Given annually since the 2004 season, the Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning and is presented to the top quarterback in the country. The Manning -- is that the proper parlance? -- is also the only major QB award that takes a player’s performance into account.
Last year’s winner was Auburn’s Cam Newton (pictured, with the Manning Award in his left hand), and this year’s winner will be announced Jan. 18.
The 2011-12 winner will come from a 10-member pool of finalists, which were announced Wednesday evening. And, without further ado, here they are:
Matt Barkley, USC
Kirk Cousins, Michigan State
Robert Griffin III, Baylor
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
Case Keenum, Houston
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Kellen Moore, Boise State
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
Luck, Moore and Weeden were finalists for the 2010-2011 award, for those who were curious.