3 Heisman Trophy finalists revealed

The 2017 Heisman Trophy finalists were revealed Monday night with three players earning invitations to the ceremony Saturday night in New York City.

The finalists are Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Stanford running back Bryce Love and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson has the chance to become just the second two-time Heisman winner, joining Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974 and 1975), but Mayfield, the 2016 runner-up, is the heavy favorite. Notable snubs include Penn State running back Saquon Barkley (179.5 all-purpose yards per game), San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny (FBS-leading 2,027 yards) and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor (1,847 yards, on pace for FBS freshman rushing record).

Former Heisman winners and hundreds of media members vote for the Heisman by selecting three players on their ballot. A first-place vote is worth three points, a second-place vote is worth two points and a third-place vote is worth one point.

Here’s more about each of the Heisman finalists:

Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: Mayfield, a senior, led the Sooners to their third consecutive Big 12 title on Saturday by throwing for 253 yards and four touchdowns against TCU. Those totals give him 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns, both second-most in the nation, with just five interceptions on the year. Mayfield’s completion percentage (71) and quarterback rating (203.8) are the best in the country. Next, Mayfield and the No. 2 Sooners will take on No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford: Despite being slowed by an ankle injury (he missed a game and a half), Stanford junior Bryce Love is second in the country with 1,973 rushing yards for 17 touchdowns on 8.3 yards per carry. Love rushed for 100 yards in 11 of the 12 games he played, including performances of 263 yards against UCLA and 301 yards against Arizona State in back-to-back weeks. Love helped the Cardinal win the Pac-12 North title.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville: Jackson is in the top 16 in the country in both passing (3,489) and rushing (1,443) yards with 42 total touchdowns (25 passing, 17 rushing). Entering bowl season, Jackson is closing in on the numbers he put up in 2016, when he won the Heisman. With a game to go, Jackson’s numbers look like this: 241/399 (60.4), 3,489 yards, 25 TDs and 6 INTs passing with 1,443 yards (6.9 avg) and 17 TDs rushing. Jackson won the award with these numbers: 230/409 (56.2 percent), 3,543 yards, 30 TDs and 9 INTs passing with 1,571 yards (6.0 avg.) and 21 TDs rushing.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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