The last Heisman Trophy winner to play for one of the current Big 12 teams was Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch. Crouch, who won the award in 2001, was not a traditional passing quarterback. He threw more interceptions than he did touchdowns for the Cornhuskers, and recorded 42 more rush attempts than pass attempts.
Yet, he did lead Nebraska to the national championship game that year, which might be the only comparable thing between Crouch and current Heisman hopeful and Sooners quarterback, Jason White.
White has led Oklahoma to victory in every game that he has taken a snap, except in 2001, when Crouch and the Huskers came to town.
Front-runners
Jason White
Senior quarterback, Oklahoma
White torched Baylor in his regular-season home finale, passing for four touchdowns and 307 yards.
Leading his team to an undefeated season would leave White in position to grab college football's most coveted prize.
B.J. Symons
Senior quarterback, Texas Tech
Symons' Red Raiders lost in an old western-style shootout to Texas last weekend, 43-40. The quarterback threw for three touchdowns and 365 yards after attempting 58 passes, 32 of which he completed.
With one game left in the regular season, Symons needs 83 more yards to break Ty Detmer's (BYU) 1990 single-season record for passing yards of 5,188.
His final contest might be his toughest, as the undefeated Sooners roll into town led by White. Oklahoma hasn't allowed an offensive touchdown in the month of November, a streak spanning three games.
Larry Fitzgerald
Sophomore wide receiver, Pittsburgh
It's no wonder Fitzgerald is putting up record-breaking numbers week after week. The Minneapolis native grew up around greatness, working as a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings.
Fitzgerald might not be Randy Moss or Cris Carter yet, but opposing collegiate defensive backs wish he were in the NFL.
Last weekend, he caught nine balls for 185 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-31 loss to West Virginia, causing Pitt to lose sole possession of the top spot in the Big East.
Eli Manning
Senior quarterback, Mississippi
If Manning leads Ole Miss to victory over LSU and clinches a spot in the SEC championship, his first name may become more household than his last.
On the season, the quarterback has led the Rebels to eight victories with 2,881 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Dark horse
Michael Turner
Senior running back, Northern Illinois
No one has done more with less this season than Turner. He single-handedly has led the Huskies to nine wins with his NCAA-leading 1,482 yards. Last weekend, Turner rushed for his second-highest total of the season, 177 yards against Toledo. Expect him to have a career day against Eastern Michigan as he solidifies his spot among the nation's finest.
