O'Brien Semifinalists Go Head-to-Head In Week 12

Competition intensifies as conference play continues

FORT WORTH, Texas (November 12, 2008) - The 2008 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Semifinalist Match-up for week 12 highlights the Big 12 battle featuring O'Brien Semifinalists Colt McCoy and Todd Reesing. Fans can show their support for McCoy and Reesing, as well as any of the other 13 Semifinalists, by visiting www.VoteOBrien.org and casting their vote once daily. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the Finalists.

Semifinalist Marquee Match-up:

Texas (Colt McCoy) at Kansas (Todd Reesing)
Saturday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on FSN
Colt McCoy leads the Texas Longhorns to Lawrence, Kan. to take on Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks as these Big 12 opponents go head-to-head. McCoy and the Longhorns hit the road after a 45-21 victory over Baylor on Saturday at home, which elevated Texas to a No. 3 ranking (BCS). McCoy, a junior from Tuscola, Texas, completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns. He continues to lead the Longhorns in rushing with 449 yards. Reesing and the Jayhawks turn their sights towards an upset as they try to rebound from their 45-35 loss in Nebraska against the Cornhuskers. The junior quarterback from Austin, Texas threw for 304 yards and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). Reesing ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 2,942 passing yards. Both offenses are directed by O'Brien Semifinalists from the state of Texas whose quarterback skills will be put to the test on Saturday as the quarterback rivalry in the Big 12 continues.

Additional Semifinalist Games (alphabetical by last name):

Daryll Clark: Indiana at Penn State
Saturday, November 15 at 11 a.m. (CST) on the Big Ten Network
Under the leadership of quarterback Clark, the Nittany Lions look to avenge their 24-23 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. After a game that came down to the final seconds, Clark and his eighth-ranked team will set their sites on the Indiana Hoosiers as they vie for control of the Big Ten.

Chase Daniel: Missouri at Iowa State
Saturday, November 15 at 5:30 p.m. (CST) on FSN
Daniel and the Tigers enter Saturday's match-up looking to extend their three-game winning streak, including their 41-24 victory over Kansas State at home last Saturday. The senior quarterback enters this game with a 76.1 completion percentage for the season and hopes to continue the No. 12 Tigers quest for the top position in the Big 12 North.

Max Hall: BYU at Air Force
Saturday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on CSTV
BYU heads to Colorado Springs, Colo. to battle the Air Force Falcons after a 41-12 rout of San Diego State. Hall led the Cougar offense last week with three touchdowns and no interceptions, completing more than 83 percent of his passes. He has thrown a touchdown in 21-of-23 career games and hopes to add another win to the Cougars' 9-1 record.

David Johnson: Tulsa at Houston
Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) on CSTV
Johnson and the Golden Hurricanes return to conference play to take on the Houston Cougars after their first loss of the season to the SEC's Arkansas Razorbacks on November 1. With an 8-1 record, Johnson has maintained the nation's top quarterback rating (198.25) and will be at the helm of the Tulsa offense in this C-USA match-up.

Zac Robinson: Oklahoma State at Colorado
Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) on ABC
Oklahoma State will trek to Colorado as the Cowboys square off with the Buffaloes. Robinson and his team hope to bounce back from a loss to Big 12 foe, Texas Tech. The junior quarterback has thrown for 2,264 yards this season and earned a 181.01 quarterback rating which ranks No. 3 in the nation.

Mark Sanchez: USC at Stanford
Saturday, November 15 at 6 p.m. (CST) on Versus
After their 17-3 win over state rival, California, Sanchez and the No. 6 Trojans continue to dominate the Pac-10. The junior signal caller leads his conference in quarterback rating (162.18), passing yards (2,122) and touchdowns (24). Saturday Sanchez and the Trojans will focus their attention on the Stanford Cardinals.

Matthew Stafford: Georgia at Auburn
Saturday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on ESPN360.com and ESPN GamePlan
Stafford and the Georgia Bulldogs are preparing for their fourth consecutive game on the road. Stafford takes the No. 10 Bulldogs to Auburn after leading his team to a 42-38 victory over Kentucky last Saturday when he threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Tim Tebow: South Carolina at Florida
Saturday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on CBS
The No. 4 Gators continue to elevate their position in the polls under the leadership of their junior quarterback. Tebow rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in addition to passing for three with no interceptions as Florida defeated Vanderbilt 42-14. The Gators return to the Swamp on Saturday to face off with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

John Parker Wilson: Mississippi State at Alabama
Saturday, November 15 at 6:45 p.m. (CST) on ESPN
Wilson led Alabama to their tenth win of the season on Saturday as they defended their No. 1 ranking against LSU. The senior quarterback rushed for two touchdowns, the second of which came in overtime and capped the Crimson Tide's 27-21 victory over the Tigers. Alabama will have the support of their fans at home this weekend as they host Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa.

About The O'Brien Fan Vote
Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite Semifinalist. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans can download an interactive "widget" featuring a voting link and the ability to post and share on Web sites, social networks and blogs by clicking here.

Fans can also show their support by adding The O'Brien Facebook application to their Facebook Profile. The new application can be found by searching O'Brien Fan Vote and clicking the applications tab or by clicking here.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit