Heisman Race 2014: Analyzing Candidates and Predictions for Ceremony

Just give the 2014 Heisman to Marcus Mariota already.

Mariota has the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff. Not only that, they won the Pac-12 championship on the back of his ridiculous statistical output in the face of an injured offensive line and other factors.

Others will have a say. Alabama wideout Amari Cooper will push for the award, if not the No. 1 overall spot in next year's NFL draft. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon ran wild all season long. TCU's Trevone Boykin is the nation's most prolific dual-threat quarterback.

Those in charge of the decision have no easy task at hand, but the favorite seems obvious at this juncture.

Top Candidates

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Little needs said about Mariota at this point. 

Want statistics? Mariota has thrown for 3,783 yards this season with a total of 53 total touchdowns—38 by air, 14 on the ground—and thrown just two interceptions.

Want character? Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis puts it best:

Adversity? Storyline? Mariota has overcome the odds this season despite the losses of starting linemen and surefire future pros such as Tyler Johnstone and Hroniss Grasu.

Not only that, the Stanford curse was crushed in 45-16 fashion. Michigan's State's elite defense was no problem in a 46-27 win. Utah wound up as a 51-27 shellacking. The Pac-12 Championship Game against the only team to upend Mariota's Ducks this season, Arizona, was a 51-13 blowout.

Mariota has it all on his Heisman resume at this point.

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

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It is not too difficult to see why Cooper is a serious contender for the Heisman. 

The man has 115 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 scores this season. Alabama as a whole has 268 receptions for 3,653 yards and 30 scores through the air. 

As ESPN Stats & Info points out, Cooper's gaudy numbers has him as the top name in the record books at a certain category:

There are plenty of examples that show Cooper steps up in the spotlight. In the 42-13 SEC Championship Game win over Missouri, he caught a title-game record 12 passes for 83 yards. He also does not fade in losses, considering he caught nine passes for 91 yards in a loss to Ole Miss.

While Cooper's position puts him at a serious disadvantage for the hardware, he seems to be the one wideout who can transcend the odds and take it home.

Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU

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Boykin and his Horned Frogs may have missed out on the CFP for any number of reasons that range from politics to a lack of a Big 12 title game.

Boykin's play is certainly not a factor.

The Texas native turned heads this year by not only leading TCU to the cusp of the CFP, but by completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,714 yards and 30 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He also rushed for 642 yards and eight scores.

As far as Heisman moments go, Boykin dropped seven passing touchdowns on Texas Tech in an 82-27 rout. Just this past weekend, he finished his season in a strong manner with 460 yards and four scores though the air in a blowout win over Iowa State.

The fact that Boykin has such an impressive resume—with just one loss coming to Baylor by all of three points—and is so statistically pleasing may only be undermined by the same issues that kept his team from the CFP.

Prediction

Rank	Player	Pos	Team
1	Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
2	Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama
3	Trevone Boykin	QB	TCU
4	J.T. Barrett	QB	Ohio State
5	Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin

The award is Mariota's, like it or not.

Cooper has arguably been the best player in the nation, but he plays the wrong position. Boykin has been impressive and a major reason for TCU's trip to the top of the nation, but it is hard to separate him from other dual-threat quarterbacks with similar numbers.

Melvin Gordon put on a jaw-dropping season with 2,336 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, but the Wisconsin Badgers lost three games and 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game as he rushed for just 76 yards.

Speaking of Indiana running backs, there will certainly be whispers for Indiana's Tevin Coleman. He posted 2,036 yards and 15 scores, but the Hoosiers won just four games.

Mississippi State's Dak Prescott was a Heisman favorite for quite some time. His 2,996 yards and 24 scores with another 939 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground are gaudy, but not enough to erase the memory of a late-season collapse.

Many will make the case for Ohio State's J.T. Barrett. A whopping 2,834 yards and 34 scores with 938 and 11 more on the ground make it a viable thought, but the fact a third-string quarterback just posted gaudy numbers in Urban Meyer's system diminishes the freshman's stock.

Based on Mariota's body of work and numerous factors surrounding other candidates such as position, team performance and quality of performances in critical scenarios, words from Oregon coach Mark Helfrich ring true.

"If this guy isn't what the Heisman Trophy is all about, then I'm in the wrong profession," Helfrich said, per ESPN.com.

Mariota came back to school for a lot of things. The Heisman may or may not have been one of them. Regardless, his awe-inspiring performance in the face of unfinished business gets him the hardware all the same.

Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.