Write down two more Heisman candidates: A man who runs for yardage and a man who paves the way for others to run.

Write one in ink … the other in pencil.

Ohio State’s Orlando Pace was named a Heisman Trophy finalist this week, joining Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer and Iowa State tailback Troy Davis in the group that will head to New York City this weekend.

Texas Tech tailback Byron Hanspard is expected to get the fifth invitation.

Pace, the anchor of the offensive line for the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, fights an uphill battle as an offensive tackle. It’s hard to impress the voters when you don’t have any stats.

Hence the pancake block count.

Pace is favored to win both the Outland and Lombardi trophies. He was the one who opened holes for last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, and did so again for tailback Pepe Pearson.

”I know who I’m voting for,” said George, now a rookie star with the Houston Oilers. ”I don’t think linemen get the credit they deserve. But if you isolate on Orlando, you’d see … he wants to destroy his man.”

In a season where Pace has destroyed obstacles for his running backs, it is his position that is proving to be the obstacle that he can’t eliminate. Another Ohio State tackle, John Hicks, came the closest to winning the award with a second-place finish to Penn State’s John Cappelletti in 1973.

”It’s a longshot. It’s been an uphill type of battle all year,” Pace said. ”If I don’t win, it’s one of those things I can get over. It’s history-making just so I can say I was in the mix.”

The grunts in the trenches just don’t get the press.

”Everybody focuses on the running backs and quarterback,” Pace said.

Well, not everybody. Pace has earned the respect of both opposing players and coaches with his devastating play this year.

Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said, ”I think Orlando Pace is one of the best tackles in football today. I didn’t say college football. I said football.”

Wisconsin defensive end Tarek Saleh shared his approach to going against Pace: ”Just basically stay away. For that split second after he gets his hands on you, if he gets his legs underneath him, then he’s going to body-slam you. And then you’re done.”

Hanspard topped the 2,000-yard mark this season on his way to earning the Doak Walker Award and leading the Red Raiders to a 7-4 record during their inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference.

But despite all of these accomplishments, Hanspard has one primary reason for wanting to bring the trophy to Lubbock, Texas.

”The only reason I would want to win the Heisman Trophy is to uplift the name of Jesus Christ,” Hanspard said. ”(I want) to show that when God has ordained for things to happen in your life, it will come to pass.”

Hanspard, a licensed minister, has shown his religious devotion throughout the year, practically making his football achievements a side note in his life.

His statistics for the 1996 season demand attention. Hanspard posted four 200-yard games and gained at least 100 in every contest until Oklahoma held him to 84 yards in the regular-season finale.

He beat out Davis for the Doak Walker Award, despite Davis’ season rushing total of 2,185, the third-highest total in Division I history.

But although he won the award, he is not expected to follow in the footsteps of former Doak Walker winners Rashaan Salaam and Eddie George and bring the Heisman Trophy home.

But he has helped turn Tech’s program into a winner. Since Hanspard’s arrival, Tech has gone 22-13 and played in the 1995 Cotton Bowl in the last year of the Southwest Conference’s existence.

He made his mark as a sophomore, rushing for 1,374 yards and leading the Red Raiders to a 9-3 season.

In Texas Tech’s 55-41 Copper Bowl win over Air Force, Hanspard ran for 260 yards and four touchdowns.

This season, his team will be making the trip to the Alamo Bowl to battle the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Both Hanspard and Pace have remaining eligibility left in the college game, but have remained undecided on whether to jump to the professional level.

Pace has more immediate goals than to sign a pro contract.

”I want to be the best college lineman in history,” he said.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.