Who is going to win the Heisman Trophy? Nobody seems to know. The race for the annual award, given to Division I’s best football player, is still too close to call with only one week remaining in the regular season.

Nearly 10 players still have a legitimate argument for deserving the trophy. With many of the candidates finished for the regular season, nobody is even sure who will be invited to New York City’s Yale Club as Heisman finalists.

Studying the Web’s leading sites for college football information, each expert seems to have a different idea of who should win.

ESPN.com’s weekly poll of its writers lists the top five candidates each week throughout the season. This week’s poll has Iowa quarterback Brad Banks leading by one point over Penn State’s 2,000-yard rusher Larry Johnson. Miami’s tandem of running back Willis McGahee and quarterback Ken Dorsey are four and five points back, respectively. Those two are only one ahead of Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer, fresh off a blowout victory over Notre Dame on national television.

CNNSI.com’s college football writer Luke Winn ranks Palmer first and McGahee second. Banks, Johnson and Dorsey round out Winn’s top five.

Sportingnews.com also ranks Palmer first and McGahee third.

Football.com’s Steve Lassen joins ESPN.com in ranking Banks first, followed by McGahee and Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich.

At Web sites where fans vote for their Heisman favorites, the results are just as varied.

CNNSI.com held a season-long poll known as the People’s Heisman. This poll already handed its award to Banks, with Ohio State freshman running back Maurice Clarett finishing second and Leftwich third.

At the Heisman Trophy’s official Web site, there’s a link to VoteHeisman.com, another season-long fan poll that was featured in each week’s Sports Illustrated. Banks finished first by one percentage point over Johnson.

The real Heisman is given out in a ceremony Dec. 14. The Heisman is awarded to the ‘outstanding college football player of the United States,’ according to the trophy’s Web site.

So, who will win the award that its organizers call a ‘symbol of American excellence’? Probably Dorsey. Barring an upset loss to Virginia Tech, Dorsey will have been the starting quarterback for a top program for three years while losing only one game. PSU’s Johnson deserves second — for eclipsing the 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season — and the less-heralded Banks third.

Of course, we don’t need any Web sites for Race for the Cases’ final picks of the season.

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No. 18 Virginia Tech (+17.5) at No. 1 MiamiSaturday, 1 p.m., ABC

The last time Miami lost — in the 2000 season’s second game — Miami played Washington in a game postponed by a hurricane.

This game will be a different story because Miami has a shot at a national championship and Virginia Tech has been sluggish late this season with losses to West Virginia, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Pick: Miami 38, Virginia Tech 24

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No. 8 Oklahoma (-7.5) vs. No. 12 Colorado (at Houston)Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC

This game for the Big 12 berth in the BCS is the latest in the series of great matchups in neutral-site conference championship games.

Twice in Big 12 championship history, an undefeated team (Nebraska in 1996 and Kansas State in 1998) has been beaten by a lower-ranked opponent. Neither team goes into this close matchup undefeated this year, but look for the underdog, an underrated Colorado team, to pull off the upset.

Pick: Colorado 28, Oklahoma 24

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No. 4 Georgia (-8.5) vs. No. 22 Arkansas (at Atlanta)Saturday, 6 p.m., CBS

The SEC championship game pits Georgia against Arkansas, which beat LSU last week on a last-second score to earn a spot in this game.

The game means more to Georgia, which could find itself playing for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl with a win and a Miami loss. Look for the Bulldogs to show who’s the boss in the SEC.

Pick: Georgia 35, Arkansas 17

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Toledo (+5.5) at MarshallSaturday, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2

The other conference championship game of the day, this one in the MAC, could be the most entertaining. Marshall won the first four MAC championships before Toledo upset it last season.

Leftwich, the Marshall quarterback, may be the best player in the country. If not for a leg injury, he could still be in the running for the Heisman Trophy.

Look for Leftwich to put up huge numbers, lead the Thundering Herd to victory and receive an invitation to the Heisman ceremony.

Pick: Marshall 49, Toledo 28

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Army (+3.5) vs. Navy (at East Rutherford, N.J.)Saturday, Noon, CBS

Pride is up for grabs in the 102nd edition of one of sports’ greatest rivalries. Every member of the student body of both service academies will attend this game between two 1-10 teams.

Navy is fifth in the nation in rushing and almost beat Notre Dame. It will win another close one, and the Midshipmen will be celebrating in Annapolis, Md.

Pick: Navy 24, Army 21

Published on December 4, 2002 at 12:00 pm