Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
It's an achievement that slipped under the radar because neither Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell nor Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree was invited to the Heisman Trophy presentation last week in New York City despite finishing in the top five in the final balloting.
Their absence doesn't diminish what has turned out to be a huge season of accomplishment for the Red Raiders, who became only the second team in the history of the Big 12 and the 16th in college football history to have more than one player finish in the top five in Heisman balloting in the same season.
The only other program in the Big 12 era since 1996 to accomplish that feat was Oklahoma in 2004. The Sooners had Adrian Peterson finish second and Jason White third that season.
Oklahoma in 1956 and Nebraska teams in 1972 and 1983 each had two top-five Heisman finishers when both schools were a part of the Big Eight.
Here's a list of the programs that have had at least two players finish in the top five in Heisman balloting in the same season.
| Schools With More Than One Top-Five Heisman Finisher | | Year | School | Players | | 1936 | Yale | E Larry Kelley (1st), HB Clint Frank (5th) | | 1943 | Notre Dame | QB Angelo Bertelli (1st), HB Creighton Miller (4th) | | 1944 | Army | HB Glenn Davis (2nd), FB Doc Blanchard (3rd) | | 1945 | Army | FB Doc Blanchard (1st), HB Glenn Davis (2nd) | | 1946 | Army | HB Glenn Davis (1st), FB Doc Blanchard (4th), QB Arnold Tucker (5th) | | 1949 | Notre Dame | E Leon Hart (1st), QB Bob Williams (5th) | | 1956 | Oklahoma | HB Tommy McDonald (3rd), C Jerry Tubbs (4th) | | 1972 | Nebraska | WR Johnny Rodgers (1st), MG Rich Glover (3rd) | | 1977 | Notre Dame | TE Ken McAfee (3rd), DE Russ Browner (5th) | | 1983 | Nebraska | RB Mike Rozier (1st), QB Turner Gill (4th) | | 1994 | Penn State | RB Ki-Jana Carter (2nd), QB Kerry Collins (4th) | | 2002 | Miami | RB Willis McGahee (4th), QB Ken Dorsey (5th) | | 2004 | Oklahoma | RB Adrian Peterson (2nd), QB Jason White (3rd) | | 2004 | USC | QB Matt Leinart (1st), RB Reggie Bush (5th) | | 2005 | USC | RB Reggie Bush (1st), QB Matt Leinart (3rd) | | 2008 | Texas Tech | QB Graham Harrell (4th), WR Michael Crabtree (5th) |
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Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
