ATLANTA, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Four nominees for the Cingular All-America Player of the Week have been announced after the ninth weekend of college football action, and the power to determine a winner now rests solely in the hands of the fans.
Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Virginia Tech running back Branden Ore and USC wide receiver Steve Smith have been selected by a panel of ESPN college football analysts as this week's top candidates based on their outstanding performances this weekend.
Fans can determine the winner by text messaging "VOTE" to "87654" on their wireless phone and casting their votes for the most deserving nominee.
Harrell completed 42 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Raiders' 35-31 loss to No. 5 Texas. Harrell's 519 passing yards are the most that the Longhorns have given up since 1992, and his 364 yards in the first half were the most for a Texas Tech quarterback since 2003. He is the first Red Raider player to be nominated for the award since Cody Hodges in 2005.
McCoy, the week seven winner of the Cingular All America Player of the Week, passed for 256 yards and four touchdowns to help Texas erase a 21-0 deficit to Texas Tech and rally for the victory. His 33-yard run on third down and five with 1:31 left in the game helped seal the win for the Longhorns.
Ore rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns as Virginia Tech upset No. 10 Clemson on Thursday night. Ore rushed for 207 yards last week against Southern Miss and is the first player in Virginia Tech history to rush for more than 200 yards in consecutive games. He is the first Hokie player to be nominated for the award since Mike Imoh in 2004.
Smith caught 11 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns in USC's 33-31 loss to Oregon State, including a 2-yard TD catch with 7 seconds left that almost capped a heroic Trojan comeback from 23 points down in the second half. Smith's yardage total was the second most in USC history.
Fans have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday to submit their votes. The winner will be announced November 2 during ESPN's Thursday night college football game between Louisville and West Virginia. Fans can vote as many times as they like, with each vote counting as one entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2007 BCS National Championship game. The Cingular All-America Player of the Week program will continue throughout the season, with the nominees being revealed each Sunday on the 9 a.m. ESPN SportsCenter and on the Web at http://www.espnallamerica.com/.
Cingular customers can visit Cingular's NCAA(R) Football Portal on their wireless handset to view video highlights of each week's candidates, retrieve photos, check scoreboards, track their favorite teams and download school ringtones.
Rutgers running back Ray Rice, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham, Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge, McCoy and BYU quarterback John Beck have won the Cingular All-America Player of the Week during the 2006 college football season.
In December, four finalists for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year award will be announced during a one-hour special on ABC Sports. Fans will then get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year up until the Bowl Championship Series. The selection process will culminate during the BCS National Championship game on FOX when the Cingular All-America Player of the Year will be presented.
Last year, University of Texas quarterback Vince Young was crowned as the Cingular All-America Player of the Year, beating out USC teammates Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart and University of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. He was the second Longhorn to claim the award, after running back Cedric Benson won the inaugural honor in 2004.
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