December 10, 2008

Rivals.com Staff
These awards will be handed out Thursday night on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Rivals.com writers Steve Megargee and Olin Buchanan will be at the event, and here's a rundown of the nominees and who we think should win.

Of note: We don't necessarily agree with the nominees for each award, but our pick is from among the finalists.

Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player)
NOMINEES: Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, USC LB Rey Maualuga, Penn State DE Aaron Maybin
OUR PICK: Maualuga.

Biletnikoff Award (top wide receiver)
NOMINEES: Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, Missouri's Jeremy Maclin
OUR PICK: Crabtree.

Lou Groza Award (top kicker)
NOMINEES: Arkansas State's Josh Arauco, Florida State's Graham Gano, Utah's Louie Sakoda
OUR PICK: Gano.

Ray Guy Award (top punter)
NOMINEES: Oklahoma State's Matt Fodge, West Virginia's Pat McAfee, Utah's Louie Sakoda
OUR PICK: Sakoda.

Maxwell Award (best player)
NOMINEES: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, Texas QB Colt McCoy, Florida QB Tim Tebow
OUR PICK: McCoy.

John Mackey Award (top tight end)
NOMINEES: Missouri's Chase Coffman, Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew
OUR PICK: Gresham

Davey O'Brien Award (best quarterback)
NOMINEES: Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, Texas' Colt McCoy
OUR PICK: Bradford.

Outland Trophy (best interior lineman)
NOMINEES: Ole Miss OT Michael Oher, Oklahoma G Duke Robinson, Alabama OT Andre Smith
OUR PICK: Smith.

Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)
NOMINEES: Tennessee SS Eric Berry, Ohio State CB Malcolm Jenkins, USC FS Taylor Mays
OUR PICK: Berry.

Rimington Trophy (top center)
NOMINEES: Alabama's Antoine Caldwell, Arkansas' Jonathan Luigs, California's Alex Mack, Penn State's A.Q. Shipley, Oregon's Max Unger, Louisville's Eric Wood.
OUR PICK: Mack.

Doak Walker Award (best running back)
NOMINEES: Iowa's Shonn Greene, Georgia's Knowshon Moreno, Michigan State's Javon Ringer
OUR PICK: Greene.

Other awards

Heisman Trophy (top player/announced Dec. 13)
Finalists will be announced Wednesday.
OUR PICK: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford.

Walter Camp Award (top player/announced Dec. 11)
NOMINEES: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, Texas QB Colt McCoy and Florida QB Tim Tebow.
OUR PICK: Bradford.

Butkus Award (top linebacker): Wake Forest's Aaron Curry won.

Bronko Nagurski Award (top defensive player): Texas DE Brian Orakpo won.

Lombardi Award (top lineman or linebacker/announced Dec. 10)
NOMINEES: Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, USC LB Rey Maualuga, Texas DE Brian Orakpo and Alabama OT Andre Smith.
OUR PICK: Smith.

Ted Hendricks Award (top defensive end/announced Dec. 10)
NOMINEES: Florida State's Everette Brown, TCU's Jerry Hughes, Indiana's Jammie Kirlew, Penn State's Aaron Maybin, Texas' Brian Orakpo and Oregon's Nick Reed.
OUR PICK: Orakpo.

Ronnie Lott Trophy (top defensive impact player, with character included/announced Dec. 14)
NOMINEES: Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry, Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, Texas DE Brian Orakpo and Florida State SS Myron Rolle.
OUR PICK: Curry.