Tebow second in Heisman poll

Ballots for the 75th Heisman Trophy were mailed Monday. And finally, the race appears to be coming into focus.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram maintained his lead in this week’s Scripps Howard Heisman poll, grabbing five of 10 first-place votes. For the second consecutive week, he leads Florida QB Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner, by 10 points after Tebow got two first-place votes.

Set to meet in the SEC Championship Game Dec. 5 in Atlanta, Ingram and Tebow seem to have distanced themselves from the rest of the field, which includes Texas QB Colt McCoy and Houston counterpart Case Keenum, both in a distant third-place tie with 18 points. Stanford RB Toby Gerhart picked up two first-place votes but remains in fifth place.

Ingram is trying to make history as the first Crimson Tide player to win a Heisman. He would also join Tebow, who led the first five weeks of this year’s poll, as the only sophomore to win the award. Both Ingram and Tebow face similar schedules the rest of the way — cupcakes Chattanooga and Florida International respectively on Saturday followed by traditional rivals Auburn and Florida State Thanksgiving weekend.

Then the showdown in Atlanta with Heisman ballots due the following Monday Dec. 7.

This week’s poll, with statistics from last week.

Player, Position, School, Last Week, Points.

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama, 19 carries, 151 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 39 (5).

2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 14-of-25, 199 yards passing, TD, 25 yards rushing, TD run, 29 (2).

3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas, 23-of-34, 181 yards passing, 2 TDs, 18.

3. (tie) Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 33-of-56, 377 yards passing, 3 TDs, int., 18.

5. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford, 29 carries, 178 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 16 (2).

Others receiving votes: Clemson RB C.J. Spiller, 12 (1); Boise State QB Kellen Moore 4; Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis 2; Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, 1; TCU DE Jerry Hughes, 1.