Championship Weekend Will Have Dramatic Impact on Minds of Heisman Voters

College football's championship weekend will mold the playoff race in one of two ways. Either it'll go chalk and Selection Day will be anticlimactic, or a combination of the Clemson Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide and Stanford Cardinals—or all three—will lose, sending the playoff race into pure chaos.

That will be the main storyline. But don't overlook what this weekend means to the Heisman Trophy race as well. Not since 2011 when Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III won college football's most prestigious award has the Heisman race been this wide open heading into the final weekend. 

As it so happens, the three Heisman leaders according to OddsShark.com—Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey—will play Saturday. 

Player	Position, School	Odds
Derrick Henry	Running Back, Alabama	1/3
Deshaun Watson	Quarterback, Clemson	5/1
Christian McCaffrey	Running Back, Stanford	12/1
Ezekiel Elliott	Running back, Ohio State	12/1
Baker Mayfield	Quarterback, Oklahoma	18/1
Dalvin Cook	Running Back, Florida State	20/1
Leonard Fournette	Running Back, LSU	33/1

It's the perfect opportunity for one of those players to seal his Heisman fate for good, for better or worse. Speaking to B/R last month, one thing Heisman voters said they look for is how players perform in the biggest games under the brightest lights. If voters are holding out votes until the final game—again, this race is far from over—the so-called "Heisman moment" in the final game of the year can be the great tiebreaker.

And there are no greater stakes possible than vying for a playoff spot.

Unfortunately for everyone from Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott on down, that likely means the Heisman race is down to three horses. The only way this could change is if all three Heisman front-runners have bad days in losses, leading voters to reconsider. 

(As a side note, Navy Midshipmen quarterback Keenan Reynolds could still receive an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony. If he does, he will fly by helicopter from Philadelphia to New York following the Army-Navy game, according to Jon Solomon of CBS Sports. However, since votes will already be cast, the Army-Navy game will not have an impact on Reynolds' Heisman chances one way or the other.) 

But that's a long shot at best. Henry, for example, has already had a magical season by breaking Alabama's single-season school records for yards and rushing touchdowns. There's a reason he's the Heisman front-runner. Now, can he have his best game—or, at the very least, keep pace—against a Florida defense that ranks in the top 10 nationally in yards per rush and rushing touchdowns allowed?

It's the same story with Watson, who leads the ACC in total offense—331.6 yards per game—by a comfortable margin and ranks ninth nationally in the category. Can he wow voters with a big game against the North Carolina Tar Heels? You can't say Clemson isn't trying to push Watson. This week, the program's Twitter account sent out a "resume" for its QB's accomplishments:

Watson's development as a passer has been superb, but Clemson has been more willing to utilize his legs in November. The sophomore has averaged just over 15 carries per game in his last four games, including a career-high 21 carries against South Carolina, recording three 100-yard games in the process. 

These days, Heisman voters love spread quarterbacks that can do it all. 

Speaking of doing it all, no one's done it this year like McCaffrey. The sophomore leads the nation in all-purpose yards by a good 52 yards per game.

"No one can tell me there's a more dynamic player in college football," Stanford coach David Shaw said, per ESPN.com's David Lombardi. 

Lombardi crunched some numbers and it turns out McCaffrey is actually on pace to surpass former USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush's numbers when he won the Heisman in 2005. When you view McCaffrey's season through that lens, Shaw's statement, though understandably biased, isn't wrong. Value to the team is a subjective metric in Heisman voting, but it's an important one all the same. 

The question is, do voters view McCaffrey's versatility as an edge? Or, does he get lost in the "best running back" conversation?

Matt Hinton, formerly of Grantland, charted the top running backs in college football this year. As you can see, it's a crowded field. Determining the "best" running back for a first-team All-American selection may as well be like casting a Heisman ballot with the way this season has gone. 

But at least McCaffrey and Henry will get one more opportunity to state their case. Elliott, Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook and TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin are all deserving of Heisman consideration, too, but their seasons are over.

The Heisman finalist list in New York could be five or even six players long, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees with bringing that many players. But, with a race that will come down to the end, there's an excellent chance only three players have a realistic chance to win it.

When watching conference championship games Saturday, take note of Henry, McCaffrey and Watson. Chances are, the one who performs lights-out will be the 2015 Heisman winner. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.