Posted by: Chris Vannini on November 26, 2012

The finalists for the Broyles Award have been announced.

The award for college football's top assistant has plenty of worthy finalists, and the winner will be announced on December 4.

Mike Bobo (Georgia - offensive coordinator / quarterbacks): The Bulldogs are No. 4 in the nation in yards per play, including No. 2 in pass efficiency offense. A win over Alabama will earn Georgia a place in the BCS National Championship Game.

Bob Diaco (Notre Dame - defensive coordinator / linebackers / assistant head coach): The Irish have reached the No. 1 ranking and a spot in the championship game on the back of the defense, which is No. 2 in scoring defense, including the fewest touchdowns allowed (10). Linebacker Manti Te'o is a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Kliff Kingsbury (Texas A&M - offensive coordinator / quarterbacks): The Aggies found plenty of success in their first season in the SEC thanks to the No. 4 scoring offense in the country. It's a balanced offense, ranked in the top 14 in both passing and rushing offense. Quarterback Johnny Manziel may be the Heisman frontrunner.

Dan Quinn (Florida - defensive coordinator / defensive line): The Gators posted an 11-1 regular season thanks to the No. 3 scoring defense in the country. Florida's defense also is No. 3 in yards per play allowed and No. 5 in total yards per game.

Derek Mason (Stanford - co-defensive coordinator / associate head coach): Last week, Pete was surprised Mason was not a nominee for the award. Well, here he is as a finalist. The Stanford defense is No. 1 against the run and held Oregon's high-powered offense to just 14 points in a win in Eugene. The Cardinal were also tops in the nation in tackles for loss and sacks.

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Chris Vannini is the lead writer for CoachingSearch.com and has covered Michigan State sports for The State News, The Oakland Press and MLive.com. He writes a weekly column for the Detroit Free Press on behalf of SB Nation. Vannini lives in Big Ten country, so his foot speed is far from SEC caliber, but his pulse on coaches is hard to match. Be sure to follow @CoachingBuzz on twitter and send your feedback to chris@coachingsearch.com