MaxwellPundit: Week Seven

Wow, the games of week six really really shook up the top five for reasons that should seem all too obvious to even the most casual observer of collegiate pigskin. I know that it's going to be unfair of me to ding Adrian Peterson for getting hurt but this is a player of the year award poll--not player of half the year. For those of our listeners and readers who aren't familiar with the Maxwell Award, it is an award given out at the end of the regular college football season to the Player of the Year. Not the MVP, not the MOP, but the POY. Bear that in mind when reading this.

To steal a line from Jon Lovitz: "and now for [the ballot]!"

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Human Highlight Reel, The Ohio State University

I could give you Troy's numbers against MSU this weekend but during the snacky-cake stretch of OSU's schedule, they're only worth mentioning if they're bad. And they weren't. All you need to know is that it was another brutally efficient day for Smith and the Buckeye offense against the hapless Spartans. Not only that, but we saw yet another sick highlight from Troy when he somehow shed a D-lineman, ran to the line, stopped, and hit Brian Robiskie (as if OSU needed ANOTHER big play receiver) for a TD that sent the State faithful to the exits in the third. He just looks unstoppable right now.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver/Death From Above, Georgia Tech

CJ had the unusual occurrence of having a bye week actually bolster his Maxwell status this week, though he was probably bound to stay here regardless. His current statistical pace looks like 1100 yards and 16 TD but, impressive though that may be, it belies what an electrifying player #21 has become over the past season and a half. A big game this weekend in Death Valley could further bolster this stud's Maxwell presence.
(Last Week- 2)

3- Steve Slaton, Running Back/Pastry Enthusiast, West Virginia University

Three factors pushed Slaton back to this spot and I don't think I need to tell you what they were... but I will anyway: 163 yards and a TD in a win over Syracuse, Adrian Peterson's collarbone and Garrett Wolfe's 25 yard day. Slaton continues to be a cupcake steamroller and while his yards and TDs still don't touch Wolfe's, he's still got it all over Garrett in terms of national spotlight and I still see the game against Louisville as the game that will cement Slaton's spot on this poll.
(Last Week- 5)

4- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/Award Cockroach, University of Notre Dame

Another bye week beneficiary, it just seems like The Other Quarterback Who Wears Number 10 just won't go away. Consistently powerful numbers against the not-so-powerful post-Michigan schedule have pushed A.J. Hawk's brother-in-law back into the discussion. I really don't see this changing, either, granted that after UCLA this week the Irish hit the UNC-and-three-Academies stretch of their schedule. I'm also really looking for any excuse to use one more hyphen in this explanation.
(Last Week- NR)

5- Robert Meachem, Wide Receiver/Quiet Riot, University of Tennessee

While I'm always told by listeners, readers and friends in SEC country that Erik Ainge is garnering all the player of the year talk down Knoxville way, let's not forget that Meachem is the leading major-conference receiver with 34 grabs for 675 yards and six TDs in six games. As impressive as those stats are by themselves, they become magnified when we remember that Meachem plays in the ultra-defensive SEC and if he can keep averaging over 100 yards per game in THAT conference, he deserves a hell of a lot of run in our humble poll.
(Last Week- NR)

Dropped out- Garrett Wolfe (3), Adrian Peterson (4)

Also Considered- Garrett Wolfe, Mario Manningham, Erik Ainge, John David Booty

Absolutely Not Considered- Chris Leak