Oregon's Mariota, Alabama's Cooper, Wisconsin's Gordon named Heisman finalists
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota headlines the three players announced as the finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
Here is a complete list of the 2014 Heisman Trophy finalists:
Here is a breakdown of the candidacy of the three finalists.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2014 Season Stats: 3783 yards, 38 TDs, 2 INT
Why he should win: Not only does he lead the league in passing efficiency and points responsible for per game (24.5), but he also ranks No. 2 in the nation in touchdown, No. 5 in yards among NCAA quarterbacks and No. 6 in completion percentage (68.3 percent). He's also rushed for 669 yards and 14 touchdowns for good measure.
Why he shouldn't win: There may be little debate over the fact that Mariota is the best player in College Football, but the Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding player in the nation and Melvin Gordon has had a season for the ages.
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
2014 Season Stats: 115 catches, 1656 yards, 14 TDs
Why he should win the Heisman: He is the best player on the best team in the nation and leads the country in receiving yards as well as receptions and has proved to be a nightmare to cover.
Why he shouldn't win the Heisman: Only three wide receivers have ever won the Heisman Trophy so the odds are heavily stacked against him.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
2014 Season Stats: 2336 yards, 26 touchdowns
Why he should win the Heisman: Gordon leads the nation is rushing yards and touchdowns. Not to mention that he was the fastest player in FBS history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and was the first running back this season to break LaDanian Tomlinson's record for rushing yards in a game.
Why he shouldn't win the Heisman: He posted his second worst stat-line of the season in Saturday's Big Ten Championship game (76 yards on 26 carries). The only other game he failed to find the endzone in was against Western Illinois. In that game, he only managed to rack up 38 yards on 17 carries.