Each week, ESPN.com has a quick rundown of the leading candidates for college football's top postseason awards:
Offense
Heisman and Maxwell (outstanding player): And then there were two. Purdue's Drew Brees struggled in what should have been a stat-padding, Rose Bowl bid clinching game against Michigan State. Instead, the Boilermakers lost and Brees effectively ended his Heisman hopes.
That leaves Florida State's Chris Weinke and Oklahoma's Josh Heupel. Heupel helped keep the Sooners perfect season alone with a TD and 262 yards passing, but he looked mortal for the first time all season, throwing a pair of interceptions. Weinke, on the other hand, continued to post PlayStation-like stats with 5 TD, 324-yard effort against Wake Forest.
|  | | Anthony Thomas had 171 yards against Penn State and has 1,491 yards and 16 TDs this season. |
Walker (outstanding running back): OK, now we're confused. Do you go with TCU's LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 231 yards on 41 carries. Or Northwestern's Damien Anderson, who had 132 yards against Iowa, but somehow you felt it should have been more. And then there's the forgotten guy -- Michigan's Anthony Thomas. Showing true character, he had one of his best games of the season after enduring a season-low point when he fumbled away the Northwestern game last week. Thomas rushed for 171 yards and a TDs in a win over Penn State. What to do, what to do?
O'Brien (outstanding quarterback): Heupel? Weinke? Weinke? Heupel? Right now, we go with Weinke, but we reserve the right to review this choice after the Seminoles play Florida Saturday.
Biletnikoff (outstanding wide receiver): It was a head-to-head matchup for the award in Miami when Pittsburgh's Antonio Bryant against Miami's Santana Moss. Big edge to Moss. Moss had six catches for 100 yards while Bryant had four for 31 yards.
Outland (outstanding interior lineman): We're not sure if he's the best -- we have a pretty good clue, though -- Nebraska's Dominic Raiola is as intense, as physical, as good as any lineman in the country. Plus, as anyone who watched the Nebraska-K-State game saw, he can dance a little too. We know they lost that game, but Raiola still scored points here.
Defense
Bednarik and Nagurski (outstanding defensive player): Miami's Dan Morgan is still our guy, but keep an eye on Jamal Reynolds and Rocky Calmus.
Lombardi (outstanding offensive/defensive lineman): Tough call between Michigan's Steve Hutchinson, Nebraska's Dominic Raiola, Minnesota's Ben Hamilton and Florida State's Jamal Reynolds.
Butkus (outstanding linebacker): The finalists are Miami's Dan Morgan, Clemson's Keith Adams and Oklahoma's Rocky Calmus.
Thorpe (outstanding defensive back): We're leaning toward Wisconsin's Jamar Fletcher, who had yet another pick yesterday which he returned 87 yards, just missing a TD, but we're not counting out Ohio State's Nate Clements.
Groza (outstanding kicker): Cincinnati's Jonathon Ruffin added two more field goals Saturday to boost his nation leading total to 24 of 27. Keep an eye on Tennessee's Alex Walls, who is 17 of 19.
Ray Guy Award (outstanding punter): Cal punter Nick Harris and soon to be inaugural Ray Guy Award winner update: Harris punted seven times for a 42.5 yard average.
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