Heisman Watch 2015: Odds and Predictions for All Candidates in Award Race

The Heisman Trophy race is down to three players, and truth be told, each is deserving in their own right.

Two of the talented trio—Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry and Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson—are playing in College Football Playoff semifinal games.

Running back Christian McCaffrey and his Stanford Cardinal finished just outside the top four at No. 6, and they will play the No. 5 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Rose Bowl.

Here is a look at the finalists' key stats, their odds to win and a prediction of who will be hoisting the trophy Saturday in New York:

Player	Year	Position	Team	Notable Stats	Odds to Win
Derrick Henry	JR	RB	Alabama	339 carries, 1,986 yards, 23 TDs.	-1200
Christian McCaffrey*	SO	RB/KR	Stanford	319 carries, 1847 yards, 8 TDs. 41 receptions, 540 yards, 4 TDs. 1,109 return yards, 1 TD.	+600
Deshaun Watson	SO	QB	Clemson	287-of-413, 3,517 yards, 30 touchdowns. 163 carries, 887 yards, 11 TDs.	+2200

No Shortage of Talent

On Dec. 4, the trophy was Henry's to lose, per Paul Myerberg of USA Today: "Alabama running back Derrick Henry is in position to run away with this year's Heisman Trophy, perhaps at a rate mirroring the past two winners, Florida State's Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota."

Henry then fared well in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5 against the Florida Gators, rushing for 189 yards and a score.

However, McCaffrey one-upped him in the Pac-12 Championship Game, to say the least.

Against the now-No. 25 USC Trojans, the sophomore became the NCAA's single-season, all-purpose yards leader and did a little bit of everything.

After tossing an 11-yard touchdown in the first half, he eventually racked up 207 rushing yards, 149 return yards and 105 receiving yards to go along with three touchdowns.

He may or may not have literally been on fire, per SportsCenter:

At the time of Myerberg's article, McCaffrey was on the outside looking in of USA Today's Heisman poll: "In the most recent USA TODAY Sports Heisman survey, Henry had 23 of a possible 30 first-place votes. The only other contender with more than one first-place vote was Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson."

Now McCaffrey has jumped into the No. 2 spot ahead of Watson, who actually has a good case to win the award as well.

The sophomore runs the offense of the only undefeated team in FBS and finds himself in the company of some pretty good former ACC quarterbacks, per ESPN Stats & Info:

No matter who wins, it's clear the three have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Henry still remains the favorite, but one thing not in his favor is the short attention span of college football fans, and even voters.

McCaffrey's championship performance, while amazing, might not be making as much of a difference had it come in Week 6.

Heisman voter Holly Rowe admitted it has made her think long and hard about her selection:

Predicting the Winner

While Watson has had an unbelievable year, and still yet may be able to add a national championship trophy to his case, he remains the long shot with McCaffrey's surge and Henry's early lead.

That lead, and perhaps because he plays for perennial power Alabama, won't be enough for either Watson or McCaffrey to overcome, per ESPN's David Hale:

Even though Hale thinks Henry will be given the benefit of the doubt and win, I think it will go the other way.

Henry has been a consistent force on a team with a barely-above-average passing game, but he doesn't have the advantage McCaffrey does with kick returns to pad his resume.

Also, McCaffrey's last game is fresh on the minds of voters who might forget the fact that Henry rushed for more than 200 yards four times and scored a touchdown in all 13 games this season, while McCaffrey failed to score an offensive touchdown in six games.

The hype machine is focused squarely on McCaffrey and will enable him to walk away with the award. While Henry deserves it the most, all three have had amazing seasons and deserve to be added to an elite list of college football greats.

Prediction: 1) McCaffrey 2) Henry 3) Watson