If there is a lesson to be learned from this week's elections, it's that it isn't always possible to spend your way into high office. Several multimillionaire candidates who sank sizable chunks of their personal fortunes into their campaigns were observed giving late-night concession speeches to comparatively underfunded victors.

College football should have come to that realization in 2001, when Oregon splurged for a 10-story, $250,000 billboard in midtown Manhattan to hype the Heisman Trophy prospects of quarterback Joey Harrington. The award that year instead went to Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch.

Heading into this season, the prevailing wisdom was that the 2009 Heisman would go to one of three highly accomplished quarterbacks: Florida's Tim Tebow (the 2007 winner), Texas' Colt McCoy or Oklahoma's Sam Bradford (the 2008 winner).

But things haven't gone quite as expected. Bradford twice injured his passing shoulder and is out of contention. McCoy and Tebow continue to perform well for undefeated teams, but their personal statistics are down.

That has opened the door for some preseason longshots, among them Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, Houston quarterback Case Keenum and even Pitt freshman running back Dion Lewis.

Should Penn State senior quarterback Daryll Clark go crazy in Saturday's nationally televised game against Ohio State, leading the 11th-ranked Nittany Lions past the 15th-ranked Buckeyes, it could have the effect of getting his name more into the conversation, too.

In an online video blog, ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg suggested that the 826 media members who comprise the Heisman electorate take a longer look at Clark, who already has or soon will set several school single-season and career passing and total offense records.

"The more I look at the numbers and the more I look at a race that really no one seems to want to take charge of, I think Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark deserves some consideration," Rittenberg said.

Even Penn State coach Joe Paterno, whose idea of lavish praise is to describe someone as a good football player, has come out as much as he ever has for Clark.

"I've said time and again that Daryll Clark has been an outstanding performer for us," Paterno said this week when asked about Clark's Heisman chances. "But I don't see all the other guys people are talking about. Every week it's a new list.

"Daryll Clark's one heck of a football player. He's been a great leader, a great competitor. I'm not sure he's getting the kind of acclaim he should. Where does that put him in the so-called Heisman race? I don't know. We've got some games to play, and so do the other (contenders). At the end of the year, whoever does the deciding can vote and make that decision."