Heisman Trophy 2018 finalists: Let the quarterback debate commence

The finalists for the 2018 Heisman Trophy have been announced and it’s all about the quarterbacks for the biggest individual award in college football.

Ballots for the 2018 Heisman Trophy were due on Monday, Dec. 3, which means that the finalists for the most prestigious individual award in college football were revealed on Monday night as well. Though the drama as to who will be the actual winner of the award is still sure to ensue, the candidates heading to New York City for the presentation were never much in doubt.

In a college football season where offense reigned supreme, it figures that quarterbacks would rule the day in regards to the Heisman. As such, it became clear over the final weeks of the 2018 season that it would be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins that would be suited up for the trophy presentation on Saturday, Dec. 8.

And indeed, those three were announced as the finalists on Monday night.

Though Tagovailoa struggled and left the SEC Championship Game early due to injury, he put forth a remarkable effort in the 2018 season. He was so dominant for the Tide that he legitimately only needed a handful of snaps in the fourth quarter this season to be in the running for the Heisman. He finished the year with 3,353 yards passing, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions while adding five rushing scores as well, all for an unbeaten Crimson Tide team.

As for Murray, his Sooners didn’t go undefeated, but he was possibly more electric than Tua in terms of the numbers that he put up. The two-sport star was a pint-sized juggernaut in 2018, throwing for 4,053 yards, 40 touchdowns and only seven picks and adding 892 rushing yards and another 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Haskins, meanwhile, may not have gotten the shine of the other two given the up-and-down play of Ohio State as a whole this season, but put-forth a school-record-breaking campaign nonetheless. The Buckeyes redshirt sophomore threw for 4,580 yards, 47 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the year, adding four rushing touchdowns on the year.

These four quarterbacks undeniably controlled the narrative of the 2018 season and the Heisman race. In truth, it’s likely going to come down to Murray and Tagovailoa, despite Haskins’ tremendous efforts, largely due to the rollercoaster play of the redshirt sophomore and his team. But who will take home the hardware?

Tune in to ESPN on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET when the 2018 Heisman Trophy will be handed out to one of these three standouts.