass efficiency defense this season (93.1) and that has a lot to do with their play on the perimeter. Opponents have struggled to throw the ball towards the sideline against the Tigers, an area usually patrolled by Mathieu.

LSU finished the regular season having allowed 5.4 yards per pass attempt in 2011, tied for third-fewest in the nation. Teams were unable to stretch the field against the Tigers as they had more than twice as many interceptions (9) as completions allowed (4) on passes of 25 or more yards downfield this season.

Overall, LSU’s foes were 4-for-38, with just one touchdown on those sorts of throws. Teams in the BCS Top 25 were 2-for-20 with four interceptions.

Stat To Know: Mathieu would be the second Heisman winner from LSU, joining Billy Cannon (1959) and the second defensive player to win the Heisman, joining Charles Woodson.

Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Richardson is credited with getting his numbers against tough SEC defenses, but Ball’s opponents have stacked up to what Richardson has faced.

Wisconsin’s FBS opponents ranked an average of 68th against the run this season compared to 59th for Alabama’s opponents. Ball has only faced one fewer team that ranked in the top 50 in opponents rushing defense than Richardson did.

Ball also had more yards (1,759), touchdowns (32) and big runs (57 runs of at least 10 yards) than Richardson in 2011. Richardson finished with 42 runs of at least 10 yards.

Ball's strength was in blowing past opposing defenders. He was not touched by the defense on 18 of his 32 rushing touchdowns.

Also of note: Of his 32 rushing touchdowns, 23 came against defenses that were ready for him-- those that lined up eight or more men in the box.

Stat To Know: Ball leads FBS with 38 touchdowns this season. The last national scoring leader to win the Heisman was Eddie George in 1995.

There were 770 games played in the 2011 college football season. We give you the 10 plays that shaped the BCS Championship race.

1. Tyrann Mathieu returns fumble for TD
LSU 40, Oregon 27
Significance: These top-five teams were locked in a 6-3 game. The Tigers went three-and-out and punted, but Kenjon Barner fumbled the return at the three and LSU's playmaker snapped it up and went into the end zone for a momentum-shifting score.

2. Kirk Cousins completes 44-yard Hail Mary to Keith Nichol
Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31
Significance: Wisconsin had its eyes on a perfect regular season and a spot in the title game. But after a last-second heave, ricochet, catch and then video review, that dream was dashed.

3. Oklahoma misses 28-yard field goal vs Texas Tech
Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma 38
Significance: The Sooners were preseason No. 1 and still undefeated, but trailed 31-7 at home. They mounted a comeback, but after Michael Hunnicutt's missed FG from 28 yards out there wasn't enough time left to overcome a 10-point deficit.

4. Tajh Boyd gets intercepted in the end zone
Georgia Tech 31, Clemson 17
Significance: Down 14 points, Clemson had just intercepted Georgia Tech, getting the ball at Georgia Tech's nine-yard line. But on the first play, Boyd was picked by Jemea Thomas, ending the Tigers' comeback and dashing their national-title hopes.

5. LSU’s Eric Reid intercepts Alabama at the 1-yard line
LSU 9, Alabama 6 (OT)
Significance: In a 6-6 game in the fourth quarter, LSU's Eric Reid wrestled the ball away from Alabama TE Michael Williams at the one-yard line for an interception, preventing what could have been the winning score. LSU would win it in overtime.

6. Boseko Lokombo picks off Andrew Luck and returns it for TD
Oregon 53, Stanford 30
Significance: This was Stanford’s last major obstacle to a perfect regular season. Down 16 points, Luck had Stanford driving. But the pick ended those hopes, putting the game out of reach and handing the Cardinal its only loss of the season.

7. Boise State misses 39-yard field goal as time expires
TCU 36, Boise State 35
Significance: Playing on the home turf where they had been dominant for so long, the Broncos went down a point after TCU made the gutsy call to go for two. But Boise drove down the field before Dan Goodale sailed his kick wide right as time expired and the Broncos were no longer unbeaten.

8. Brandon Weeden's pass intercepted in first play of second overtime
Iowa State 37, Oklahoma State 31 (2 OT)
Significance: The Cyclones came back from a 24-7 deficit to tie the game at 24 heading into overtime. But on the first play of the second overtime, Brandon Weeden was intercepted. Three plays later Iowa State scored to end Oklahoma State's dream.

9. Oregon misses 37-yard field goal as time expires
USC 38, Oregon 35
Significance: Even after their season-opening loss, the Ducks still had a shot at the BCS Championship. But USC, ineligible for postseason play, gave the Ducks a battle at Autzen Stadium. Down three, Oregon had the chance to send it into overtime. But Alejandro Maldonado missed a 37-yarder.

10. Robert Griffin III completes 34-yard TD pass with :08 left
Baylor 45, Oklahoma 38
Significance: Just like Oregon, Oklahoma still had a chance to sneak back into the title picture despite a loss. But Baylor's Heisman candidate Griffin shocked the Sooners with a game-winning touchdown pass with eight seconds left.

To see images of these plays, click here.

On Monday the five finalists invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony were revealed. This year has featured one of the most interesting races for the Heisman as no one player has stood from the rest.

