2012 Heisman Award: Collin Klein, Johnny Manziel, Manti Te'o voted finalists

The finalists for the 2012 Heisman Award have been announced. While the committee typically welcomes four or five candidates to New York City, just three were chosen this season: Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.

All three players present an interesting case. As for Klein, he was the star on a team that will head to the Fiesta Bowl next month. The senior quarterback threw for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns, and also rushed for 890 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Manziel grabbed all of the national headlines after completing a dominating performance over then No. 1 Alabama on the road. The freshman quarterback threw for 3,419 yards, rushed for 1,181 yards and combined to score 43 total touchdowns. The only slight downside to his résumé is that the Aggies finished the year with a 10-2 record and will not be playing in a BCS bowl game.

Te'o would be the second defensive player in history to win the award. The odds are against him since he doesn't play quarterback or a skill position on offense, although he's the unquestioned leader and best player on the nation's top-ranked team. Te'o recorded 103 tackles, including five for loss, had 1.5 sacks and picked off seven passes this year.

The Heisman Trophy will be given out on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.