ShareThisA statistical rundown of the top three candidates for the Heisman Trophy, to be awarded Saturday night in New York City:
-- Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford
Class: Sophomore.
Team record: 12-1 overall, 7-1 Big12 Conference, defeated Missouri in league championship game.
Total yards: 4,529 (4,464 passing; 65 rushing).
Total touchdowns: 53 (48 passing, five rushing)
Comment: Bradford is poised and courageous beyond his years, playing OU's last two games with an injured non-throwing (left) hand that required surgery less than 24 hours after the Sooners crushed Missouri Saturday night.
-- Texas QB Colt McCoy
-- Class: Junior.
-- Team record: 11-1 overall, 7-1 Big12.
-- Total yards: 4,021 (3,445 passing; 576 rushing).
-- Total touchdowns: 42 (32 passing, 10 rushing).
Comment: In the Longhorns' biggest game of the season -- a 45-35 win against rival Oklahoma -- McCoy was at his best. Nothing unexpected there; he was superb throughout 2008 with his feet, arm and leadership ability.
-- Florida QB Tim Tebow
Class: Junior.
Team record: 12-1 overall, 7-1 Southeastern Conference, defeated Alabama in league championship.
Total yards: 3,079 (2,515 passing; 564 rushing).
Total touchdowns: 40 (28 passing, 12 rushing).
Comment: Tebow was the Gators' catalyst in Saturday's victory against the previously unbeaten Crimson Tide for the SEC title, shouldering Florida's offense in the absence of versatile RB Percy Harvin.
FINAL POLL
Voting results in the final Scripps Howard Heisman Trophy poll. Compiled by The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the final Scripps poll has correctly picked the Heisman winner 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. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas, Did not play, 42 (5).
2. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma, 34-for-49 passing, 384 yards, 2 TDs, 41 (3).
3. Tim Tebow, QB, Fla., 14-for-22, 216 yards passing, 2 TDs; 57 yards rushing, 34 (2).
4. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech, Did not play, 23.
5. Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa, Did not play, 5.
Others receiving votes: Michael Crabtree (WR, Texas Tech), 3; Javon Ringer (RB, Michigan State), 1; LeSean McCoy (RB, Pittsburgh), 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.
VOTING WEEK BY WEEK
2008 Heisman poll leaders week by week
Week, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth.
-- Sept. 23: Chase Daniel, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Mark Sanchez, Knowshon Moreno
-- Sept. 30: Daniel, Bradford, Colt McCoy, Max Hall, Javon Ringer.
-- Oct. 7: Daniel, Bradford, McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Four tied for fifth.
-- Oct. 14: McCoy, Bradford, Ringer, Daniel, Tebow.
-- Oct. 21: McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, Bryant, Daniel and Graham Harrell.
-- Oct. 28: McCoy, Bradford, Harrell, Tebow, Daniel.
-- Nov. 4: Harrell, McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, Michael Crabtree
-- Nov. 11Harrell, McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, Crabtree.
-- Nov. 18: Harrell, McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, Crabtree.
-- Nov. 25: Bradford, McCoy, Harrell, Tebow, Daryll Clark and Daniel
-- Dec. 2: Bradford, McCoy, Tebow, Harrell, Moreno.
-- Dec. 9: McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, Harrell, Shonn Greene.
(Contact B.G. Brooks of the Rocky Mountain News at brooksbg(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)
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