Heisman Trophy Ceremony 2014: TV Info, Updated Predictions for Coveted Award

The 80th presentation of the prestigious Heisman Trophy will take place on Saturday evening from New York City, with three of college football's finest athletes looking to become the newest member of the brotherhood of previous winners.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper are the only three finalists this year. One could argue that other players should have been included in the final ceremony—Trevone Boykin and Tevin Coleman are the two most widely debated—but there's no denying the fact that the finalists chosen are deserving of their recognition.

Just being considered for the Heisman is something amazing to put on a resume, but somebody has to strike the famous pose by the end of the evening. Who will make history in 2014? Tune in on Saturday night to find out.

When: Saturday, Dec. 13

Where: Best Buy Theater, New York City

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Prediction

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

There's no shortage of dynamic talent between Mariota, Gordon and Cooper. While their talents and positions are different, the fact that they dominated opposing defenses throughout the entirety of the 2014 campaign makes them quite similar.

Each player posted gaudy numbers for their teams. Check out the most notable numbers below:

Player	Team	Position	Notable Stats
Marcus Mariota	Oregon	QB	3,783 Yds, 38 TD, 2 INT, 68.3 %, 690 Rush Yds, 14 Rush TD
Melvin Gordon	Wisconsin	RB	2,336 Yds, 7.6 YPC, 26 TD, 17 Rec, 151 Yds, 3 TD
Amari Cooper	Alabama	WR	115 Rec, 1,656 Yds, 14 TD

Zac Ellis of SI.com believes that Mariota has the advantage over the field:

"

The current Heisman race also features three finalists who play different positions. Legitimate arguments exist for Mariota, Gordon and Cooper as the best in the country at what they do. But who is the best player overall? That’s a tough question to answer. However, Mariota is thriving in a Heisman era largely defined by dual-threat quarterbacks. Four running quarterbacks have won the trophy since 2007.

"

Twelve of the last 14 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks, further helping Mariota's case.

Voters tend to also look at the overall success of a finalist's team, and the Ducks are the No. 3 team in the country. They'll play Florida State (No. 2) in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

The deck may be stacked against Gordon and Cooper, but the two high-powered athletes have still made strong cases.

The Associated Press broke down Gordon's candidacy as it relates to how close he is to the single-season rushing record, via FoxSports.com:

"

Gordon leads the nation with 2,336 yards rushing and 179.7 yards per game. Gordon broke the single-game FBS rushing record with 408 yards against Nebraska, a record that only stood for a week. He needs another huge game in the Outback Bowl against Auburn to break Barry Sanders' single-season record of 2,628, set in his Heisman winning season of 1988 with Oklahoma State.

"

Gordon, however, faltered in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State, gaining just 76 yards and averaging 2.9 yards per carry. Regardless, the tailback has been practicing his Heisman pose:

Cooper has broken countless records en route to his candidacy, so it's no surprise that he's being considered heavily:

The wideout is special. He has incredible speed and hands, but it's his mentality that sets him above the rest. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban told Michael Casagrande of AL.com about the things that Cooper has overcome to be great:

"He hasn't let little things bother him. Whether it's a little nagging injury or whatever and has just been kind of a demon every time the game comes in terms of how he competes."

That's certainly something to commend, but it won't help him in the overall voting. Mariota is destined to win this award. Fox Sports' Joel Klatt thinks he'll win in a landslide:

He only threw two interceptions, amassed over 50 total touchdowns and led his team to the Pac-12 title. The Ducks face a tough test in the Seminoles on Jan. 1, but Mariota can send the Ducks to the title game if he continues his dominant, mistake-free play.

Given the recent success of quarterbacks (and specifically dual-threat signal-callers), Mariota has everything in his favor. He'll be the next addition to the most prestigious fraternity in sports.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn.