As with all things in the new millennium, the race for this year's Heisman starts in cyberspace. Already, the top candidates are being pushed -- officially, unofficially -- on sites that clutter the Web with rah-rah prose and binge statting. Of course, among the earnest encomiums can also be found the odd piece of detritus -- vintage photos of '92 winner Gino Torretta ($30 at ambition.com/catalog/1505.html), for starters -- and at least one cautionary tale.

Michael Vick, Virginia Tech QB
Hokiesportsinfo.com/vick
Bronze it! Photos of the hopeful posing for the cover of a certain oversized sports mag.
Stiff-armed! Hypefest is dubbed "MV2K." Like that millennium bug -- which was a bust.
Audible: hsanet.net/user/jwilt/Hurd/caleb.html
Who do the fans who touted Hokie holder Caleb Hurd like this year?

Drew Brees, Purdue QB
DrewBrees.net
Bronze it! See Brees and Roger Staubach singing "the seventh-inning stretch" at Wrigley.
Stiff-armed! Who is this "Breese" fellow, and does he have a shot at the Heisman too?
Audible: icdweb.cc.purdue.edu/~brees
The QB's personal home page looks like it was designed in a class project -- which it was.

Chris Weinke, FSU QB
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/Weinke/
Bronze it! Very confident fan site has "Who'll Finish Second" tracker.
Stiff-armed! Looks like it was designed by Drew Brees.
Audible: seminoles.fansonly.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/99heisman.html
You want confident? Last year's official FSU site touted two Noles. Both lost -- including Weinke.

Deuce McAllister, Ole Miss RB
theDeuceisloose.com
Bronze it! So that's why Dulymus is called Deuce.
Stiff-armed! History section says a Reb hasn't cracked Heisman top 10 in 30 years.
Audible: video.go.com/starwatch2000/sites/deucebigalow/html
Proof that the country can get behind a smooth Deuce.

Ryan Leaf, ex-Washington State QB
wsu.edu/cougnet/leaf/leaf.html
Bronze it! Leftover '97 propaganda piece holds dim clues to why the Chargers drafted the guy in the first place.
Stiff-armed! Oddly, the site was abandoned a month before the vote.
Audible: nfleurope.com
Any day now.