ESPN College Football

Editor's note: Each week this season, ESPN.com will ask one of its Heisman Watch voters to explain his or her picks.

1. Mark Ingram, Alabama: I've had Ingram as my No. 1 Heisman guy for at least a month, and he has continued to shine while carrying Alabama's offense. I really like that he's done most of his damage in Bama's toughest games. He ran for 150 yards against Virginia Tech, 140 yards at Kentucky in a game in which the Tide struggled, 172 yards at Ole Miss when he was the Tide's only offense, 246 yards against South Carolina and 144 yards against LSU. With two high-profile games remaining (Auburn and Florida), I think it's his Heisman to lose because he has been so consistently outstanding.

2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford: Gerhart has really generated a lot of Heisman buzz during the past month, and I have him at No. 2 this week. He has run for more than 400 yards combined in the past two weeks as Stanford has upset consecutive top-10 teams Oregon and USC. That's huge. But in reality, he's been superb all season, with six other 100-yard games and 19 rushing touchdowns on the season. I'm not sure he can overtake Ingram unless the Alabama running back and his team stumble. However, in my eyes, Gerhart has a shot.

3. C.J. Spiller, Clemson: Spiller, my No. 3 guy, is the most spectacular player in the race. He has really gotten people excited because of his versatility and his explosiveness. However, the downside is it will be really hard for him to get enough Heisman support, considering he's had only three 100-yard rushing games. Voters have a harder time gauging him against the rushing numbers of Ingram and Gerhart, but his all-around skills are impossible to ignore. I'll have to see what he does in the final two games. He's too spectacular to count out.

4. Colt McCoy, Texas: I voted for McCoy in last year's Heisman race, but at the moment, he's No. 4 for me. He has really picked it up during the past month as the young Texas receivers have blossomed, and he's developed a trust with them. But what hurts him a little is he's thrown a few more picks (nine) than most voters would like to see. And because the rest of the Big 12 is down, the Longhorns haven't been challenged much, so he hasn't played in a lot of fourth quarters. But it is hard not to be impressed by a guy who is completing more than 72 percent of his passes and is leading the country's No. 2 scoring offense (41.6 points per game). It's also worth noting that UT has scored on almost 50 percent of its drives with McCoy on the field (56-of-113) and is averaging almost four points per drive.

5. Kellen Moore, Boise State: I have Moore at No. 5. He's really sharp and doesn't make many mistakes. He has a great touchdown-to-interception ratio (32-to-3) and leads the nation in passing efficiency by a pretty sizable margin. He also leads the country's No. 1 scoring offense (43.6 points per game). The downside: Aside from Oregon in the season opener, the level of competition that Moore has faced on a weekly basis is very suspect, and I think that really hurts him in this race because other players have a better opportunity to impress voters.