Does Ohio State Have Too Many Candidates to Win 2015 Heisman Trophy?

When the Ohio State Buckeyes opened the season in a prime-time matchup against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Labor Day, the first drive looked like the Cardale Jones Show.

The talented junior quarterback accounted for all 64 yards on the opening series for the offense, busting off a run of 16 yards and passes of 20 and 24 yards—the latter of which was a back-footed touchdown to Curtis Samuel.

Ohio State's second drive showcased the otherworldly abilities of Ezekiel Elliott.

The 6'0", 225-pound running back took his first handoff of the game, wiggled through a small hole, broke a tackle and was celebrating in the end zone 80 yards later.

The next time Ohio State had the ball, it was Braxton Miller's turn to dazzle.

Making his first career appearance at wide receiver, the converted quarterback hauled in a miraculous diving catch that set the Buckeyes up near the red zone. But his best work came in the third quarter, when he registered a pair of touchdowns that reminded the nation of his electric playmaking ability. He burned the Hokies defense deep, getting behind the secondary for a 54-yard touchdown catch. But it was his 53-yard touchdown run—featuring a video game-like spin move—that stole the show.

It only took 40 minutes of game action for Ohio State to showcase three Heisman Trophy candidates. 

Even after a lackluster performance against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, when the Buckeyes offense tallied just 363 yards of total offense, the trio of players appeared in the top 12 of betting odds for the Heisman Trophy, according to Odds Shark.

Player	Position	School
Trevone Boykin	QB	TCU
Cardale Jones	QB	Ohio State
Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
Cody Kessler	QB	USC
Nick Chubb	RB	Georgia
Seth Russell	QB	Baylor
Leonard Fournette	RB	LSU
Derrick Henry	RB	Alabama
Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
Dalvin Cook	RB	Florida State
Deshaun Watson	QB	Clemson
Braxton Miller	WR	Ohio State

But with so many candidates on the same team, will voters be able to distinguish who the most valuable player is among them?

It's hard to say, because this accumulation of talent isn't common. Dating back to 2000, a pair of teammates has cracked the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting six times, but there hasn't been a year when three teammates have finished as finalists, via Heisman.com.

The talk surrounding college football's most prestigious award isn't new, of course. Elliott entered the season as the Heisman front-runner, but his focus is on a conference championship, not an individual award, according to Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer. 

"My main priority is getting back to the Big Ten Championship Game. That's all I'm thinking about," Elliott said, via Livingston. "I'm not focused on individual awards. If we play for each other and play well together, all that other stuff will come with it."

And on Thursday, head coach Urban Meyer was asked if having this much firepower could be counterproductive on his weekly call-in show (h/t the Columbus Dispatch). 

That's a simple logic to follow, and the bevy of offensive talent should help Ohio State pile up a lot of wins this season. But whether the voters can identify which of those playmakers is most valuable is harder to forecast. 

David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.