It was a whirlwind Saturday night for Andrew Luck and Stanford.

The 56-48 triple overtime win over USC was capped by a wild celebration in front of a small group of Cardinal fans before the Heisman front runner was whisked away to talk to ESPN’s Chris Fowler on a Game Day set that seemed to appear magically on the Coliseum turf.

Instead, thanks to Luck, the Cardinal might be in the driver’s seat to play for their first national title. And, thanks to tonight’s win, Luck is in the driver’s seat to win Stanford’s first Heisman since 1970.

There may not have been a less fortuitous night for Houston’s Case Keenum to have thrown nine touchdown passes and break the all-time NCAA mark for that category than last night.

As it turns out, one of the best game in World Series history helped bury Keenum’s big game in the media. In case you haven’t heard, he threw for 534 yards and the nine scores in a 73-34 win over Rice. I saw the results on the ticker, but I had to wait a long time to catch the highlights on ESPN afterward. This morning, both ESPN’s and SI.com’s college football front page consigned his story to the ‘Top Stories’ sidebar. No special commentary was forthcoming.

It illustrates the uphill climb a great player like Keenum faces playing in a non-BCS conference, which naturally results in matchups with non-marquee schools like Rice. And that tends to understate the impressiveness of performances like this one. (Yeah, but it’s Rice, you’ll hear people say, as if everyone else threw 9 TDs against Rice this year, too.)

I don’t think Keenum is going to win the Heisman, but I do think he’s got a chance to make it to New York as a finalist, especially when one considers where his numbers are headed. Can voters ignore someone who has thrown for 5,200 yards, with 52 touchdown passes and just 5 picks, as he is on pace to do?

I think this could be a dilemma for some voters, as many will acknowledge that while Keenum’s level of competition is lower than the other candidates and even though he plays in a system that gives him a unique opportunity to pile up these stats, he’s also broken almost every conceivable NCAA passing mark while leading his team to (potentially) an undefeated season.

What else can the guy do?

I thought it was worth making the comparison between 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram and current contender Trent Richardson after eight games:

Mark Ingram: 153 carries, 1,004 yards, 6.56 YPC, 125.5 YPG, 8 TDs, 19 receptions, 186 yards, 3 TDs

Trent Richardson: 149 carries, 989 yards, 6.64 YPC, 123.6 YPG, 17 TDs, 18 receptions, 212 yards, 1 TD

As you can see, Ingram (barely) trumps him in yardage, but is behind in yards per carry, receiving yards and, above all, total touchdowns scored. So far this year, Richardson is Mr. Touchdown.

Ingram had perhaps the weakest Heisman-winning season in the last 40 years, with the fewest rushing yards for a running back winner since Archie Griffin repeated in 1975 and the smallest margin of victory (28 points) in the trophy’s history.

But Ingram won anyway that year because (1) the field was fairly weak and (2) Ndamukong Suh single-handedly destroyed Colt McCoy’s Heisman hopes by taking a ton of votes away from him in the Midlands region.

For Richardson to catch a strong front runner like Andrew Luck, he’ll need to first make people forget about Ingram. And that means increasing his rushing yardage output.

Obviously, the next game with LSU is a great place to start.

Time for a look at the 2011 Heisman race after eight weeks of football.

Below is my personal list of the players who currently stand the best chance of actually winning the Heisman, based on season-long projections (rather than the current prevailing wind).

This is not a predicted order of the final vote, nor the order of how the vote would go if held today.  Some players not on this list are likely to receive support from the Heisman electorate, just not enough to actually win it.

Remember, this is my own analysis of how I believe the race is, not how it should be. From how I see things at the halfway point of the season, there are only FOUR players who stand a legitimate chance of winning the 2011 Heisman Trophy. I truly believe one of these four players will be the guy:

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford – He didn’t have to do too much last week against Washington, as the Cardinal ran for 446 yards. He was his typical efficient self, but the biggest boon to his Heisman hopes came from what resulted in East Lansing and Norman. Until he falters, he’s the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman. He’s got another chance to light things up against a ranked USC team this week and ESPN Game Day will be on hand to hype him up.

Last Week against Washington: 16 of 21, 169 yards, 2 TDs, 3 carries, 23 yards

Next Opponent: USC

Season: 145 of 202, 1,888 yards, 71.8%, 20 TDs, 3 Ints., 179.99 rating

2. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama – Richardson rushed for just 77 yards against Tennessee, but he did score two touchdowns and added another 33 yards on 3 receptions. His status in the Heisman race is in a holding pattern until the big Nov. 5 showdown with LSU. If he comes through big in that game, then we’ll have a serious race to the finish between Luck and Richardson. If not, then Luck will likely coast to the award.

Last Week vs. Tennessee: 17 carries for 77 yards, 2 TDs, 3 catches, 33 yards

Next Opponent: LSU on Nov. 5

Season: 149 carries, 989 yards, 6.64 ypc, 17 TDs, 18 receptions, 212 yards, 1 TD

3. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor – Griffin was off last week and this week he’ll have a huge chance to improve his position in the Heisman race when his team faces No. 3 Oklahoma State. If the Baylor defense can somehow step it up and give him some kind of cushion to do his thing, then maybe he can pull the upset. And, in that circumstance, he’d make a big move in the Heisman race. But, most likely, he’ll once again put up impressive numbers in a loss and voters will have to weigh his overall performance against that of his team’s.

Last Week: Bye

Next Opponent: Oklahoma State

Season: 143 of 183, 78.1%, 1,950 yards, 22 TDs, 2 INT, 205.13 rating, 72 carries, 295 yards, 2 TDs

4. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin – Wilson’s Heisman hopes are not dead, but they are on life support. The main rationale for his candidacy was that he was the guy who was going to take Wisconsin to the next level. On top of that, he was also putting up fantastic numbers. Well, Wisconsin went to the Rose Bowl last year and finished 11-1 in the regular season so, as it turns out, he’s not going to end up improving upon that record. However, if he can bring Wisconsin back to win the Big Ten title while maintaining his NCAA-record pass efficiency pace, then he can win the Heisman if Luck and Richardson mess up. While Ohio State isn’t the team it used to be, winning at the Horseshoe could still be a boon to his candidacy.

Last Week against Michigan State: 14 of 21, 223 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 8 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD

Next Opponent: Ohio State

Season: 109 of 149, 73.2%, 1,780 yards, 16 TDs, 3 INT, 204.91 rating, 32 carries, 212 yards, 3 TDs

If the vote were held today

1. Andrew Luck

2. Trent Richardson

3. Robert Griffin III

4. Kellen Moore

5. Russell Wilson

6. Case Keenum

7. Landry Jones

8. Brandon Weeden

9. Tajh Boyd

10. Sammy Watkins