ESPN's Hesiman Watch

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/heisman/index

By Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com
Editor's note: Each week, ESPN.com asks one of its Heisman Watch voters to explain his/her picks. You can register your vote at 2008 Vote Heisman.


My actual Heisman Trophy ballot arrived via express mail last weekend. I haven't even opened it. I believe it's still at least a four-man race between three Big 12 quarterbacks and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow of Florida. Tebow can make quite an impression the next two weeks. So can Bradford, whose team plays at rival Oklahoma State on Saturday night.

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma -- Bradford is the latest Big 12 quarterback at the top of my ballot after he out-dueled Texas Tech's Graham Harrell in last week's 65-21 rout in Norman. Bradford has been the model of consistency all season, completing 68.2 percent of his passes with 42 touchdowns and only six interceptions. His only blemish has been tossing two interceptions in the 45-35 loss to Texas on Oct. 11.

2. Colt McCoy, Texas -- McCoy is one of only three quarterbacks playing at FBS schools who have passed for more than 3,000 yards and run for more than 500 this season. (Rice's Chase Clement and Illinois' Juice Williams are the others.) McCoy has completed 77.2 percent of his passes for 3,134 yards and 30 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. His passer rating of 177.6 ranks fourth nationally and his 77.2 completion percentage ranks first. His worst game might have come in Texas' 39-33 loss at Texas Tech on Nov. 1, when he completed 58.8 percent of his attempts and threw two touchdowns and one interception.

3. Tim Tebow, Florida -- If Tebow plays well in Saturday's game at Florida State and against Alabama in the Dec. 6 SEC championship game, it will be hard for me to not move him to No. 1 on my ballot. He has been every bit as good as he was last season, when he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow leads the SEC in passing efficiency, throwing for 2,114 yards with 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions in 225 attempts. He also has rushed for 427 yards with 11 touchdowns.

4. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech -- It's so hard to separate Harrell, McCoy and Bradford. It's like trying to decide which Big 12 South team is the best. Harrell has completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 4,438 yards with 39 touchdowns and six interceptions. He played very well in Texas Tech's biggest victories -- throwing for 474 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Texas and completing 40 of 50 passes for 456 yards and six scores in a 56-20 rout of Oklahoma State.

5. Brian Johnson, Utah -- Why not? Give the senior quarterback some love for leading the Utes to an unbeaten record. He completed 30 of 36 passes for 303 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in last week's 48-24 victory over rival BYU. On Nov. 6, Johnson produced the last-minute touchdown drive to beat TCU 13-10. He's completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 2,636 yards with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.