Sooners, Trojans boast two Heisman finalists

Jason White has a chance to join Archie Griffin as a two-time Heisman Trophy winner.

White, the Oklahoma quarterback who won last year’s Heisman, was chosen Wednesday as one of five finalists for college football’s most prestigious individual title.

Joining White for Saturday’s award ceremony in New York will be his Oklahoma teammate Adrian Peterson, Southern California teammates Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, and Utah quarterback Alex Smith. It was the first time teammates from two teams made the final list.

Among Heisman contenders who did not make the list were Texas running back Cedric Benson, Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell, and California teammates Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Arrington.

Griffin, Ohio State’s great running back, won the Heisman in 1974 and 1975 and is the only two-time winner.

White was the favorite for last year’s Heisman and beat out Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning. This time, the race appears too close to call. White and Leinart, USC’s quarterback, have put up similar numbers while leading their teams to 12-0 records and a matchup in the Orange Bowl.

White finished the regular season with 2,961 yards and 33 touchdown.

The presence of Peterson, a freshman, helped White produce another fine season but may hinder the quarterback’s chances of matching Griffin’s two Heismans. Peterson ran for 1,843 yards and 15 touchdowns,.

White, a sixth-year senior, has a Heisman vote and said he planned to pick Peterson No. 1 on his ballot.

USC has a similar situation with Leinart and Bush. Leinart has thrown for 2,990 yards and 28 TDs. Bush’s 15 TDs have come running, receiving and on returns.

Georgia DE wins Lombardi

Georgia defensive end David Pollack won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top college lineman, one year after finishing second for the honor.

Pollack won over Shaun Cody of Southern California, Erasmus James of Wisconsin and Derrick Johnson of Texas. Pollack had 48 tackles, including 9 1/2 sacks and 14 1/2 tackles losses, for the eighth-ranked Bulldogs.

ND president criticizes firing

Notre Dame’s outgoing president criticized the decision to fire Tyrone Willingham after just three seasons, saying he was surprised the coach was not given more time.

“I’m a good soldier and in times of transition, people can disagree,” the Sports Business Daily quoted Rev. Edward Malloy as saying at a sports conference in New York. “I thought we were going to abide by our precedent, which was a five-year window for a coach to display a capacity to be successful within our system and to fit.”

BCA: Avoid South Carolina

The Black Coaches Association wants prospective football recruits and assistant coaches to stay away from South Carolina because the school ignored the group’s recommendation for a more open coaching search.

The group’s director, Floyd Keith, told the AP that South Carolina never contacted the BCA. The group sent the school search guidelines before Steve Spurrier was hired to replace Lou Holtz last month.

South Carolina athletic director Mike McGee said the mission of the BCA is important to college football. However, he said administrators faced a brief time frame to land someone as prominent as Spurrier.

Utah hires Whittingham

Kyle Whittingham was introduced as Utah’s new football coach, accepting a promotion from defensive coordinator and ending two days of agonizing over offers from the Utes and rival Brigham Young.

SMU extends Bennett’s contract

SMU gave coach Phil Bennett a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the university through the 2008 season.

Bennett, winless in 2003, is 6-29 in three seasons at SMU, including 3-8 last season. He had two years remaining on his current deal.