By Adam Zuvanich
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

The college football season is still in its early stages, but it’s never too early to talk about the Heisman Trophy.

The first five weeks of the season have produced a slew of candidates for the sport’s most prestigious individual award, which will be presented in New York City on Dec. 13. There’s bound to be some surprises between now and then, but why not take a look at the leading contenders as the season approaches its midway point?

First, a few ground rules.

There are scores of talented players all across the country, many of which are deserving of Heisman consideration. But as much as I’d love to praise the exploits of Tulsa’s David Johnson and SMU’s Emmanuel Sanders – who lead the nation in passing efficiency and receiving yards, respectively – their chances of winning aren’t much better than mine.

Zuvanich

The award has historically been given to offensive players on one of the nation’s best teams – seven of the last eight Heisman Trophy winners were quarterbacks from BCS conferences, and all but two played for a national championship – so we’ll stick with that theme. And we won’t include any dominant defensive players or NFL-bound offensive linemen, because they probably won’t be considered anyway.

Here’s a review of the contenders, pretenders and potential up-enders, several of which play in the Big 12 Conference:

Gaining votes

• Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: The Sooners are the nation’s top-ranked team, so the strong-armed sophomore is the man to beat. Bradford ranks third in the country in passer rating (209.05) and touchdown tosses (16), and he’s also among the top 10 with 1,293 yards and a 72.2 completion percentage.

• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas: The West Texas native, who ranks second only to Johnson in passing efficiency (209.71), is playing like a man possessed. He’s completed a nation-leading 80 percent of his passes with 14 TDs and only one interception, and he’s also a tough runner.

• Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri: A Heisman finalist last year, Daniel has been just as good as Bradford and McCoy. He’s fourth in the nation in QB rating (193.39) and second in completion percentage (75.9), having thrown for 1,412 yards and 12 TDs with just one interception.

• Mike Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: Crabtree’s numbers haven’t been quite as gaudy as they were last year, but the 2007 Biletnikoff Award winner is the best player on an unbeaten team with a No. 7 ranking. He’s also among the national leaders with 29 catches, 457 receiving yards and six TDs.

• Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut: The Huskies are ranked and undefeated, and Brown has rushed for a nation-leading 906 yards with 11 touchdowns in five games. He’s also averaging 6.2 yards per carry, so this guy needs to be in the conversation.

Losing votes

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is the reigning Heisman winner, but his numbers aren’t nearly as impressive as they were a year ago. And because his Gators lost at home last week to fall out of the top 10, his bid for a repeat took a serious hit.

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, two more upset victims last week, also find themselves on the outside looking in.

But in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately society, all three could climb back into the race.

On the fence

Several other players could certainly make a run at the Heisman, especially if their teams keep winning.

Brigham Young quarterback Max Hall might be a finalist if ballots were due today, because his numbers are comparable to the Big 12 trio and he’s helped the undefeated Cougars crack the top 10. Tech QB Graham Harrell also is in the mix, but he’ll need to be much more efficient the rest of the way – and win the head-to-head matchups with Bradford and McCoy. Penn State’s Daryll Clark, who’s been solid for the No. 6 Nittany Lions, is another sleeper under center.

Also, keep a close eye on Michigan State’s Javon Ringer, LSU’s Charles Scott, Alabama’s Glen Coffee and Penn State’s Evan Royster. Ringer is right behind Brown in rushing yards and has one more touchdown run, while the other three running backs are averaging at least 7 yards per carry for undefeated and highly ranked teams.

Who will be invited to New York in two months is anybody’s guess, but at this point, there’s no shortage of choices.