DRAFT ZOO thinks Florida’s Tim Tebow and Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen’s stock has risen again in this year’s Heisman race.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
There it was, that’s what he needed. A vintage Tebow game from the Gators’ QB. Two touchdowns through the air, two touchdowns on the ground. All against a rival team. Tebow has the most impressive stats of any of the preseason “big three,” and his play finally has Florida looking like the number one team in the nation. If he can go on another run and continue to drive the UF offense to the SEC title, he’ll have the inside track to winning his second trophy. This award has become more about being the face of the best team than being the best player in the nation.

2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
If only, if only. If only Clausen had beaten USC then he’d be atop the list. Still, like always, he’s got the best stat line of any BCS quarterback and the voters have been dreaming of giving this award to a Notre Dame player since Tim Brown won it back in ‘87. Clausen may lose out to a player on a better team, but right now he’s a lock for an invite. If he can somehow get the Irish to the BCS, he’ll have a puncher’s chance of winning the award. More than likely, he’ll have to settle for being the top pick in next April’s draft.

I’m interested to see how Clausen finishes the year and whether or not he bolts for the NFL. The fact that he plays in a pro style system for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame will endure him to some scouts, but fair or unfair he’ll draw comparisons to Brady Quinn, which could hurt him given how bad the Browns’ QB has played this season in the NFL.

I’m also interested to see if Alabama running back Mark Ingram can continue to play as well as he has, because to me (and I think our friends at DRAFT ZOO would agree given that they had him in their top spot last week) he is leading the Heisman race right now.

I know Tebow played well last week against Georgia, but the Bulldogs haven’t stopped anyone this year and have one of the worst defensive backfields in the SEC. I’m still waiting for the Gator quarterback to play more consistently and he only has a month to do it.

DRAFT ZOO released their latest Heisman Barometer and notes that Tim Tebow and Jimmy Clausen’s stock has dropped recently.

3. Tim Tebow, Florida
Ouch. It’s been a rough go of it for Superman over the last two weeks. The Arkansas game was too close, despite a decent day from Tebow, and his shoddy play in Starkville nearly cost the Gators a chance at the title (that’s strangely difficult to type). Twice Tim was picked by Johnthan Banks, and twice Banks took it to the house. Still, Florida is undefeated, and we’ve all seen what the Gators and their QB can do once they get on a roll. If the Georgia
game is a stat-heavy blowout, Tebow can get back into the thick of the stiff-arm talk. At least he’s still putting up solid rushing numbers.

4. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
If Notre Dame had beaten USC, this would be your Heisman frontrunner. It’s hard to find a quarterback with a better statline. For the season Clausen has thrown for 2050 yards, 16 TDs, and only two INTs. He’s got Notre Dame flirting with a consistent top 25 ranking (a bigger feat than it used to be), and he’s garnering some serious consideration as the top pick in next April’s draft. It’ll take some losses from a few other teams, but if Clausen can somehow play the Irish back to the BCS, he could become the Golden Domers first Heisman winner since Tim Brown in 1987. It’s never a bad thing when a 250+ yard 2 TD day is considered “average” for your season.

For the rest of their top 5, click here.

It’s amazing how some pundits still claim that Tebow is the frontrunner to win this year’s Heisman. Are you serious? Have you not watched the young man play the past two weeks? He was good against Arkansas, but the refs bailed him and the Gators out with two horrible fourth quarter penalties and the only reason why Mississippi State was in that game last week was because Tebow threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

I like Tebow, but he hasn’t been the nation’s best player this year – far from it, in fact. Truth be told, a clear-cut favorite hasn’t emerged for the Heisman yet, but I like DRAFT ZOO’s choice of Mark Ingram as the frontrunner at this point. He has essentially carried Alabama’s offense while the passing game continues to sputter. If ‘Bama goes on to win the SEC and takes over the No. 1 spot in the rankings, it’ll likely be because of Ingram and their defense.