Who is the Heisman Frontrunner with Two Weeks Left?

After last Saturday's loss by Texas Tech, Graham Harrell lost his chance to all but lock up the Heisman Trophy.

The loss by the Red Raiders not only dropped Harrell out of the race, but has left a three way race for the most recognizable pose in sports.

Here is a quick look at the three quarterbacks left in the race:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Season Stats: 238/349 (68%), 3710 yards, 42 TDs, 6 Ints, 4 rushing TDs
Production in team's loss: 28/39 (72%), 387 yards, 5 TDs, 2 Ints vs. Texas
Synopsis: Bradford has been very consistent this season as a true sophomore. He has thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game this season and has only had under 65% completion in two games. His 7:1 touchdown to interception ratio is very impressive.

Colt McCoy, Texas

Season Stats: 268/347 (77%), 3134 yards, 30 TDs, 7 Ints, 527 rushing yds, 8 rushing TDs
Production in team's loss: 20/34 (59%) 294 yards, 2 TDs, 1 Int vs. Texas Tech
Synopsis: McCoy has played about as well as anyone could have asked him this season. His lone game under 70% completion was in his team's only loss. His threat to run is a big help to keep his opponents honest.

Tim Tebow, Florida

Season Stats: 148/255 (66%), 2114 yards, 22 TDs, 2 Ints, 427 rushing yds, 11 rushing TDs
Production in team's loss: 24/38 (63%), 319 yards, 1 TD, 0 Ints, 2 rushing TDs
Synopsis: Tebow is the reigning Heisman winner, but has not had as impressive of a season this year as he did last year. He has been a big component in getting the Gators back on track, but his play before the loss was nothing to write home about. None the less, his 11:1 touchdown to interception ratio in unbelievable.

After looking at all three candidates, the clear leader, to me, is Sam Bradford. He has played the most consistent this season. Even when his percentage was down, he still managed to throw touchdowns. He has multiple touchdowns in every game, as previously stated, but has thrown for at least three in all but two games. Through eleven games, Bradford has five total touchdowns in five of those games. He has been an all around player for the Sooners this season and has done his part to keep them amongst the nation's elite.

Now, since the CW Sports Staff decided to pick the Ball St. vs. Western Michigan game this week, I have to give a prediction on a Tuesday.

Western Michigan @ Ball State

The Cardinals have done their part to their march to a perfect season and only have the Broncos left in their way. Ball State has survived a touch stretch in their past two games on the road, so a win at home to finish the year and head to the MAC Championship Game should be no problem. Ball State 28, Western Michigan 17

Now, how bout some more Auburn "love?"

I only managed two posts yesterday, so I owe you two today.

For starters, we will look at the magazine cover which Tommy Tuberville graced this season. We all know that coach Saban was on the cover of Forbes, but what about Tubby's cover?

Texas Needs The Most Help in Search of BCS Title Game.

With the impending Texas Tech-Oklahoma game this weekend (or as one of my friends keeps calling it, "Armageddon"), all eyes are once again on the Big XII South.

College Gameday will be in Norman on Saturday to kickoff the day's action and cause many sleepless Oklahoma fans to wait another eight hours until kickoff after Gameday signs off.

Anyways, all the talk of the game started to get me thinking on difference scenarios of how the Big XII South could play out and what kind of affect it will have on those still in the hunt for the divisional title.

After all of the thinking, Texas is the team that seems to be SOL.

Sure, I like Texas and it was one of my top three when choosing a college (I say that like other places had a chance), but the Longhorns need a lot of help in order to reach Kansas City.

For better understanding, here goes my thought process.

• Of the three teams still in the hunt for the Big XII South title, and more or less BCS Title Game berth, Texas has the weakest remaining schedule. The Longhorns finish with Texas A&M next Saturday as their final game. Oklahoma finishes with Oklahoma State in the annual Bedlam game and Texas Tech will finish with Baylor.
• I will start the thought process by saying if Texas Tech wins, all that is written below is a moot point. The Red Raiders win, they will clinch the Big XII South for the first time since the inception of the Big XII Title Game
• Now, if Oklahoma wins, the division will fall into a three way tie entering the final weekend of the season. Also, voters will have many questions to ask of themselves.

1. Does Oklahoma jump Texas even though the Longhorns won the head-to-head game?
2. How far does Texas Tech drop after losing to Oklahoma?
3. Where does Texas belong after beating Oklahoma, but losing to Texas Tech?

