I must say, that’s the coolest nickname I’ve heard this season for a Heisman candidate. More like the prestigious award’s front-runner.

At this point of the season with Collin Klein’s Kansas State Wildcats undefeated and ranked third in the BCS, it’s Klein’s Heisman to lose. Kansas State has beaten a pair of ranked teams, both roads wins at Oklahoma and West Virginia. Klein’s head-to-head drubbing of Geno Smith over the weekend gives him a sizable lead in my opinion. Here’s a look at some of the other players that will challenge the leader of the Autobots, err college football, down the stretch.

Best player you’ve never heard of: Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville, QB: – The one wild-card pick of the group, if Louisville finishes unbeaten with a shot at a BCS victory in the Big East’s Orange Bowl, shouldn’t the Cardinal’s quarterback get some postseason attention? You won’t see this player’s name on many Heisman predictors, but he deserves recognition as a sophomore. Bridgewater’s thrown 11 touchdown passes and is leaned on to pick up third down with his legs. If not for Louisville’s less-than-stellar offensive line, Bridgewater would fit into the Jeff Driskel-Connor Shaw-Johnny Manziel mold of dual-threat, efficient quarterbacks. Strength of schedule in a top-heavy Big East is what separates Bridgewater from being a true contender.

Oregon’s kick-starter: Kenjon Barner, Oregon, RB – Overshadowed most of the time by teammate De’Anthony Thomas, Barner’s the key cog in Oregon’s offense. He’s rushed for 870 yards and 12 touchdowns this season and has went over 100 in three straight games. Currently on a crash course to face Alabama should the Ducks win out, Barner will get a handful of chances to showcase his talents this next month in the PAC 12. A 200-yard, three-touchdown effort against Southern Cal or Oregon State — maybe both — would vault Barner into the front-runner conversation. Thomas poses more of the one-touch scoring threat with his world-class speed, but he’s non-existent in some games even when Oregon scores a lot of points. Barner’s the true star in Chip Kelly’s offense.

Urban Meyer’s not-so-secret weapon: Braxton Miller, Ohio State, QB – How can the quarterback of a team not even eligible to win a conference championship or play in a bowl game be so high in Heisman talks? The numbers speak for themselves and he’s perfectly executed a former SEC heavyweight’s option offense. Miller’s down most of his damage on the ground, showcasing above average speed for signal callers with 959 yards rushing and 10 scores. Just a sophomore, Miller is 25 yards away from Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell as the conference’s leading rusher and has eight carries of at least 35 yards. Miller left Saturday’s overtime win over Purdue in the third quarter with concussion-like symptoms, but didn’t play extremely well during the time he was in (113 yards passing, 1 INT; 47 yards rushing, 1 TD).

Steady No. 2: A.J. McCarron, Alabama, QB – The Heisman is a quarterback-dominated award and this selection is no different. McCarron may not be the Crimson Tide’s best player with several future first-rounders on defense and Eddie Lacy in the backfield, but he’s the key to a second straight BCS title. Nick Saban can’t complain with what his junior leader has given him this season — 1,476 yards, 16 TDs and 0 INTs. McCarron played beautifully at Tennessee over the weekend with the first 300-yard, four-touchdown game of his career. Mr. Reliable in the Alabama backfield, McCarron should lock up a Heisman invite should the Crimson Tide win an SEC Championship.

No. 1 Contender: Geno Smith, West Virginia, QB – If only the Mountaineers had a defense. Smith’s numbers have been gaudy this season, perhaps the best in the country — 2,414 yards, 26 TDs, 2 INTs. No one is denying the senior’s leadership abilities in Dana Holgorsen’s attacking spread offense. But where is that signature win that all Heismans have? Smith hasn’t got it yet. A 48-45 win at Texas looked good at the time, but the Longhorns haven’t proved much at all this season. They’ve lost to the two ranked teams they’ve played and given up an average of 35 points per game, 105th worst in the country. The BIG XII’s lack of defense could also be damaging to opinions on Klein as well.

Just missed the cut: Mantei Te’o, Notre Dame, LB; Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, QB; EJ Manuel, Florida State, QB.

Arkansas had not won eleven games in a season since 1977, when they ended that year with an Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma to finish 11-1. A 29-16 decision over Kansas State Friday night in the 76th Annual Cotton Bowl, earned the Hogs win number 11 for the first time in thirty-four years, and it virtually guaranteed the Razorbacks a top-five finish in at least one of the major polls.

