USC, Sooner duos are among finalists

Alex Smith of Utah is the fifth player to g to New York.
NEW YORK (AP) -- 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.
Among Heisman contenders who did not make the top 5 were Texas running back Cedric Benson, Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell and California teammates Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Arrington.
Griffin, Ohio State's running back, won the Heisman in 1974 and 1975 and is the only two-time winner.
Teammates could offset
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 for the national championship.
White comes to town after passing for 2,961 yards and 33 touchdown, and in a much better mood than last year. A week before the '03 Heisman ceremony, the Sooners were upset by Kansas State 35-7 in the Big 12 title game and White had his worst game of the season.
This season, White threw three touchdown passes in Oklahoma's 42-3 rout of Colorado in the league title game.
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, and produced his best games against the Sooners' toughest opponents.
No freshman has ever won the Heisman.
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.
They complement each other, but also could draw attention away from each other when it comes to the voting.