Who the Experts Are Picking for 2012 Heisman Trophy Award

It is just days away before we find out who joins elite company and wins the 2012 Heisman trophy. Many have made their case for who they believe should walk away with the hardware, but it is only one player that is truly worthy of the award. The Heisman finalists have already been revealed and everybody wants to know what the experts think. 

Will Manti Te'o win the award and become the first true defensive player to accomplish the task? Can Collin Klein become the first Kansas State player to earn the Heisman? Or can Johnny Manziel become the first freshman ever to put his hands on the bronze trophy?

Those questions will be answered come Saturday.

Until then, let's take a look at some of the people who actually have a vote and what they are saying about the possible outcome.

Matt Murschel Is on the Manziel Bandwagon

Warning: there are going to be a lot of guys that are going to be on the Manziel bandwagon in this article. We will start with Matt Murschel, who is a college football insider for the Orlando Sentinel.

In a column explaining why the freshman should win the award, Murschel says:

"

He's the Paul Bunyan of college football, reaching almost an iconic status. His moniker—Johnny Football—even invokes an almost hero-like quality with the quarterback standing seven-feet-tall and able to single-handedly win games with both his arm and legs.

"

That is certainly quite the comparison.

Stiffarmtrophy.com Is Also a Believer in the Freshman

StiffArmTrophy.com is a website that counts actual votes of writers who claim to have a vote for the prestigious award. The site tries its best to tally the votes up and produce the winner before you hear the announcement on national television.

While this may sound like a flawed system to some (After all, how can a site find each and every vote?), the site has been correct every year since 2002. It was even plugged on ESPN a few years back.

So who is winning this year?

Well, the site has Johnny Manziel receiving 318 votes, which equals out to an 82.1 projection winning percentage. Manti Te'o is a distant second, receiving 236 votes and only a 56.7 projection percentage.

Judging by the track record of this Heisman site, we will witness history on Saturday.

Matt Fortuna Likes the Notre Dame Linebacker

Not everybody has fallen in love with the Texas A&M quarterback, as some are looking for a defensive player to bring home the hardware. That guy would be Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and ESPN writer Matt Fortuna likes the senior.

In a column released earlier this week, Fortuna goes on to list all of the accomplishments of Te'o throughout the year and says he really can't come up with a reason not to vote for him. He goes on to write the following:

"

Over and over, Notre Dame fans (and even some non-Notre Dame fans), you have been pressing for me for answers, wondering how I could not have Te'o as my Heisman choice. Over and over, I have struggled to come up with a good response. Why not Te'o for Heisman? Why not, indeed.

"

If only we can find more people who feel the same way.

ESPN Likes Guess Who?

ESPN has a Heisman poll that is put together each week throughout the season and it is made up of many college football writers. There are a total of 15 writers that make up the poll and each is able to vote each week on who they believe should win the award.

With the votes tallied up and released on Monday, Manziel is the projected winner with 69 votes. He received 11 of the 15 first-place votes and is a 12-point favorite over the second place finisher in Irish linebacker, Manti Te'o.

However, they aren't the only ones that expect the first-year player to win.

Chris Huston Sees Manziel Winning as Well

Much like StiffArmTrophy.com, Chris Huston is a writer for Heisman Pundit, a website that is also completely dedicated to that bronze trophy. There you can find some terrific material, all focused on future and past winners that have gone on to win the most prestigious award in college football. 

Hutson wrote how he believes the rankings will turn out on CBS Sports and why Manziel is the projected winner.

"

He's about to become the first freshman to win the Heisman, a truly remarkable accomplishment. His 4,600 yards of total offense and 43 touchdowns, combined with his landmark upset of Alabama, a whirling-dervish style of play and A&M's best record since 1998 are what put him over the top.

"

It appears the Manziel fan club is on overload.

Dennis Dodd Picked the Texas A&M QB

Although the Heisman Trust has been urging voters to keep their vote private, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports had no problem telling the world who he voted for in a column he writes every year.

And yes, he gave his vote to the Texas A&M quarterback.

"

What? He is this year's Cam Newton because he has legs, he creates plays and—oh yeah—he beat Cammy Cam Cam's SEC total offense record. Have we lost our minds? Two years ago, despite all the controversy, Newton was still being called one of the best players of all time.

Manziel. Beat. Newton's. Numbers. As a redshirt freshman. Johnny Football also broke the SEC's 43-year-old single-game total offense record. Twice. His only losses are by a total of eight points to two top-10 teams (LSU, Florida).

"

How can you argue with that?

Doug Harris Picks Collin Klein

Judging by the votes that are coming in, you would think there were only one or two guys competing for the award. In reality, there is somebody named Collin Klein, who also has a slight chance to become the first Kansas State player to win the Heisman.

While very few are showing love, Doug Harris of the Dayton Daily News has given the senior quarterback his first-place vote.

"

When I gauge a Heisman winner, I look at who he played. And what Klein did in spearheading a championship run at a school that’s not exactly a traditional power was enough for me. Manziel was good. Very good. And his time will come since he’s only a freshman. But I don’t see him putting up those same numbers if he still played in the Big 12.

"

How do you feel about that SEC lovers?

Te'o Is Loved by Oklahoma Writers

The loss the Oklahoma Sooners suffered to Notre Dame earlier in the year has not swayed the opinion of writers who cover the team. In fact, the victory that Manti Te'o played a huge role in may have earned him a few more votes towards winning the Heisman.

All four writers of The Oklahoman have decided to give the defensive player their first-place vote.

Here is what columnist Jenni Carlson wrote when explaining her reasoning:

"

Notre Dame wins with defense, and it does so because of Te'o. He is a force like no other, making one big play after another for the Irish. Add in Notre Dame's strength of schedule and how many good teams it has faced, and Te'o's resume is hard to beat.

"

Will this be enough to shift the results into Te'o's favor?

Matt Hayes Picks Who?

Matt Hayes is a writer for the Sporting News and he did not like any of the finalists that received a free trip to New York. So when he filled out his ballot, he decided to go against the grain and pick somebody that not too many people would have thought.

"

My #Heisman ballot: 1, Marqise Lee. 2, Johnny Manziel. 3, Braxton Miller. Will write about process tomorrow @sportingnews

— Matt Hayes(@Matt_HayesSN) December 5, 2012"

While this may surprise some of you out there, USC wide receiver Marqise Lee was an absolute stud. He finished the year with 112 receptions, 1,680 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He also broke the Pac-12 record with 345 receiving yards in one game.

The Trojans may have failed as a team this year, but it had nothing to do with the sophomore wide receiver.

And Your Vote Goes To...

The Heisman is really decided by hundreds of media members and former Heisman trophy winners who have a vote as well. However, you as a fan also have a vote that does play a small percentage in who wins the award.

Remember, every vote counts.

With many college football players to choose from, Manziel ended up winning with 37 percent of your vote. Te'o received 30 percent and quarterback Collin Klein only had seven percent, with Braxton Miller finishing a close fourth in the race.

You have all spoken.