The Cotton Bowl featured the only non-BCS match-up between two top 10 schools, when #6 Arkansas met #8 Kansas State at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Both squads came into the game with 10-2 records, and hoping for an up-lifting off-season, and a big boost in recruiting with a bowl victory. The teams didn’t disappoint, as each provided some exciting plays for the over 80,000 fans on-hand to watch the Classic.

Jerry Jones’ stadium is out of this world, and there could be no better setting for a major college bowl game. The hospitality shown to both teams and to the fans by the AT&T Cotton Bowl is bar-none, the best of any bowl game. I’m still trying to figure out why the Cotton Bowl is not one of the BCS games. But then again, I don’t really think most people understand or like the BCS anyway.

Arkansas placekicker Zach Hocker started off the scoring with a 26-yard field goal, to give Arkansas a 3-0 lead. K-State couldn’t do anything with the ball early, as the Hogs defense played outstanding against the run for most of the night.

After pinning the Wildcats near their own goal line, K-State punted. Arkansas return man Joe Adams fielded that 47 yard kick at the Hogs 49 yard line, got three or four great blocks by his teammates, and took it to the house for six. Didn’t anyone tell Kansas State, “Do NOT punt the ball to Smokin Joe!”? It was Adams fourth punt returned for a touchdown on the season, and was the first in the Cotton Bowl since Arkansas’ Lance Alworth took one back in the 1961 game versus Duke.

The Razorback defense continued to play well, frustrating the Wildcat offense. KSU QB Collin Klein came into the game as a 1st Team All-Big XII player, with over 1,000 yards rushing and a whopping 26 rushing touchdowns. The Hog defense gave up a second half TD to Klein, but held him to a meager 42 yards on 24 carries. For the game, K-State managed only 87 yards rushing, and 173 yards through the air. For a running team like KSU, that’s not how you win ball games.

After another Hocker field goal to make it 13-0, Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson connected with receiver Jarius Wright on a 45-yard touchdown bomb, stretching Arkansas’ lead to 19-0. The TD catch was Wright’s 12th of the year, setting a school single-season record. Wright would finish his career at the UA as the single best wideout in school history, holding each of the following records: most catches in a game (13), season (66), and career (168), most yards in a game (281), season (1,117), and career (2,934).

Kansas State lineman Raphael Guidry blocked the extra point attempt, and Nigel Malone scooped up the ball and returned it for 2 points, making the Hogs lead 19-2. K-State would get a TD pass from Klein to TE Andre MacDonald just before halftime, setting the score at 19-9, and giving the Wildcats the momentum.

KSU Head Coach Bill Snyder would capitalize on that momentum, calling the right plays for the Wildcats best possession of the game, at the start of the 3rd quarter. K-State drove 60-yards in just over three minutes, and Klein dove in from the six yard line to cut Arkansas’ lead to 19-16. The Cats would get no closer.

Two possessions later, the Hogs put together a great drive, going 68-yards in three minutes and twenty-five seconds. The drive culminated with a 9-yard TD pass from Wilson to Cobi Hamilton, pushing Arkansas’ lead back to ten points, 26-16.

With time winding down, KSU abandoned their vaunted option-style running game, and started throwing the ball. Klein showed good accuracy, completing 12 of 19 attempts for 148 yards in the second half (16 of 30 for 173 yards in the game). But when pressured, Klein’s accuracy failed him, or he was sacked for a loss. The Razorbacks sacked the K-State QB 7 times, one shy of the record set in the 2000 Cotton Bowl by Arkansas, in a 27-6 win over Texas.

Hocker would add his third field goal to stretch Arkansas’ lead to 29-16, with three and a half minutes to play.

On their final possession, KSU only ran for positive yardage once, on a Klein scramble. The other plays included passes, and QB sacks. Most of Klein’s completions for the game were underneath the coverage, and for shorter gains. His longest completion went for 23-yards. With under a minute to play, Klein finally went deep. Arkansas rover Jerico Nelson was there for the interception, returning it 61-yards, and sealing the victory for the Hogs.

Junior QB Tyler Wilson, who broke former QB Ryan Mallett’s single season completion record (267), was named the games Offensive MVP (20 of 31, 216 yds, 2 TD). Senior DE Jake Bequette was the Defensive MVP (3 tt, 2 sacks, 1 caused fumble).

#6 Arkansas improved to 11-2 for the 2011 season, claimed their fourth Cotton Bowl championship in school history, and should be ranked in the Top 5 in the final polls. This bowl victory, coupled with eleven wins, is huge for the Razorbacks. It will be a valuable recruiting tool for Head Coach Bobby Petrino and his staff going forward. It also could mean that the Hogs will start the 2012 season ranked in the top 10.

