College football

Big 12 could rule Heisman ceremony

Conference loaded with nation's best talent

Jeff Roberson / AP

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel is among the early favorites for the Heisman, but he's hardly the only contender in his own conference.

By Dave Curtis

updated 1:13 a.m. ET Sept. 16, 2008

A generation has passed since a conference had two quarterbacks among the top five players in the Heisman Trophy balloting in a single season. (Attention trivia buffs: 1988, Pac-10, Troy Aikman and Rodney Peete.) Now comes the Big 12 in 2008, with a chance to send multiple quarterbacks to New York City in December.

Missouri's Chase Daniel and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford are the most logical Heisman frontrunners right now. Both have led their teams to undefeated starts and spots in the national top five, and both have put up fantastic statistics. Through three weeks, Bradford is second and Daniel is fourth in passing efficiency in Division I-A.

But the conference's depth at quarterback means there's more than a pair of aces.

"We have a lot of good quarterbacks in this league," Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said during Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference. "We have an inordinate amount that started last year."

Eleven of the 12 schools returned their starting quarterbacks from last season, and 10 are still starting in 2008. Many of them have better supporting casts than they did last year.

Take Texas' Colt McCoy, who ranks eighth in the nation in passing efficiency. The Longhorns' starter plays behind a sturdier offensive line this year, and he admits that it's easier to play quarterback well on your feet instead of your butt.

"They've gotten so much better," McCoy said of his linemen. "We're all in this together, trying to move the ball downfield. They've been a big key to my success."

The list goes on: Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson has the Cowboys on the cusp of the top 25 after their miserable 2007 season. Kansas' Todd Reesing has thrown for nine touchdowns and more than 1,000 yards through three games, though one was a buzzer-beater loss at USF. Josh Freeman at Kansas State, which plays a rare Wednesday-night game at Louisville this week, is among the nation's most athletic quarterbacks.

Even the schools with uncertain quarterback situations have improved since the season's start. Baylor true freshman Robert Griffin didn't start his team's opener against Wake Forest. Two weeks later, after helping the Bears steamroll Washington State in Waco (11 carries, 217 yards, two TDs), he's the reigning Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

"He's an exceptional athlete, and he's exceptionally mature for his age," Baylor coach Art Briles said at the teleconference. "The things he's done haven't surprised us at all."

League bottom feeders Texas A&M and Iowa State seem to have the only quarterback issues. An injury to Aggies starter Stephen McGee has created a bit of a controversy at A&M, which might stay with sophomore Jerrod Johnson on Saturday against Miami. And the Cyclones' Austen Arnaud struggled Saturday in a 17-5 loss at Iowa.

Still, the Big 12's quarterbacks combined trump anything another league could produce. That should make for a crazy set of conference games, which begin Oct. 4. And at the end of the regular season, a couple of those quarterbacks could be headed to New York as finalists for the sport's top individual prize.

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