COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Just when it looked as if fabulous freshman Adrian Peterson was the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, Oklahoma teammate Jason White bolstered his own case for a second bronze statue.
The race for college football's most prestigious individual award seems to get more muddled every week. While some contenders have fallen off, such as Purdue's Kyle Orton, most serious candidates keep adding to their credentials.
At least 10 players are having seasons worthy of consideration. And there are three sets of formidable teammates, making it tough to decipher who the most important player is on some of the nation's best teams.
The best showing by a freshman in the Heisman voting was Herschel Walker's third-place finish in 1980, yet Peterson entered Saturday's game at Texas A&M gathering momentum.
But for the first time, the 19-year-old Peterson was relatively held in check. He ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries against the Aggies to reach the century mark for the ninth straight game, but his inexperience showed more than ever.
Peterson was dropped for several big losses, constantly trying to bounce plays outside instead of powering ahead with his sturdy 210-pound frame.
With the Aggies stacking up to stop Peterson, White brought the second-ranked Sooners from 14 points behind with five touchdown passes and 292 yards passing in a 42-35 victory.
"He's the best," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said about his quarterback. "His toughness, he's resilient and he stays calm and he just keeps competing and makes plays that matter."
White could become the second player to win two Heismans, joining Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin in 1974-75. And as a former winner, White gets a vote — which he's said will go to Peterson.
Like White, California quarterback Aaron Rodgers bolstered his resume with a comeback victory Saturday, though he got plenty of help from his underrated teammate, J.J. Arrington. Rodgers threw for 275 yards and three scores, while Arrington extended his streak of 100-yard games to eight with 188 and a touchdown in the Bears' 28-27 win over Oregon.
Southern California's pass-run duo of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush also brought its team from behind.
No. 1 USC trailed 13-0 in the first half, but Leinart tossed two touchdown passes, and Bush broke a punt return for a score in the fourth quarter, helping the Trojans beat Oregon State 28-20.
"That guy is incredible," Oregon State wide receiver Mike Hass said, referring to Bush. "You've got to give him credit on that, he kind of made it happen all by himself. "That's why he's a Heisman Trophy candidate, and he showed that tonight."
Only three times has a Heisman winner's teammate finished in the top five in the voting, last in 1983, when Nebraska I-back Mike Rozier won and quarterback Turner Gill was fourth.
Two years ago, Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey (fourth) and running back Willis McGahee (fifth) finished behind winner Carson Palmer.
If the teammates cancel each other out, it could open the way for others, such as Texas' Cedric Benson, Utah's Alex Smith, Auburn's Jason Campbell and Michigan's Braylon Edwards.
Benson scored five touchdowns and ran for 141 yards to lead Texas to the best comeback of the day, a 56-35 win over Oklahoma State. The senior fell off the Heisman radar after Texas lost to Oklahoma, but he's having another big year and is on pace to finish his career as one of the top five rushers in Division I-A history.
Smith continued to put up video game-type numbers for the Utes. The versatile quarterback threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 55 yards in Utah's latest rout, 63-31 over Colorado State.
His problem is competition. Utah has won all of its games going away, and the Mountain West is hardly the Southeastern Conference.
Campbell has come of age in the SEC this season. He's been the steady leader of a national title contender. Plus, he's got three big games left against Georgia, Alabama and probably Tennessee in the SEC title game to stump for votes.
Wide receivers tend to be under-appreciated by Heisman voters, which hurts Edwards. He probably won't win the award but he could be a factor in what figures to be a tight vote.
The Heisman will be handed out Dec. 11 in New York — and that's about all anyone knows for sure right now.