Can Manti Te'o win the Heisman?

Could this be the year a defensive player finally breaks down the barriers and picks up the Heisman Trophy? While Charles Woodson is widely considered to be the only defender to ever win the award, his play at receiver and punt returner certainly played a role in his candidacy. But this year Manti Te'o of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is making a serious run at the Heisman -- and doing it all on the defensive side of the ball.

With his first sack of the season and an interception against the Oklahoma Sooners, Te'o picked up an additional 10 Predictor Points. The extra boost, however, didn't push him up the Predictor Standings.

As we discussed in last week's Heisman Predcitor update, the formula won't churn out Te'o's name this year. But the formula isn't foolproof and this could certainly be the year a defensive player breaks through. What has to happen for Te'o to bring home the trophy?

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