In what is shaping up as one of the closest Heisman races in recent years, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford held on to his slim lead in this week's Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Trophy poll.
With four touchdown passes in Oklahoma's 61-41 win at Oklahoma State on Saturday night (the Sooners' fourth consecutive game with 60 or more points), Bradford earned seven of 10 first-place votes. Yet his lead over second-place Colt McCoy, the Texas quarterback, grew by only one point, 44-42. The sophomore Bradford gets one last chance to impress voters in Saturday night's Big 12 Championship Game against Missouri in Kansas City. Heisman ballots are due Dec. 10; the trophy will be rewarded Dec. 13 in New York City.
In a pair of wins against the Tigers last season, Bradford threw for 475 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Yet he will also be playing with torn ligaments in his left (non-throwing) thumb.
Last year's Heisman winner, Florida QB Tim Tebow, moved up one spot to third, followed by Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell and Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno.
Compiled by The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the Scripps poll is in its 22nd year, making it the longest-running weekly Heisman ranking in the country. The final poll, which comes out next Tuesday, has predicted the Heisman winner correctly in 18 of the previous 21 seasons. Ten voters select five players each week. The tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points for a first-place vote, four points for second, etc. First-place votes are in parentheses.
This week's poll, with statistics from last week:
Player, Position, School, Last Week, Points.
1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma, 30-for-44 passing, 370 yards, 4 TDs, 44 (7).
2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas, 23-for-28 passing, 311 yards, 2 TDs, 42 (2).
3. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 12-for-23 passing, 185 yards, 3 TDs, 30 (1).
4. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech, 41-for-50 passing, 309 yards, 2 TDs, 22.
5. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia, 94 yards rushing, TD, 3.
Others receiving votes: Michael Crabtree (WR, Texas Tech), 2; Chase Daniel (QB, Missouri), 2; Shonn Greene (RB, Iowa), 2; Darryll Clark (QB, Penn State), 1; Jeremy Maclin (WR, Missouri), 1; Alabama defense, 1.
Voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Mike Griffith, The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel; Michael Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune; Bernie Lincicome, Rocky Mountain News; John Lindsay, Scripps Howard News Service; Tom Luicci, The (Newark) Star-Ledger; John Rohde, The Oklahoman.
(Compiled by the Rocky Mountain News at RockyMountainNews.com.)
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