Although the Hogs will be losing 18 seniors from this team, to include Jake Bequette, Jerry Franklin, Jarius Wright, and Joe Adams among others, there are a plethora of players returning with game experience, not to mention the incoming freshmen. With a favorable schedule next season, and Coach Petrino driving this Hog bus up the mountain, it’s just a matter of time before Arkansas claims another kind of championship for their own.

The Hogs won their only national championship for the 1964 season, in the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1965, when they defeated Nebraska 10-7 to finish that season 11-0. Arkansas’ other two victories came in 1976, a 31-10 smashing of Georgia, and in 2000 when the Pigs hammered former hated SWC rival Texas, 27-6.

The Razorbacks have a rich tradition of winning seasons and bowl appearances. Their opponent in the 76th edition of the Cotton Bowl, Kansas State, has just the opposite. Until head coach Bill Snyder’s arrival in Manhattan, KS. in the mid-1990’s, the Wildcats had lost more games, and had more losing seasons, than any other team in Div. I-A college football.

Snyder changed all that with solid recruiting (mostly junior college players from the plethora of jr. colleges in the state of Kansas) and solid coaching. Snyder also scheduled weaker non-conference opponents for his teams to beat up on, and boost their overall win-loss record. That attracted better caliber players to the program.

K-State’s high point came in 2003, when they defeated heavily favored Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship Game, 35-7, claiming the schools first conference title in forever. Snyder retired soon after. The new head coach didn’t fair as well, and Snyder came out of retirement to coach his Wildcats once again.

KSU was the surprise team of the Big XII this season, finishing 10-2 overall, after being picked eighth in the pre-season. The Wildcats are feeling a bit snubbed by the BCS right now, with Oklahoma State being the only team from their conference selected for a BCS bowl game.

Arkansas and K-State are on the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as offense goes. The Hogs like to throw the football, and they are damn good at it, averaging 307 yards passing per game. The Wildcats only pass for 150 a game. K-State is a running team, averaging about 195 yards on the ground. The Hogs rush for 138 yards per contest. Both teams are close in scoring offense, with Arkansas putting up 37 points per game, and KSU averaging 33.

Neither team has outstanding defenses on paper. The Razorbacks give up 22 ppg, 174 yards rushing, and 197 yards passing per ballgame. The Wildcats aren’t much better, allowing opponents to score almost 28 points per outing, while allowing 131 rush and 267 passing yards.

The big differences between these two teams are in turnover margin, QB sacks, Red Zone Defense, special teams, and overall depth and talent.

K-State has a big advantage over Arkansas in turnover margin, with the Cats sitting at +13, while the Hogs are even.
The Hogs have a slight edge in sacks, having gotten to the opposing QB 25 times in 2011, while K-State only got there about 13 times. Red Zone Defense is another advantage for the Razorbacks. Arkansas only allows the other team to score in the Red Zone 72.7% of the time, giving up just 19 touchdowns in that “zone”. Kansas State has allowed teams to score 91.4% of the time, giving up 25 touchdowns.

Special teams is another advantage for the Hogs. Both teams average around 24 yards per kickoff return and both have 2 touchdowns in that department. But K-State’s 9.1 yards per punt return is less than Arkansas’, and the Wildcats do not have Joe Adams. Adams has returned 3 punts for TD’s on the year, while KSU has zero.

The final difference maker is depth and overall talent. This is not to say that Kansas State doesn’t have any talented players on their team. They absolutely do. QB Collin Klein is an outstanding leader, and he is fun to watch. Klein has amassed over 1,000 yards and 26 touchdowns running the ball. While Klein is an outstanding runner, his passing stats leave much to be desired, with just over 1,700 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 5 INT’s through the air.

The problem for the Wildcats lies behind Klein and the other starters. There is very little quality depth and playing experience after the starting lineups for K-State. With Arkansas’ deep receiving corps and stable of running backs, it will be imperative for the offensive line to give QB Tyler Wilson time to distribute the ball to his playmakers. If that happens, it will be tough for KSU’s defense to keep up with the Hogs the entire game. Considering the type of second half football Arkansas has played in all but two of their games this season, this match-up heavily favors the Razorbacks.

On the defensive side for the Hogs, All-SEC defensive end Jake Bequette leads a deep and quick front line that rotates three deep at each position. The Razorback defenders will be tasked with containing K-State QB Klein, and force him to throw the ball. Stop Klein, and you stop the Wildcat offense. That’s easier said than done, but Arkansas’ defenders will need to be focused and disciplined.

It all comes down to which team prepares better and wants the victory more. It’s been almost twelve years since the Hogs have won a New Year’s bowl game. Razorback fans are hungry to celebrate a Cotton Bowl championship in Big D.