Heisman poll: Sooners QB Bradford soars to top with Tech trouncing

The Rocky

Published November 24, 2008 at 1:30 p.m.

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As the college football season lurches toward a chaotic finish, why should the Heisman Trophy race be any different?

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is the new leader in this week’s Rocky Mountain News Heisman Trophy poll, just barely ahead of Texas QB Colt McCoy. Likely dazzled by Bradford’s four touchdown-pass performance in Saturday night’s 65-21 rout of Texas Tech, Bradford earned five of 10 first-place votes to jump from third to first with 42 total points. McCoy, who was off Saturday, remained in second place with 41 points that included three first-place votes.

The leader the previous three weeks, Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, fell two spots to third, with defending Heisman-winner Tim Tebow of Florida remaining in fourth. The Heisman will be awarded Dec. 13 in New York City.

In its 22nd year, the Rocky poll is the longest-running weekly Heisman ranking in the country. The final poll, taken in December, 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
Sam Bradford, QB	Oklahoma	14-for-19 passing, 304 yards, 4 TDs	42 (5)
Colt McCoy, QB	Texas	Did not play	41 (3)
Graham Harrell, QB	Texas Tech	33-for-55 passing, 361 yards, 3 TDs	27 (1)
Tim Tebow, QB	Florida	9-for-11, 201 yards passing, 3 TDs	23 (1)
Daryll Clark, QB	Penn State	16-for-26 passing, 341 yards, 4 TDs	4
Chase Daniel, QB	Missouri	Did not play	4

Others receiving votes: Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia) 3; Michael Crabtree, (WR, Texas Tech) 3; Shonn Greene (RB, Iowa) 2; Jeremy Maclin (WR, Missouri), 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.

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