• You may ask why this all matters, but it is huge. Assuming all three teams win their final games, there would still be a tie at the top of the division. The final tie breaker in the Big XII is BCS rank. That means, if Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech all finish 7-1 in the conference, the team with the highest BCS rank will go to the conference title game to face Missouri. That would be why schedule would come into play with the computers. For Oklahoma, a win Saturday should put them into the Big XII Championship Game. The Sooners have the most appealing final game and lost the earliest out of the three teams battling for the final spot.
• Now, if Oklahoma beats Texas Tech and then loses to Oklahoma State, Texas Tech will win the division by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker with Texas. In this case, Oklahoma would go from first to fourth in the span of a week.

So, after discussing all of that, what would Texas need to go to Kansas City?

First, they must exert revenge on Texas A&M next Saturday to still have any kind of shot should Oklahoma win tomorrow.

Second, their lead on Oklahoma in the computer polls must remain solid. As it stands this week, Texas' average computer ranking is 2.75, resulting in 0.93 BCS points. Oklahoma's average is 5.50 and 0.82 BCX points . With a Texas Tech loss, Texas' average should jump to a 1.75 and 0.97 BCS points, putting them second in the computer polls only behind Alabama. How much weight the computer's put on Oklahoma's win would dictate a lot in the BCS.

But as I said when I started this, if Texas Tech wins, all will be right with the world.

However, this is BCS era college football we are talking about, and nothing ever plays out the easy way.

Now, how bout some Auburn "love"?

Since I missed posting yesterday, today will once again bring a double dose of "love."

To start off today, we will take a look at Auburn sociology.

You know, the class where Auburn football players never show up and then get an A...

And remember Exhibit A, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, whom the professor of the sociology class had never hear of...

And the impending scandal that pretty much made a Sociology Degree a joke?

Ok, so they were eventually cleared by "an internal investigation," but still 18 players and 97 hours is a lot.

Alabama Deserves #1, but Do They Really Want It?

In the craziness of college football, some things should never cease to amaze you.

For example, anyone who counted out Texas Tech last night with 1:29 to go and down one was an outright fool.

The only more perfect ending to that game last night than Harrell to Crabtree would have been if walk-on Matt Williams kicked the game-winning field goal. Too bad Michael Crabtree wanted the end zone.

So, with the Texas loss, Alabama looks to be in prime position to take the number one spot in the AP, ESPN/USAToday, and BCS polls.

It is not like the Tide doesn't deserve this spot. Alabama has only trailed for 75 seconds all season, has a top five defense, and is averaging 32 points per game on offense while only giving up twelve.

The real question to ask yourself is...Does Alabama really WANT the number one ranking?

From a fan's perspective, this is something you want for sure. To say that you were at Alabama while the team was No. 1 in the country hasn't happened in the regular season since some guy named Bryant walked the sidelines.

However, the ranking seems to be a curse this season.

There have been four teams in the top spot this season: Georgia, USC, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Each team has one loss right now.

If this sounds familiar, it's because the same curse was on the number two spot in the polls last season.

In 2007, eight different teams held the number two spot in the country over the course of the season, and LSU found themselves in that spot three separate times and USC two different times.

For those of you keeping score at home, out of the 16 polls released from the AP during the season (Preseason-Final), the number two spot changed hands eleven times. Even more crazy, from week five on, there was a new team at number two every week through the end of the season.

On top of this curse, Alabama would be number one in the country for the first time in nearly three decades going into three games where the Tide is 2-7 over the past three seasons.

Sure, this is a new Tide team with a new attitude, but nothing could make a season for either set of Tigers than to beat No. 1 Alabama.

So, when the polls are released in the next few hours and the BCS later tonight, I would fully enjoy the idea of Alabama being the best in the land.

However, this is the best time for the voters to give that big boost to Joe Pa and Co. to ensure he wouldn't be left out of the title chase if his Lions remain undefeated.

So, here is my belated outcry to put Penn State at number one.

Keep Alabama at number two. They seem to really like it here.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications, Week Ten

To start off the day, I think its a must that we all give a birthday shoutout to head coach Nick Saban today. Saban is turning 57 today and has done nothing but turn the Tide in his time in Tuscaloosa. So, Happy Birthday, coach.

Now, it is Friday, so that means its time for picks for the weekend's college football action.

Since I haven't been doing this blog but for just a few days, I'm still gonna jump on the train late to see how I do against the others on the sports staff at the Crimson White. So, for starters, here are the games they picked this week and my predictions for each.

