1) SAM BRADFORD (Oklahoma) Last Week: 2. Odds: +200. Sam Bradford threw for 311 yards and five TD passes, completing 19-of-27 passes with one interception against Nebraska. It was a nice bounce-back for the sophomore who had completed just 40.6 percent (13-of-32) against KSU, the lowest percentage in any game of his career. He topped 300 yards for the seventh time in nine games this season, giving him nine career 300-yard games, two of which have been 400-plus. It also marked the fourth time this season he had five TD passes in a contest (his single-game career high), giving him six career five-TD games.
I see the Heisman as a three-way race between Big 12 QBs and for now, I'll place Bradford at the head of the class. He lost his showdown game with Colt McCoy of Texas but will get a shot at Graham Harrell and Texas Tech in Norman on Nov. 22.
Bradford's season stats are: 202-of-297 (68.0 percent) for 3,086 yards with 34 TDs and 6 INTs / QB rating of 189.0 ranks him No. 3 / 3 rush TDs.
2) GRAHAM HARRELL (Texas Tech) Last Week: 3. Odds: +400. Like his predecessors at Texas Tech, Harrell has lived with the claim that's it's Mike Leach's "system" not the QB, which is the star of the Texas Tech offense. Graham has worked hard to overcome that stigma and he may have answered any remaining critics this past Saturday night.
In a game in which the Red Raiders had owned from the first play (Tech led 19-0 with just under six minutes to go in the second quarter), the Longhorns took their first lead of the game on a four-yard TD run with 1:29 to play. Unfortunately, Texas left Graham and Texas Tech too much time. Harrell drove the Red Raiders 62 yards to the TD in six plays, connecting on a 28-yard TD pass to Crabtree with one second remaining on the clock. Harrell was brilliant and lucky on the final drive. He hit on four straight passes to get the ball in Texas territory but got a break when Texas freshman safety Blake Gideon dropped what would have been a game-ending interception on a tipped ball, one play before the TD throw. Given that second chance, Harrell made the big play to Crabtree. He completed 36-of-53 passes on the game for 474 yards with two TDs and not a single interception.
Harrell's season stats are: 292-of-413 (70.7 percent) for 3,621 yards with 30 TDs and 5 INTs / QB rating of 165.9 ranks 8th / 6 rush TDs.
3) COLT MCCOY (Texas) Last Week: 1. Odds: +200. McCoy was under tremendous pressure all night by Tech's front-four but despite Texas falling behind 19-0, he brought the Longhorns back. McCoy surely has nothing to be ashamed of, throwing for 294 yards with two TDs and one interception. He was sacked four times in the game and had his face bloodied on a hard hit in the third quarter. After Tech returned his lone interception for an 18-yard TD, Texas was down 29-13. However, McCoy responded with TD passes of 37 and 91 yards to Malcolm Williams and after Tech kicked a FG for a six-point lead, he led Texas on a gutty 62-yard TD drive to take a one-point lead with 1:29 left. If Gideon hadn't dropped a sure interception, McCoy would have had his 10th career comeback win. More importantly, Texas would still be No. 1 in the AP poll and BCS standings and less importantly, McCoy would have remained at the top of my Heisman list. I have McCoy at the No. 3 spot but in actuality, a see the top-three in a dead heat, with four weekends remaining.
McCoy's season stats are: 218-of-276 (79.0 percent) for 2,579 yards with 23 TDs and 5 INTs / QB rating of 181.4 is 4th in the nation / 93 carries for 428 yards (4.6 YPC) and 7 TDs.
4) TIM TEBOW (Florida) Last Week: 4. Odds: +400. The only player remaining who has a chance to challenge the Big 12's "Big Three" of Bradford, Harrell and McCoy is the defending champ, Florida's Tim Tebow. He won't come close to matching his numbers from last year (3,286 yards passing with 32 TDs / 895 yards rushing with 23 TDs) but the man did account for five TDs in Saturday's rout of Georgia. However, he attempted just 13 passes (completed 10 with two going for TDs) for 150 yards and while he ran for three TDs, he gained a modest 39 yards on the ground in 13 carries.
Tebow is a terrific player and is well-deservedly respected by all for the way he carries himself and leads his life off the field. That will give him tremendous good-will among many voters (much like Archie Griffin, the award's only two-time winner) but in the end, I just don't see how a voter could place him ahead (as of now) of the three players I have currently placed above him.
Tebow's season stats are: 114-of-177 (64.4 percent) for 1,569 yards with 14 TDs and 2 INTs / QB rating of 162.7 ranks 10th / 94 carries for 266 yards (2.8 YPC) 8 TDs.
5) MICHAEL CRABTREE (Texas Tech) Last Week: NR. Odds: +2500. It would be hard to argue against Crabtree being the nation's most talented WR. He caught an amazing 134 passes last year as a freshman, leading the nation in both receiving yards (1,962) and TD receptions (22). In the process, he became the first freshman to win the Biletnikoff award as the nation's best receiver.
Crabtree has 70 catches through nine games this year (ranks sixth in receptions/game) with none being more important than his game-winner Saturday night against the Longhorns. I'm sure you've all seen it by now but Crabtree made an outstanding catch, then broke a tackle and kept his balance while managing to stay in bounds, before scooting the last few yards for a score. Crabtree has had a minimum of five catches in every game this year, while scoring at least one TD. That streak reaches 12 games, by going back to the final three games of last year, which is quite a run of consistent excellence. Crabtree has topped 100 yards in 15 of his 22 career games, while catching 37 TDs.
Crabtree's season stats are: 70 catches for 921 yards (13.2 YPC) with 15 TDs.
6) CHASE DANIEL (Missouri) Last Week: 7.
7) JEREMY MACLIN (Missouri) Last Week: 8.
8) JAVON RINGER (Michigan State) Last Week: 6.
9) DEZ BRYANT / KENDALL HUNTER / ZAC ROBINSON (Oklahoma State) Last Week: NR.
10) JOHN MCCAIN (Arizona) or BARACK OBAMA (Illinois): Tuesday's winner gets my 10th spot this week.