Give him the hardware. Let the discussion begin on who the second best player is in college football because No. 1 resides in West Lafayette, Ind.

Maybe it’s a little early to make such a brash statement, but through the first four games, calling Kyle Orton the best player in the land is not so far-fetched.

He’s thrown for 1,367 yards, accounted for 19 touchdowns and caused opposing defenses countless headaches in leading Purdue to a 4-0 record.

Did I mention he hasn’t thrown an interception?

Never has a college quarterback, or any quarterback for that matter, began a season on such a torrid pace.

On pace for 52 total touchdowns, Orton has already surpassed his totals of last season and brought hope to the Boilermaker faithful that this season could be special.

Blitz everyone. He changes the play. You lose.

Play zone. He finds the leaks like a plumber. You still lose.

This is a guy who almost lost his job two years ago.

In 2002, he rotated with Brandon Kirsch as Purdue head coach Joe Tiller wondered if Orton’s talent would ever come to fruition.

Two years later, his mastery of the Purdue playbook has turned Orton into part quarterback, part professor – schooling defenses by changing the play at the line and eventually putting the opposition to sleep.

Coming into the season, he was overshadowed by USC’s Matt Leinart and 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White, who were deemed by college football previews as the most likely to succeed. But it’s fair to say right now that Orton is at the head of the class.

One thing the Purdue QB should keep in mind is that it’s not how you start the season; it’s how you finish.

The past four quarterbacks who have won the Heisman Trophy – White, USC’s Carson Palmer, Nebraska’s Eric Crouch and Florida State’s Chris Weinke – had their biggest games against their toughest competition late in the season, something that cannot yet be said of Orton.

With Michigan and Ohio State still waiting on the schedule, the Boilermaker gunslinger will still have to flex his muscles and show his early season performances were no fluke.

But with Michigan surviving the scare from such national powers as San Diego State (detect the sarcasm?) and Ohio State losing to Northwestern, the Big Ten powers don’t look as scary as they used to.

As far as the Heisman race goes, he’s number one … for now.

Cedric Benson, the bruising running back from Texas, is Orton’s closest competitor. He’s stampeded his way to 746 yards and seven touchdowns already this year, as an important date with Oklahoma looms this weekend.

Other candidates such as Leinart, White and USC’s electrifying tailback Reggie Bush will need performances of epic proportions to catch up to the pace set by Orton.

The Purdue captain has also made himself a lot of money in the process.

Many draft analysts envisioned California’s Aaron Rodgers and Arizona State’s Andrew Walter going before Orton in next April’s NFL Draft. But with his performance thus far, and a number of teams like the Dolphins and 49ers looking for a quarterback of the future, Orton could find himself the number-one signal-caller taken.

And that wouldn’t be a bad choice for any team.

He showed his brains by essentially calling the game from the line as he tore through the Illini.

He followed that up with a record setting performance against a stout Notre Dame defense.

As much fun as it is to debate who should win the Heisman during the college football season, Orton has made such discussion irrelevant.

The Boilermakers have been called the best team in the Big Ten by many because of their offensive firepower, but with a suspect defense, their destiny this season is still unknown.

One thing that is known is with Orton at the helm of Tiller’s aerial attack, the Boilermakers and perhaps the Heisman, will be in good hands.

Jeff Feyerer is a senior in applied life studies. He can be reached at [email protected].