Heisman Race 2014: Last-Minute Predictions for Top Contenders
Tensions are high as the nation eagerly await Saturday night's Heisman Trophy declaration. Any of college football's three superstar finalists could walk away with the NCAA's prestigious honor.
Who is anyone kidding? Marcus Mariota will win.
That's no slight to Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper, two football terminators sent to this planet to eventually become fantasy football overlords on Sundays. But come on, neither of those two studs is responsible for 53 touchdowns—don't forget Mariota's receiving score—this season.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Sorry to kill the suspense, but Gordon and Cooper are battling for second despite crafting campaigns merited of grand recognition. In another year, either one could have triumphed.
This year, however, the Oregon quarterback will not be denied the sport's biggest accolade.
| 1 | Marcus Mariota, QB | Oregon |
| 2 | Melvin Gordon, RB | Wisconsin |
| 3 | Amari Cooper, WR | Alabama |
Heisman Finalists
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
He's already won every other award, so what's one more? SportsCenter highlighted Mariota's expanding list of crowns before embarking on the big one.
Each game made it tougher to argue against Mariota. Scoring 19 times in the final four contests without a single interception solidified his case on top, especially with the Ducks finishing No. 2 in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
The junior concluded his incredible year with 4,478 total yards, 53 touchdowns and two picks. He leads the FBS with 10.2 passing yards per attempt and a 186.3 quarterback rating.
Courtesy of Philly.com's Sheil Kapadia, former Oregon coach Chip Kelly—who moved on to lead the Philadelphia Eagles—offered high praise for the versatile star.
In his worst game of the season, Mariota only went 20-of-32 with 276 passing yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort against Arizona, the team he decimated for five scores during the Pac-12 title game. Give that man his trophy and be done with it.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
It's saying something about Mariota's season to enter the clear favorite over a running back who procured a nation-high 2,336 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground. Gordon certainly had a season to remember in his own right.
Amazingly, his yards per carry actually decreased from 2013, going down from 7.8 to 7.6. Yet he maintained that stellar rate despite getting worked to the bone with 309 handoffs, only once receiving fewer than 15 touches in a game.
Oh, by the way, he finished with 258 total yards and five touchdowns on 14 touches during that one holdover.
Whether fair or unfair, recency bias will dampen the running back's chances, perhaps stringing him down to No. 3 behind a soaring Cooper. Ohio State slaughtered Wisconsin, 59-0, to win the Big Ten during Gordon's first game below 100 yards since Sept. 6.
The junior gained just 76 rushing yards on 26 carries, failing to break off a 20-yard run for the first time all season. Allow ESPN Stats & Info to illuminate the oddity in him not accomplishing a difficult feat for most mortals.
That shouldn't lessen his season of destruction, as this is a man who topped 200 rushing yards five times while torching Nebraska for an unfathomable 408 yards. Most years, that's enough to claim the throne.
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Playing the least glorified of the three positions represented in New York, Cooper holds the worst chance of emerging victorious—despite transforming Alabama's offense into a powerhouse.
First off, it's important to note how rare it is for a wide receiver just to get considered. Per ESPN Stats & Info, it hasn't happened in more than a decade, and that guy has since caught 903 passes in the NFL.
To find a winning wideout, one must backtrack all the way to 1991, when Desmond Howard won it while also impacting games as a returner.
Nevertheless, Cooper forced his way into the discussion by collecting an SEC-record 115 receptions for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns. Against two fierce SEC foes in Auburn and Missouri, the junior closed out the season with 25 grabs, 307 yards and a score, stamping his ticket to the ceremony.
Don't feel too bad for him if he's snubbed. Per ESPN CollegeFootball, he doesn't sound overly concerned about bringing home the hardware.
He certainly deserves this spot as a finalist, and SI.com's People's Heisman poll declared him the slight winner over Mariota. Don't expect that to carry over to the real voting, but it could forebode a closer finish than anticipated.
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.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
