The 90th Heisman Trophy will be handed out in New York City on Saturday, and there’s not much suspense as to who will win the award. Yet the runner-up could be a surprise, as once again, offensive players rule the day. Here’s my prediction for the order of finish.

1) Fernando Mendoza/QB/Indiana

It should come as no surprise that Mendoza is the favorite and ultimately my choice to win the Heisman Trophy. As I wrote a week ago, the award winner would come from the Big Ten title contest, and with most of the nation and Heisman voters watching, Mendoza and the underdog Hoosiers did what few thought was possible: beat an Ohio State team that was significantly more talented on paper.

The quarterback rebounded from what seemed to be a serious injury during the initial series of the game, played mistake-free football, and then won the game for Indiana in the third quarter with two brilliant passes, one of which resulted in a touchdown.  He later clinched the game for his team with two minutes remaining with a long completion on third down when most thought the Hoosiers would run the ball.

Mendoza then gave a terrific postgame interview, which will sit well with the Heisman Trophy voters who have not already cast their ballot. His final numbers were solid but by no means spectacular, as Mendoza’s 2,980 passing yards this season will be the lowest of any Heisman-winning quarterback since Cam Newton in 2010.

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2) Jeremiyah Love/RB/Notre Dame

Love was a dynamic running back for a Notre Dame team whose season finished prematurely. Love had runs of 45 yards or more in half the games played by the Irish this season and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. Yet the fact that he rushed for just 1,372 yards and was unable to break the 1,500-yard mark will make it difficult for Love to win the Heisman; so why do I think he’ll be second in the voting?

No college program in the nation has the following of Notre Dame, as its alumni and fans in the media stretch from one end of the country to the other. There is anger among the Notre Dame faithful that they will not be part of the College Football Playoff again, despite being a two-loss team. The decision to leave Notre Dame out of the 12-team playoff was announced a day before Heisman votes were due. Notre Dame has since said it will not participate in another bowl game, and it is done for the season.

Casting a vote for Love is the only way the Notre Dame faithful can get their revenge, which is why I believe the running back will receive more votes than anyone projects. Truth be told, it could work in the other direction, as Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua made several stunning statements in the wake of the Irish being left out of the CFP, which angered many and could pull votes from Love.

3) Julian Sayin/QB/Ohio State

Sayin had a terrific season and beat Mendoza in several passing categories. He completed an amazing 78.4% of his throws this season for 3,323 yards and 31 TDs, and he did it against quality opponents. Ohio State beat a tough Texas Longhorns team in Week 1, dominated a talented Penn State defense at the start of November and, most importantly, topped Michigan in Ann Arbor to finish the regular season.

Yet Sayin came up flat in one of the most important games of the year, the Big Ten title game against Mendoza and Indiana, and last impressions are often the most important. While his numbers were not bad against the Hoosiers, Sayin struggled getting the Buckeyes into the end zone despite several prime opportunities. The fact that Sayin is a redshirt freshman will likely cause voters to look away from him after the loss to Indiana.

4) Diego Pavia/QB/Vanderbilt

Pavia just being invited to New York as a Heisman finalist is a story in itself and a major accomplishment. With his eligibility in 2025 in question, Pavia sued the NCAA and was granted an injunction last December after a judge ruled his playing time at New Mexico Military Academy, a junior college, did not count against his eligibility.

Pavia made the ruling count, leading Vanderbilt to a 10-2 record and amassing more than 4,000 combined yards and 17 touchdowns along the way. He’s a dynamic playmaker who is a lot of fun to watch, yet he’s part of a team that didn’t play for a conference title or participate in the College Football Playoff. Pavia was a great story this season, but he did not do enough to win the Heisman Trophy.