Torretta the Favorite for Heisman Trophy : College football: SDSU’s Faulk, Georgia’s Hearst are other leading hopefuls as they await today’s announcement.

Gino Torretta has the best record, Marshall Faulk has the best statistics and Garrison Hearst plays in the best conference.

So who will win the Heisman Trophy today?

With no overwhelming favorite, it could be a close vote for college football’s biggest award.

Will the winner be Torretta, who has compiled a 26-1 record as Miami’s starting quarterback despite a lumbering style and the fact that 18 others were ranked higher in passing efficiency this season?

Or will it be Faulk, the San Diego State sophomore who led the nation in rushing for the second consecutive year, but missed 2 1/2 games and played in the offense-crazy Western Athletic Conference?

And what about Hearst, the country’s leading scorer and No. 2 rusher? The Georgia junior played in the rugged Southeastern Conference, but averaged only 62 yards rushing against Mississippi, Florida and Auburn.

Also worthy of consideration are Notre Dame running back Reggie Brooks and Florida State linebacker Marvin Jones. Brooks averaged eight yards per carry, more than Faulk or Hearst, and Jones was a dominant defensive player on the third-ranked Seminoles.

Although Torretta is expected to win, it wouldn’t be a shocking upset if he didn’t. He doesn’t have the flair of last year’s winner, Desmond Howard, or the phenomenal statistics of the three previous winners--Ty Detmer, Andre Ware and Barry Sanders.

“We’ve gotten spoiled the last five years with record-setting performances,” Ivan Maisel of the Dallas Morning News said. “This year, there’s no one like that.”

Maisel voted for Jones, who already has won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top lineman. Jones also is favored to win the Butkus Award, which goes to the best linebacker.

“The (Heisman) plaque says ‘Most Outstanding Player in the United States,’ and I think Jones stood out more than anyone else,” Maisel said. “I know Torretta is 26-1, but if you’re going to use starting records, then we should all vote for (Alabama quarterback) Jay Barker, who is 16-0.”

ESPN commentator Lee Corso disagrees. He has been pushing Torretta for the Heisman all season, and sees no reason to change his mind now.

“He’s a consistent winner,” Corso said. “He didn’t put up huge numbers, but he made the big plays and never got his team beat.”

Others claim Torretta is simply a good player on a great team, the offensive leader of a group that wins primarily with defense.

“You can’t argue with team success, but the Heisman is an individual award,” Faulk supporter Marcus Prater of the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune said.

Torretta completed 228 of 402 passes (57%) for 3,060 yards and 19 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. But he finished 19th in the NCAA’s passing rankings, behind Michigan’s Elvis Grbac, Syracuse’s Marvin Graves and Notre Dame’s Rick Mirer, among others.

“Forget about that,” Corso said. “The only numbers that matter are 26-1.”

Faulk gained 1,630 yards, averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored 15 touchdowns in only 8 1/2 games. However, he didn’t play in San Diego State’s season finale against Miami and got most of his yards against WAC opponents, who are known more for their offense than defense.

“I don’t care what conference you’re in, gaining 1,600 yards is quite an accomplishment, especially when you miss three games,” Prater said.

Hearst backers feel his yards were more meaningful because they came against tougher defenses in the SEC. He gained 1,547 yards, averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored a league-record 21 touchdowns.

“Averaging seven yards a carry in that conference is impressive,” Allen Quakenbush of the Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal said. “You can’t equate what Faulk did in the WAC with what Hearst did in the SEC.”

Torretta, Faulk and Hearst plan to attend the announcement ceremony at the Downtown Athletic Club.