Here's a look at what a Heisman Trophy win -- or loss -- would mean to these players and their respective schools.

Trent Richardson, Alabama
Two seasons ago Trent Richardson was a part of a National Championship team with a Heisman Trophy winner, when running back Mark Ingram became Alabama's first winner. Richardson has nearly identical numbers to Ingram this season, and has already totaled 23 touchdowns compared to Ingram's 20 TD's.

If Richardson were to win the award it would put him and Ingram in some rare company. In the history of the Heisman Trophy only three times have two different players playing the same position at the same school won the award in a span of three seasons. It last happened when USC QB Matt Leinart won it in 2004 after Carson Palmer had taken home the award in 2002.

Andrew Luck, Stanford
Luck is listed second here as he finished second for the Heisman last season and Stanford has actually had the Heisman runner-up in each of the past two seasons (Toby Gerhart, 2009).

If Luck wins he would be the second player in Stanford history to win the award (Jim Plunkett, 1970) and join 1981 Herschel Walker as the only Heisman runner-ups to win the award the next season.

If Luck finishes second, Stanford would set a record. No school has ever had a Heisman runner-up in three consecutive seasons.

Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Montee Ball earned his invite thanks to his impressive numbers. Ball needs one touchdown in the Rose Bowl to tie Barry Sanders' FBS record for touchdowns in a season (39). Sanders won the Heimsan trophy during that 1988 season.

The last time a Big Ten player had 25 touchdowns was Eddie George during the 1995 season. George went on to win the Heisman trophy that year.

Robert Griffin III, Baylor
RGIII finished off a great regular season in which he threw 36 touchdowns compared to only six interceptions, while also leading Baylor to nine wins, its most since the 1986 season.

Griffin's invite is an accomplishment in its own considering he plays for Baylor. The Bears have only had one player finish in the top five of the Heisman vote in school history. In 1963 Don Trull finished fourth.

If Baylor's Robert Griffin III wins the Heisman Trophy this year, he will be just the third player since the BCS was established in 1998 to win the Heisman without his team playing in a BCS bowl game.

Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
The Honey Badger will take the trip to New York looking to join Charles Woodson as the only defensive backs to win the Heisman trophy.

Despite being a defensive player, recent history is on Mathieu's side to take home the award. Since 2003, seven of the past eight Heisman Trophy winners have come from the team at number one in the BCS standings entering the National Championship Game.

In order to win a Heisman Trophy, candidates must find a way to separate themselves from the competition. Each week, they are presented with one opportunity to showcase their skills and impress voters. One bad game can end a player’s Heisman aspirations, while one good performance can vault a player into the national spotlight. In Week 7, we saw several outstanding performances by potential Heisman Trophy candidates. Here are the candidates who helped themselves the most.

(1) Andrew Luck, Stanford Cardinal
Luck passed for over 300 yards for the second straight game in Stanford’s win against Washington State. Despite attempting more passes (12) of 20-plus yards than in any other game over the last two seasons, Luck found success keeping it short. Luck was 20-of-24 with three touchdowns and no interceptions on throws of 20 yards or fewer and 16-of-17 on throws shorter than 10 yards. For the season, Luck is completing 80.1 percent of his passes thrown less than 10 yards, a slightly higher percentage than last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton who completed 75.5 percent of the same throws.

(2) Trent Richardson, Alabama Crimson Tide
Trent Richardson set new career-highs with 183 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries in Alabama’s win over Ole Miss. Richardson ran through the Rebel defense with 127 of his 183 yards (69.4 percent) coming after contact, including 80 such yards on his 76-yard touchdown run. It was Richardson’s third 40-plus yard touchdown run this season, which is tied with LaMichael James for most in FBS.

(3) Kellen Moore, Boise State Broncos
Moore completed 26-of-30 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns in Boise State’s win over Colorado State. It was Moore’s eighth career game with four or more touchdown passes, trailing only Houston’s Case Keenum (14) for the most in FBS since 2008. Moore did much of his damage against the Rams in shotgun formation, where he completed 19-of-22 attempts for 294 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. It was Moore’s highest completion percentage while in shotgun during a game over the last three seasons.

(4) Russell Wilson, Wisconsin Badgers
Wilson completed 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) passes for 166 yards and a touchdown in Wisconsin’s win against Indiana. Wilson has now completed at least 70 percent of his passes in all six games this season. The only other player to accomplish this feat this season is Baylor’s Robert Griffin III. No other FBS player that has played in at least four games has completed 70 percent or more of their passes in every game. Wilson showcased his versatility against the Hoosiers. He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from running back Montee Ball in the second quarter and both of his rushing attempts gained 15 yards or more. For the season, 25 percent (6-24) of Wilson’s rushes have gained 15 yards or more.

(5) Landry Jones, Oklahoma Sooners
Jones passed for 363 yards and three touchdowns in Oklahoma’s lopsided win over Kansas. Jones has now passed for more than 300 yards in five of his six games this season, and has thrown at least three touchdowns in four of the six games. Jones completed seven-of-13 throws of 15-plus yards against Kansas, including three touchdowns. The seven completions and three touchdowns both tied career-highs. Jones was at his best when targeting Ryan Broyles on these throws. Broyles caught four of the seven passes and two of the three touchdowns.

