1. Graham Harrell

Texas Tech, quarterback, Sr.

Previous ranking: 1st

2007 Heisman voting: Not in top 10.

2008 stats: 10 games, 332 of 463 passing for 4,077 yards, 36 TDs, 5 INTs; 28 rushes for -5 yards, 6 TDs.

2007 stats: 13 games, 512 of 713 passing for 5,705 yards, 48 TDs, 14 INTs; 38 rushes for – 91 yards, 4 TDs.

Last game (56-20 victory vs. Oklahoma St., 11/8): There is definitely a question of whether a video game image of Graham Harrell could possibly better than the real thing.

Doubt it.

Harrell was lights out again, proving the win over top-ranked Texas last week was no fluke, and proving both he and the Red Raiders are the real thing.

The nation’s leader in total offense completed 40-of-50 throws for 456 yards and six touchdowns and no picks, but the final totals were not the most impressive part of Harrell’s evening.

He committed an early fumble that the Cowboys converted into a 7-0 lead. But he responded by taking the Red Raiders 80 yards in five plays for the tying score. He then took them on a 70-yard TD drive, followed by scoring drives of 97 and 72 yards as Tech took a 28-14 lead at the half.

That’s the textbook method of responding to adversity.

Harrell has complete control of this race and if he can stay clean the rest of the season, the Heisman will be his.

Next game (at Oklahoma, 11/22): No doubt it’s a good thing Harrell and the Red Raiders will have an extra week of rest after two emotionally draining wins.

Although the game will be in Norman, Tech has every reason to be confident. It toppled the Sooners 34-27 last season as it literally threw everything it had at Oklahoma. Harrell attempted a season-high 72 passes and completed 47 for 420 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Still, history says the task will be tough as the home team is 8-2 in the past 10 years of this series, with Tech’s lone win in Norman coming in 1996.

On the flip side, just like Texas and Oklahoma State, the Sooners have a rather dismal pass defense (ranked 90th in the nation) and Harrell has shown he can pick those apart, throwing for a combined 930 yards and eight touchdowns against the Longhorns and Cowboys.

Harrell has possibly just three more hurdles to clear. But in order to have a chance to clear the other two, he must get over this one.

Schedule/results: vs. Eastern Washington (W, 49-24); at Nevada (W, 35-19); vs. SMU (W, 43-7); vs. Massachusetts (W, 56-14); at Kansas State (W, 58-28); vs. Nebraska (W, 37-31 OT); at Texas A&M (W, 43-25); at Kansas (W, 63-21); vs. Texas (W, 39-33); vs. Oklahoma St. (W, 56-20); at Oklahoma (11/22); vs. Baylor (11/29).

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Defense will tell tale for Tech-Oklahoma   Georgia Tech runs for 472 yards, routs Miami No. 2 Texas Tech's defense gaining respect   Drive to the BCS: Texas Tech to stop Sooners Predictions 101: OU to take out Texas Tech Gator Bait? Citadel preps for Florida Buckeyes' Pryor to be tested by school he jilted What's best rivalry in college football? Walters: Don't be fooled, this won't be 'Stale Saturday' 40 years later, Harvard still 'beats' Yale 29-29 College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: