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It will be an early holiday celebration for football fans when the landmark 85th annual Heisman Trophy presentation honored a new college football champion in New York City in December.

Watch for the official ceremony to be televised live on ESPN on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 8PM ET with live appearances by top contenders as well as Hesiman Trophy alumni.

2019 Heisman Trophy contenders

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the No. 1 contender for the Heisman Trophy in 2019.

As always, the 2019 college football season has had its ups and downs.

But the No. 1 player in this year's field -- LSU quarterback Joe Burrow -- has been the steady prescence in college football all season long.

In November, he sealed his reputation with a momentous win over Alabama when he threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns for a 46-41 win. Now with more than 3,000 passing yards and a near 80% completion rate this season thus far, Burrows is the 2019 Heisman Trophy favorite.

Meanwhile, hard on Burrow's heels is Ohio State's star defensive end Chase Young who has been put on the map with a recent 28-17 win against Penn State finishing the game with two forced fumbles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and nine tackles.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts are also in the running as finalists in this year's Heisman competition.

Even with days to go until Heisman voting, Burrow remains the oddsmaker's favorite and the 2019 trophy remains his to lose.

DID YOU KNOW? - Heisman Trophy trivia & fun facs

College football coach, John W. Heisman.

• Awarding a talented college football player with the Heisman Trophy dates back to 1935 when its first recipient, University of Chicago running back Jay Berwanger, was awarded the inaugural Heisman Trophy.

• The Heisman Memorial Trophy is named in honor of college football coach John W. Heisman, athletic director of the New York Downtown Athletic Club.

• The cast bronze trophy is 13.5 inches tall and weighs 25 lbs. The model for the trophy was Ed Smith, a player for New York University in 1934.

• Today, there are a total of 928 ballots cast in the awarding of the Heisman Trophy. Most are cast by sports journalists located in six regions throughout the US -- along with former Heisman winners who are also eligible to vote.

• Famous African-American Heisman Trophy winners include Syracuse University halfback Ernie Davis who won 1961. He was followed by running back Mike Garrett who took home the Heisman in 1965. O.J. Simpson was the third in 1968.

• Archie Griffin became the only person to win twice with two consecutive awards in 1974 and 1975.

• Other notable recipients include Tim Tebow who was the only sophomore (2007); Johnny Manziel the only freshman (2012); and 19-year-old Jameis Winston who became the youngest player (2013) ever to win the Heisman Trophy.

More about the Heisman Trophy around the Web:

Just up ahead, check out more about the Heisman Trophy with related resources featuring the latest rumors, photos, video highlights, and a bit of Heisman history and trivia...

Heisman.com - Heisman Trophy - The official site featuring a complete profile & photos on recent award recipients, trophy & award history, statistics, and details on the Heisman awards dinner.

Heisman Watch - Expert picks from CBS Sports with player profiles and season stats, information on past winners.

From the legendary to the little-known, Heisman history is never dull - ESPN feature and a good read on Heisman history from 1935 to the present with major highlights, winners, fun facts & Heisman trivia.