(6) Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears
Griffin III threw for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns in Baylor’s loss at Texas A&M. It was Griffin’s fourth game this season with at least three touchdown passes and 300 yards passing, which is tied for the most such games in FBS. Against the Aggies, Griffin was particularly successful using play action. Griffin completed 16-of-22 passes following a run fake for 252 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, 14 of Griffin’s 22 touchdown passes have followed play action.

In order to win a Heisman Trophy, candidates must find a way to separate themselves from the competition. Each week, they are presented with one opportunity to showcase their skills and impress voters. One bad game can end a player’s Heisman aspirations, while one good performance can vault a player into the national spotlight. In Week 6, we saw several outstanding performances by potential Heisman Trophy candidates. Here are the candidates who helped themselves the most.

(1) Denard Robinson, Michigan Wolverines
Denard Robinson threw for 337 yards and ran for another 117 in Michigan’s win over Northwestern. This was Robinson’s 13th 100-yard rushing game since the start of last season, which is tied for the most such games in FBS with Western Kentucky’s Bobby Rainey. Robinson continues to make improvements with his passing game in Michigan’s new system. Robinson completed all six of his pass attempts, including two for touchdowns, from under center on Saturday. He has completed 72.0 percent of his passes from under center this season to go along with seven touchdowns and just one interception.

(2) Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears
Robert Griffin III threw for 212 yards and ran for 107 in Baylor’s win against Iowa State. Griffin III completed his first 11 passes to start the game, marking the fifth time this season he has completed 10 or more consecutive passes in a game. Griffin III also showed that he could make plays with his legs, as six of his 24 carries (25 percent) went for 10 yards or more. He only had eight such carries coming into Saturday’s game.

(3) Andrew Luck, Stanford Cardinal
Andrew Luck threw for a season-high 370 yards and three touchdowns in Stanford’s win over Colorado. It was the most yards that Luck had thrown for in a single game since October 2009, when he threw for 423 against Arizona. Luck was at his best when throwing the ball downfield against Colorado. On throws of 15 yards or longer, he completed 8-of-9 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. For the season, Luck is completing 62.2 percent of his passes for 653 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.

(4) Kellen Moore, Boise State Broncos
Kellen Moore continued his excellence this weekend, completing 23-of-31 passes for 254 yard and three touchdowns in a win over Fresno State. Moore was efficient in the red zone, where he completed 5-of-7 attempts including all three of his touchdowns. For the season, Moore has the second-most touchdowns (13) and the third-highest completion percentage (76.0) inside the red zone among quarterbacks with 15 or more pass attempts. Moore utilized newly reinstated wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, targeting him three times inside the opponent’s 20-yardline, which led to two touchdowns.

(5) Trent Richardson, Alabama Crimson Tide
Trent Richardson rushed 107 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries Saturday in a win over Vanderbilt. Richardson had four carries of 10 yards or more, which tied his single-game career high. It was the eighth time that Richardson has rushed for more than a hundred yards and scored at least one touchdown in a game, second among SEC players since the start of the 2009 season. Richardson had found the majority of his success against the Commodores when running up the middle, as 68 of his 107 yards came between the tackles, including his touchdown run.

Every Friday during college football season, we're taking fans' questions and answering them on our blog. You can send questions to our Twitter account @ESPNStatsInfo. Be sure to follow so you can tweet us your questions (facts, not opinions) and we'll answer the best of the best.

How many times has Brandon Weeden targeted Justin Blackmon and where does that rank?
-- asked by @Bmurphy47

Through Oklahoma State’s first four games this season, Weeden has targeted Blackmon 48 times, and the duo has combined for 38 catches, 450 yards and four touchdowns. The 48 targets are just over a quarter of Weeden’s 191 attempts.

Blackmon’s 38 receptions are tied for ninth in FBS. On a per-game basis, his 9.5 receptions per game are tied for fifth in FBS.

Syracuse had won seven straight decided by 1-7 points. Last five wins have been close. Who has longest streaks out there?
-- asked by @MattPark1

Rutgers snapped Syracuse’s seven-game winning streak in games decided by seven points or less with a 19-16 overtime win last weekend. The Orange’s streak was the second longest in FBS. Beginning with its Outback Bowl win over Northwestern at the end of the 2009 season, Auburn has won 10 straight games decided by seven points or less.

Syracuse joins Minnesota as the only FBS teams that have each of its last five victories by seven points or less. The last time the Golden Gophers won by more than seven points was Halloween 2009, an eight-point win over Michigan State.

With Florida going up against LSU, how have freshman QBs faired against No. 1 ranked teams in the past?
-- asked by @UFSanity

We went back through the last four years (just games between BCS AQ teams, to eliminate completely lopsided matchups). Eight freshmen played (six started) against No. 1 teams, all losses. Only EJ Manuel was able to complete more than half his passes, but Robert Griffin III did well on the ground against Oklahoma.