This year’s college football season has produced numerous memorable performances and potential Heisman moments over the past few months. But, as the regular season nears its conclusion, it seems more and more likely that one of two favorites will walk away with the Heisman Trophy.
Oddsmakers have largely narrowed the field to two premier quarterbacks: Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young.
Stroud shines against Michigan State
Stroud took over the top spot on the odds board after a dominant performance for the Buckeyes in a 56-7 dismantling of Michigan State on Saturday. The freshman completed 32 of 35 passes, throwing for 432 yards and six touchdowns. Overall this season, Stroud has thrown for 36 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
Young, meanwhile, set a new Alabama record on Saturday, throwing for 559 yards as the Crimson Tide beat Arkansas 42-35. Young threw for five touchdowns in the win and now has 38 touchdown passes on the year against just three interceptions in his sophomore season.
Those two outstanding performances pushed the young quarterbacks well past the pack in the Heisman Trophy odds. Stroud stands as the -200 favorite in the race, according to online sportsbook PlaySugarHouse.com, with Young close behind at +110.
Beyond those two leaders, there are a few dark-horse contenders who still have some chance to shake up the race.
Corral, Pickett among other Heisman hopefuls
Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral (+2000) led the Heisman Trophy odds early in the season. The Junior has thrown for 3,100 yards and 19 touchdowns against just three interceptions to lead Ole Miss to a 9-2 record. But, Corral hasn’t had the kind of dominant, headline-grabbing performances that Young and Stroud have put together this season.
Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III (+2000) created a massive amount of Heisman Trophy buzz when he ran for 197 yards and five touchdowns against Michigan back on Oct. 30. Even so, his chance of upstaging the leading quarterbacks all but disappeared when he ran for just 25 yards against Ohio State on Saturday.
| Heisman Trophy Odds (via PlaySugarHouse.com) | |
| CJ Stroud: -200 | Bryce Young: +110 |
| Matt Corral: +2000 | Kenneth Walker III: +2000 |
| Kenny Pickett: +3300 | Desmond Ridder: +5000 |
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett (+3300) has also earned some Heisman consideration. The fifth-year senior has thrown 36 touchdowns to lead the Panthers to the ACC Championship game, and has done so without the kinds of weapons that Stroud and Young enjoy around them. However, his numbers aren’t likely flashy enough to earn the trophy, and Pittsburgh hasn’t beaten a ranked team this year.
Finally, no discussion of the Heisman Trophy odds should wrap up without mentioning Spencer Rattler. The Oklahoma quarterback opened the season as the betting favorite to take home the award, but he’s no longer on the board after losing his starting job to freshman Caleb Williams. In fact, Williams has even played well enough at times to make his own mark on the Heisman odds, though at +10000, and with mediocre performances against Baylor and Iowa State, he’s likely out of the running.
