It isn't often that a late November game will decide the Heisman Trophy race. But that looks to be the case this year with Saturday night's Texas Tech-Oklahoma showdown.
When quarterback Graham Harrell and the second-ranked Red Raiders face counterpart Sam Bradford and the fifth-ranked Sooners in Norman, the most coveted and curious award in sports all wrapped up in a three-foot-piece of bronze is on the line.
For the third straight week, Harrell leads Scripps Howard's Heisman Trophy poll. That's not surprising considering the senior leads the nation with 4,072 yards of total offense with 36 touchdown passes vs. just five interceptions.
Harrell's numbers in Tech's last three wins over Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma State are simply staggering: 110-of-145 for 1,316 yards with 13 TDs and no interceptions. By comparison, 43 Division I teams haven't thrown 13 TD passes all season while 10 others haven't thrown for more yards.
The only thing that can hold down Harrell is the NCAA's screwball passing efficiency rating system -- one that somehow rates Missouri's Chase Daniel, who has thrown for less yards and touchdowns with twice as many ints., fifth with Harrell two places behind in seventh. And to think people whine about the fouled-up BCS computers.
One who can match Harrell's numbers is Bradford, second nationally in passing efficiency while leading the land with 38 TD passes (vs. just six ints.). In OU's last four wins over Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska and Texas A&M, Bradford has been equally dazzling (90-of-145 for 1,374 yards with 15 TDs and one int.).
With Harrell and Bradford firing it up, the over-under for total points Saturday night might push 100.
And before the Burnt Orange Nation descends on us, we are aware of Texas QB Colt McCoy, second in this week's Scripps Heisman poll after falling out of first three weeks ago. Yes, he is ahead of Bradford.
But here's why Colt McCoy is somewhat of a long shot for the Heisman. Not only are his numbers not quite up to Harrell and Bradford's, but the Big 12 has also done him no favors.
The league has decreed that a three-way tie for the South Division title with Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech will come down to the team that is rated higher in the BCS ratings. An Oklahoma win Saturday night (and another at Oklahoma State next week) along with Texas Tech drilling lowly Baylor Nov. 29 and Texas taking revenge on Texas A&M the same day creates just such a scenario.
Oklahoma would likely jump past Texas in the BCS ratings and put Bradford and Co. into the Big 12 title game -- in spite of that 45-35 loss to the Longhorns back on Oct. 11. That would give Bradford one more chance to carve up a Big 12 North weakling and impress Heisman voters.
Hey, we're not saying we agree with this, just what happens in this scenario. Of course, Harrell can make all this moot by beating Oklahoma and dicing up Baylor.
In any event, Heisman showdowns like this are rare. The last time a Heisman winner faced the eventual runner-up came in 1998. And it hardly helped second-place finisher quarterback Michael Bishop of Kansas State when his Wildcats battered Texas, 48-7 as Heisman voters elected the Longhorns' Ricky Williams in a landslide (2,355-792).
Before that, it was 1991 when runner-up QB Casey Weldon and Florida State blew past Michigan, 51-31, yet ESPN's own Desmond Howard posed his way to a Heisman romp (2,077-503).
Remember, logic has never been the strength of the Heisman electorate, whose boo-boos (Gino Torretta, Andre Ware, Gary Beban, etc.) date all the way back to 1956 when Paul Hornung won for directing Notre Dame to a stellar 2-8 mark. Arguably the greatest player of all time, the immortal Jim Brown of Syracuse, finished fifth.
As a voter since 1996, here's how our ballot currently shapes up: 1. Harrell; 2. Bradford; 3. McCoy. If Texas Tech wins the Big 12, Harrell wins easily. If Oklahoma wins the league, Bradford squeaks past Harrell and McCoy. If Oklahoma beats Texas Tech and loses to Oklahoma State, McCoy has a decent shot, though we'd still go with Harrell.
UPSET PICK: Houston squeaked by Tulsa, 70-30, to improve us to 5-7. We'll edge closer to a winning season when host Minnesota gets its final trinket back, this the treasured Floyd of Rosedale pig trophy, by beating 6-point favorite Iowa Saturday.
LINDSAY'S LOSER: Nothing like a good Pac-10 coaching feud, starring Stanford's Jim Harbaugh. Sure, the Cardinal stunned 41-point favorite USC last year. But Harbaugh then he ran his mouth all summer about how Trojans coach Pete Carroll was headed back to the NFL.
Finally on Saturday, USC got its revenge and led 45-16 in the final seconds. Then Harbaugh inexplicably sent out his field-goal unit with six seconds left. Carroll responded by calling timeout to ice the all-important FG attempt. Harbaugh then returned his offense to the field and Alex Loucas threw a TD pass on the final play to make the final, 45-23. The only thing chillier than the Harbaugh-Carroll "handshake"
were USC bettors who had given 25 points and lost.
