Heisman Watch 2014: Breaking Down Race with Full Predictions

Controversy has become so common in college football that we are confused when there is none. Unfortunately for lovers of chaos, the Heisman Trophy competition should be an open-and-shut case.

Sure, you could have an argument about the finalists involved when only three players were given an invite to New York City. Players that put up fantastic numbers like Tevin Coleman or Trevone Boykin, or a defensive star like Scooby Wright should be rewarded for impressive seasons.

It's even weird to see a defending Heisman winner in Jameis Winston not become a finalist, even though his down year speaks for itself.

Still, the voters narrowed it down to just three deserving candidates. While each had a good year, the winner is pretty clear cut this season. Here is a breakdown of the three finalists in order of their projected finish.

3. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

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Remember when Alabama was just a running team that lacked dynamic players on offense? Well that certainly isn't the case anymore thanks to the play of Amari Cooper.

The junior has totaled 115 catches and 1,656 receiving yards this season, each of which leads all of FBS. His 14 touchdowns trails only Rashard Higgins of Colorado State.

As if his numbers weren't impressive enough, Cooper has been a human highlight reel that has become almost impossible to stop at this level.

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer will have to find a way to slow down the receiver in the Sugar Bowl, but he already has great things to say about the Crimson Tide star:

Alabama has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball to help it be ranked No. 1 headed into the bowl season, but Cooper is clearly the most impactful player on the roster.

2. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

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This season has been the year of the running back, with Todd Gurley, Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah, Semaje Perine and others posting big numbers. However, Melvin Gordon has been the best of the best with 2,336 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground.

Just for good measure, the Wisconsin running back also has 151 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Although his NCAA record of 408 rushing yards in a game lasted only one week until Perine was able to top it, Gordon did his damage in just three quarters in a blowout win over Nebraska.

The only downside is that he did not leave the best impression in his most recent game. With Wisconsin competing for a Big Ten title, Gordon only managed 76 yards with an average of 2.9 per carry and no scores.

It isn't surprising the Badgers struggled on an off day by their best player, losing 59-0.

Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon argued that this was enough to lose him the Heisman Trophy:

Gordon was able to put together an historic season and one of the best you will ever see at the position. Unfortunately, it's unlikely he will raise the trophy.

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Everyone on this list has had a great year in their own right, but it is hard to make an argument against Marcus Mariota being the most outstanding player in college football.

The Oregon quarterback leads the nation with a 186.3 efficiency rating, which is better than Jameis Winston's mark a year ago a full 15 points better than the next best on the 2014 list.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports also adds some incredible stats from this season:

Seth Davis of CBS Sports has more great things to say about the quarterback while discussing the Heisman race as a foregone conclusion:

While the Ducks went through a rough patch behind an injured offensive line, Mariota was there to hold the team together and end the season with eight straight wins while scoring at least 40 points in each.

After his five-touchdown performance in the Pac-12 title game, this should be a nearly unanimous decision for the Heisman Trophy.

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