Clearly, the odds are stacked against Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy that will be presented tonight at the Yale Club in New York City.

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald would like to add the Heisman Trophy to the list of awards he has won this year. What: Heisman Trophy presentation When: 8-10 p.m. today Where: Yale Club, New York City TV: ESPN LAST YEAR: USC quarterback Carson Palmer was the winner. Did you know: There were 922 ballots sent out, 870 to media members, 51 to former Heisman winners, one overall fan vote.

But, if he were to win the award, it would put him among the all-time greats.

For starters, no other pure receiver has won the award. Three receivers have won the award -- Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers (1972), Michigan's Desmond Howard (1991) and Notre Dame's Tim Brown (1987), but they also returned punts and kickoffs.

Fitzgerald does neither, so his accomplishments and highlights have come solely as a receiver.

Secondly, he would become the first sophomore to win the award. Historically, voters lean towards upperclassman and, if two guys are close, the older one usually gets the nod.

Those factors,plus Pitt's disappointing 8-4 season, are why most are predicting his name won't be tcalled tonight shortly before 9 p.m.Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, who has thrown for 40 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions, is expected to win after being the top candidate most of the past two months .

Fitzgerald has been a strong second in most straw polls and seemed to gain some momentum in the wake of Oklahoma's 35-7 loss to Kansas State last weekend. So there is a chance he'll pull an upset. Fitzgerald knows it's a long shot.

"You can't get too high and you can't get too low about these things," said Fitzgerald, who set two NCAA records and a host of Big East and school records while catching 87 passes for 1,595 yards and 22 touchdowns.

"When you're running too high, you are out of control and, when you are too low, you aren't in control either. I just have to stay positive regardless of what happens.

"But it is an honor [to be invited to the ceremony]. You can't look at the beginning of the year and think that you would be in the position I am in now. I wanted to be thought of as one of the top players in the country, but to actually have it happen is a shock to me and a tremendous honor."

Even if Fitzgerald does not win he won't go away from the season empty handed.

He already has won the Walter Camp Award as the nation's most outstanding player, the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver and was named the Big East offensive player of the year. He also has been named first-team All-American in almost all such cases. Michigan running back Chris Perry and Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning are the other two finalists, and of the four White's team has had the best season. The Sooners are 12-1 and headed to the Sugar Bowl where they'll play LSU for at least a share of the national championship. Michigan finished in the top five, and Perry was a big reason why, and Manning led Ole Miss to one of its best seasons.