Texas @ Texas Tech

Texas may be the most complete team in the country...if Colt McCoy is on his game. Oklahoma State threw him off a bit last week, but the 'Horns still came away with a win. Texas easily has the better defense in this game, but they would need a repeat performance of their game against Missouri to be able to run with the Red Raiders. Texas may have the better team, but strange things have happened in Lubbock, TX (see 2007 Oklahoma-Texas Tech). Texas Tech 42, Texas 41

Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville

The SEC East basically comes down to this game. Its a battle of quarterbacks (Stafford vs. Tebow) through the air and fan favorites (Percy Harvin vs. Knownshon Moreno) on the ground. It has been well documented this week that scars from last season's endzone celebration still exist in Gainesville, but both coaches have remained mum about the incident. Look for something from whoever scores first in this game to set the tone for another wild ride in Jacksonville. Florida 31, Georgia 28

Florida State @ Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets have taken to Paul Johnson's Triple Option a lot better than most people could have expected this season and are currently second behind Virginia in the ACC's Coastal Division. The Seminoles are on top of the Atlantic Division right now are are ranked in the top 20. FSU has escaped their past two games, being down by ten points in both of them before storming back for a win. Look for Georgia Tech to be able to squelch any comebacks on the Seminoles and hand Bobby Bowden his first loss to Tech as a head coach at Florida State. Seven times "Not so fast, my friend" on the CW staff. Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 20

Oregon @ Cal

Both of these teams are tied at the top of the Pac-10 standings, along with many others, with one conference loss heading into November. Both teams have been flirting with the Top 25 all season long, and Oregon is currently sitting at number 24. Both teams will also be playing in the rain on Saturday, giving an advantage to the Ducks who possess the fifth best rushing attack in college football. Oregon 28, Cal 21

Northwestern @ Minnesota

Sure, coach Saban is a great pick for Coach of the Year, but the job Tim Brewster has done at Minnesota this season cannot go overlooked. He has taken a Golden Gophers team from 1-11 in 2007 to bowl eligible and in the Big Ten race in 2008. They are currently second in the Big Ten behind Penn State, and they avoid playing JoePa and Co. this season. The Gophers easily continue their remarkable run during their last season in the Metrodome. Minnesota 24, Northwestern 10

Auburn @ Ole Miss

Sure, both of these teams may be 4-4 and 2-3 in the SEC, but they are heading in two separate directions. Ole Miss has two more conference wins this season than they had all of last season already and are excited about a possible bowl opportunity. Auburn is in a tailspin (maybe literally), dropping three of their last four, and their fans are watching the team fall apart at the seams. One thing may work in the Tigers' favor this weekend: Colonel Reb has not seen a victory at home against an SEC opponent in the last year and a half. Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty, Auburn's 4-5. Ole Miss 27, Auburn 17

Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame

Pitt is currently sitting pretty in the Big East right now and are finally starting to make progress under Dave Wannestedt. Notre Dame is apparently the Notre Dame of old after beating such powerhouse teams as San Diego State (by 7), Stanford (by 7) and Washington (0-7). Now, I will admit that I am not the biggest Notre Dame fan (not as bad as this guy, but see 1966 to understand), but I still think they might have a chance in this game. Cheer, Cheer for ol' Notre Dame...to lose. Pittsburgh 34, Notre Dame 27

Arkansas State @ Alabama

It's Homecoming at the Capstone, and the Tide are riding high into November like its nothing new. The thing is, it isn't anything new, but the final regluar season records over the past few years would dictate otherwise. However, this is a new team under a new coach with a new attitude. Alabama fans should actually get to enjoy Homecoming without taking some years off of their lives. Alabama 31, Arkansas State 10

Other games of Interest

• South Carolina 14, Tennessee 7
• LSU 31, Tulane 7
• Kentucky 17, Mississippi State 10
• Tulsa 28, Arkansas 17
• Oklahoma 38, Nebraska 21
• USC 88, Washington 7

So, there are my picks for the weekend, but what are the other writers across the country saying for this weekend? Here are some picks from other college football guys across the country

• Bruce Feldman, ESPN.com
• Chris Low, SEC blogger for ESPN.com
• CBS Sportsline staff
• Stewart Mandel, SI.com

So, go crazy in filling your brain with all of these predictions and be careful going out on Halloween/Nick Saban's birthday.

I, for one, will be out and about tonight myself with just one question to ask: Where is Harvey Dent?

Happy Haunting.