Heisman Watch 2016: Last-Minute Expert Predictions for Epic Race

The 2016 Heisman Trophy will be handed out on Saturday night at the ceremony beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. 

This year's ceremony will feature five candidates, who were announced by the Heisman Trust earlier this week:

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The 2016 #Heisman Trophy Finalists are @Lj_era8, @baker_mayfield6, @JabrillPeppers, @DeshaunWatson4 & @DedeTHEGreat11 pic.twitter.com/bxmvM5k84a

— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 6, 2016"

Despite five deserving candidates making the trip to New York City, Saturday night will likely be all about Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is expected to be the runaway winner. 

Jackson's presumed victory will be a unique one in the history of the Heisman. Louisville's three losses, including two in the final two weeks of the regular season, would normally hurt a Heisman candidate, if not completely eliminate him from contention. But due to a relatively weak class of candidates around Jackson, his statistical accomplishments stand out above the team's modest success. 

CFB Film Room recently made a compelling argument for Jackson, pointing out the vast difference in his supporting cast compared to his fellow contenders Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson:

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Lamar Jackson clearly accomplished more with a far inferior supporting cast to Mayfield and Watson. pic.twitter.com/giRkGWoPMW

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) December 9, 2016"

CBS Sports' entire panel of experts are among those predicting an easy win for Jackson. The panel of seven experts each voted for Jackson, while combining to list six different players in their No. 2 and No. 3 slots. 

That indecisiveness is a contributing factor in Jackson's impending win. 

Many voters likely gave other candidates a serious look after Louisville's collapse down the stretch, but no one was able to step up and emerge as a stronger candidate than Jackson. 

Per the rules set by the Heisman Trust, voters are not allowed to reveal their actual ballots until after the ceremony, so it's difficult to predict with any certainty how the vote will play out. But many voters do take an approach similar to Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman, who listed five candidates he considered.

Feldman's list of five candidates included Jackson, Watson and Mayfield, but left off Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook and Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers who were each invited to the ceremony. 

As ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, this has the potential to be a historic night for Louisville, which has never even sent a player to the Heisman ceremony before, let alone produce a winner. In fact, pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil is the only player in the history of the program to finish in the top 10 of the Heisman voting—he finished 10th in 2005. 

There are some dissenting opinions out there, however. 

ESPN.com's Steve Muench is among a small handful campaigning for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Muench pointed to Watson's performance late in close games as a primary reason for his support. 

In the end, Watson and others will likely receive a handful of votes, but the overwhelming majority of voters appear to be solidly behind Jackson. Not only is this shaping up to be a win for Jackson, but potentially a landslide victory for the sophomore quarterback who will return to school in 2017, possibly to defend his Heisman.