(CNN) The race for the Heisman is finally coming into focus -- and just in time.
The 82nd annual Heisman Trophy ceremony will take place Saturday at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, with two clear front-runners for the award: Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson and Clemson junior quarterback Deshaun Watson.
At Thursday's College Football Awards presentation in Atlanta, Jackson won the Maxwell Award, which is given to the player of the year. Watson, who finished third in the Heisman voting last year, won the Davey O'Brien Award, which is for the best quarterback in the nation.
The finalists for the 2016 Heisman Trophy are Jackson, Watson, Oklahoma junior quarterback Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma senior wide receiver Dede Westbrook and Michigan junior linebacker Jabrill Peppers.
Heisman winners who made their mark on the NFL
Doak Walker, a halfback for Southern Methodist University, with his Heisman Trophy during a dinner at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York on December 7, 1948. The trophy was established in 1935 and is awarded annually to an "outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity,"
according to the Heisman Trust.
Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung imitates the Heisman stance as he poses with his trophy at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York on December 12, 1956. Notre Dame finished 2-8 that year despite Hornung winning the Heisman.
Navy quarterback Roger Staubach, No. 12, huddles with teammates during a game against the University of Pittsburgh on October 26, 1963. Staubach went on to play in four Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.
O.J. Simpson, playing for the University of Southern California, tries to break a tackle as he picks up 5 yards in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 9, 1968. That year, Simpson scored 22 touchdowns.
Stanford University quarterback Jim Plunkett plays in a game against the University of Southern California on November 10, 1970.
Archie Griffin of Ohio State speaks during press conference on December 02, 1975, after he was named winner of the Heisman Trophy for the second time, becoming college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. He went on to play in the NFL for seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tony Dorsett of the University of Pittsburgh holds the ball aloft as he runs past Temple safety Chuck Gill during a game in Pittsburgh on September 27, 1976. After a career in professional football, Dorsett
said he now struggles with trauma-induced memory loss.
Earl Campbell of the University of Texas runs with the football during a 1977 game against the University of Houston.
Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers, center, poses with his mother, Grady Rogers, and South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley, after he was formally presented with the trophy at a dinner in New York on December 12, 1980. In accepting the trophy, Rogers paid tribute to his mother and his coaches. "I'm happy for the University and for my teammates, too," Rogers said.
University of Southern California star running back Marcus Allen and coach John Robinson, right, join the rest of the USC Trojans after their victory over the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles on November 21, 1981.
Running back Herschel Walker of the Georgia Bulldogs dives for a touchdown against Tennessee in 1982.
Tim Brown plays in a game at Notre Dame in 1987. Notre Dame and Ohio State are tied with seven Heisman trophy wins, the most any school has won.
Barry Sanders, playing for Oklahoma State, pushes his way through Miami University-Oxford players during a game in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on September 10, 1988.
Ohio State's Eddie George pulls away from Iowa defender Bill Ennis-Inge in Columbus, Ohio, on October 28, 1995. After retiring from the NFL, George took up acting and appeared on Broadway as lawyer Billy Flynn in the musical "Chicago"
this year.
Michigan's Charles Woodson kneels beside the Heisman Trophy after becoming the first primarily defensive player to win the honor at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York on December 13, 1997.
Texas tailback Ricky Williams poses with the Heisman Trophy at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York on December 12, 1998.
University of Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer makes a pass during a game against Notre Dame in Los Angeles on November 30, 2002.
Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton celebrates a win over Louisiana State University at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, on October 23, 2010.
With a breakout performance in a 63-20 blowout against Florida State on September 17, Jackson became the early favorite to win the Heisman. In that game, Jackson ran for four touchdowns and threw for another, compiling 146 yards rushing and 216 yards passing.
For the season, Jackson had 4,928 yards of total offense and 51 total touchdowns. He became just the third player to pass for 30 touchdowns and rush for 20 in the same season. He is Louisville's first Heisman finalist.
Jackson revealed Thursday that his aspirations of winning the Heisman first stemmed from playing a video game, "NCAA Football."
"Ever since ('NCAA Football') was out, me creating players and winning the Heisman on there, I was like, 'Hopefully, I can do that when I go to college someday,' " he said. "It's a fun experience for me."
As to which scenario -- a video game or real life -- was more fun: "Both," he replied. "I love video games, so it's fun with both."
But Jackson, the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, struggled down the stretch and seemingly opened the door for other candidates, throwing three interceptions in his most recent game, a 41-38 loss to Kentucky on November 26.
Enter Watson, who has led Clemson to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year. Watson was eighth in the nation with 4,443 yards of total offense this season. He passed for 3,914 yards and 37 touchdowns while also rushing for 529 yards and six touchdowns.
"It'd just really mean a lot, just all the hard work and dreams that I put in to it, but really just for my hometown, my university, just for all those people that's been waiting for so long to get a Heisman winner," Watson said. "It'd just be an awesome opportunity."
CNN's Dan Moriarty contributed to this report.