QB Bradford headlines Heisman finalists

Dec 11, 2008 - 3:52 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Next month, quarterbacks Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Tim Tebow of Florida will lead their teams into a highly anticipated BCS national championship game.

On Wednesday, they were among three finalists named for the 74th annual Heisman Trophy which will be presented Saturday in Times Square.

Also invited to New York for Saturday's ceremony was Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

However, in a mild surprise, Texas Tech senior signal-caller Graham Harrell was not among the finalists, which angered Red Raiders coach Mike Leach.

"If Graham is not invited to the Heisman, they ought to quit giving out the award," Leach said. "It is a shameless example of politics ruling over performance. The other guys are deserving, but he has earned a place alongside them."

As expected, two of the finalists come from the pass-happy Big 12 Conference, which featured five of the top-eight scoring teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Bradford, who leads the FBS with 48 touchdowns while passing for more than 4,400 yards, may have emerged as a slight favorite.

In last week's 62-21 victory over Missouri in the Big 12 championship game, the sophomore completed 34-of-49 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns despite playing with torn ligaments in his non-throwing hand.

The Sooners (12-1) became the first team in NCAA history to score 60 or more points in five straight games. For the season, they are averaging 54 points per game.

While Tebow does not have the spectacular numbers of his Big 12 counterparts, he made a late charge to earn a second straight Heisman award. Last year, he became the first sophomore to win college football's most prestigious honor.

Tebow passed for 2,515 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 564 yards and 12 scores. His numbers may be down from last season, but his team is better.

Tebow is looking to join former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners of the Heisman Trophy.

"It's a tremendous honor for Tim to be invited back to the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York City," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "This is a great achievement and a reward for the fantastic season he has had in leading his teammates to the Southeastern Conference title and a berth in the BCS national championship game."

The Gators (12-1) defeated previously-unbeaten Alabama, 31-20, in the SEC title contest last week and will face Oklahoma in the BCS title game January 8 in Miami.

The overall statistics for McCoy, who recently announced that he would return to Texas (11-1) for his senior season in 2009, aren't quite as eye-popping as the numbers produced by Bradford.

McCoy threw for 3,445 yards and 32 touchdowns. However, he completed 77.6 percent of his passes and also was the Longhorns' leading rusher with 576 yards and 10 scores.

Texas was beaten out by Oklahoma for a spot in the national championship game despite handing the Sooners their only loss, 45-35, on a neutral field.

Harrell was passed over despite throwing for an FBS-best 4,747 yards and 41 touchdowns.

The highlight of Harrell's season was a 28-yard touchdown to Michael Crabtree with one second remaining that gave Texas Tech a stunning 39-33 victory over previously-No. 1 Texas on November 1.

Harrell led the Red Raiders to a 10-0 start and a No. 2 ranking before their national championship hopes ended in a crushing 65-21 loss at Oklahoma on November 22.