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Newton is still No. 1.

The Heisman Trophy is college football's most prestigious trophy, so the editors here at Athlon take the voting for the 13.5-inch, 25-pound award very seriously. Each week, the ballots are collected and tallied from inside the walls of Athlon Sports. Each voter may vote for five players (unlike the official three) and a first place vote is worth 5 points, a second is worth 4 points so and so forth down to the fifth place vote earning 1 point.

Follow our voters on twitter: Charlie Miller (@AthlonCharlie), Mitch Light (@AthlonMitch), Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven), Braden Gall (@AthlonBraden), Rob Doster (@AthlonDoster), Nathan Rush (@AthlonRush) and Patrick Snow (@AthlonSnowman).

by Braden Gall

Here is this week's results:

1. Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn (34 pts, 6 first place votes)

As far as Heisman performances go, Newton laid an egg this weekend. Its amazing that leading a team to 51 points on the road in SEC play — with 209 yards, 2 TDs and 45 yards rushing — is considered a bad week. It was his lowest rushing total of the year, so Newton basically maintained status quo.

What's Next: Don't expect much of Newton against Chattanooga this Saturday. After Chattanooga, the Tigers face Georgia at home, with a national title, SEC title and Heisman potentially on the line in the Iron Bowl. There is still a lot of work to be done for Newton, and plenty of marquee opportunities to build his resume.

2. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon (29 pts, 1 first place vote)

I was the one who changed my vote from Newton to James. A 239-yard, 3-TD performance on the road against USC was only part of the equation. James, the nation's leading rusher, is also the driving force behind the No. 1 team in the nation (Oregon would be favored over Auburn if they played today). The Oregon tailback has been at his best against Stanford and the Trojans - the Ducks toughest two tests thus far. With Newton's uninspiring performance, James, the most explosive player in the nation, got my vote.

What's Next: A home game against Washington should allow James to keep that 172 yards-per-game pace up this week.

3. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State (20 pts)

Stop the presses. Moore threw an interception. Actually, it was only his 15th INT in 1,015 career pass attempts. He is still the nation's most efficient passer and will break the single-season NCAA record if he continues this pace. Like Newton, 298 yards and 2 TDs has become a mediocre performance.

What's Next: An interesting game against Hawaii looms this weekend. The Warriors can score with anyone (11th nationally) and should be able to move the ball — for a little while. If this game was on the Islands, it would be much more intriguing. In Boise, the Broncos should roll.

Griffin has worked his way up the ballot.

4. Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor (9 pts)

No player means more to his team than Mr. Griffin. If the award was MVP, it might not even be a contest. Griffin is trying for win No. 8 this weekend — something that hasn't happened to Baylor since 1991. Griffin threw two touchdowns and ran for another in a huge upset win in Austin this weekend. He is still leading the Big 12 in total offense and is third nationally with 332.6 total ypg.

What's Next: No rest for the weary as a lot of heavy lifting is still to be done for Griffin. It begins with with one-loss Oklahoma State this weekend in Stillwater. With a win, Baylor would be all alone in first place in the South.

5. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan (6 pts)

Other than James, Robinson is the most electric player in college football. He rushed for 191 yards and led the Wolverines on a furious second half comeback against Penn State. His squad came up just a bit short and its those three straight losses that might keep him from a trip to New York.

What's Next: Plenty of opportunities remain for Shoelace. Illinois is up next with the totally revamped Vic Koenning defense. The Illini are vastly improved on defense this season.

6. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford (5 pts)
Could put Cardinal into the Rose Bowl. Maybe the best pure QB in the nation.

7. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina (1 pt)
I keep trying to figure out who he reminds me of and Gale Sayers is the name that comes to mind.

8. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State (1 pt)
How much will arrest/investigation impact his standing?

Other names still in the mix:

Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama