It took only two weeks for their to be a major shakeup at the top of the Heisman trophy discussion with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and Georgia running back Nick Chubb forcing themselves in to the conversation. Jackson followed up an outstanding season debut with an unprecedented performance versus Syracuse over the weekend while Chubb absolutely torched North Carolina in a big win for Georgia. Here is a look at the updated Heisman trophy odds heading in to week three.
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
Heisman Trophy Odds: +500
A bye week allowed McCaffrey to rest and prepare for this week’s massive showdown with USC, which goes Saturday in Palo Alto. McCaffrey picked up from where he left off a year ago when he averaged 5.7 yards per carry while rushing for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a week one win over Kansas State, adding another seven catches for 40 yards in that victory. McCaffrey will get another chance to showcase his outstanding skill set as a rusher, receiver and return man in a key Pac-12 showdown with the Trojans this week. Considering how easily the Trojans were trounced in Week 1 by Alabama, there’s a good chance that McCaffrey has a big day this coming weekend again.
QB: Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers
Heisman Trophy Odds: +700
Watson didn’t perform at an elite level versus Troy, but he did enough to help Clemson improve to 2-0 with 292 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 30-24 victory. The 50.9 completion percentage and two interceptions weren’t exactly Heisman-worthy, but Watson did add 10 carries for 55 yards while leading the Tigers’ offense with his dual-threat ability. Watson is still the top quarterback on the Heisman board heading in to week three when he will get the opportunity to deliver a stronger performance versus South Carolina State. So far, it has been a decent but unspectacular start to the season for Watson. The Tigers are 2-0 but they could easily be 0-2, believe it or not. As long as the Tigers continue to go undefeated, though, he’ll be in the running.
QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals
Heisman Trophy Odds: +800
Jackson is the biggest riser on the Heisman board heading in to week three following another outstanding performance versus Syracuse last week. Jackson became the first quarterback in FBS history to throw for at least 400 passing yards and rush for at least 175 rushing yards in the same game as he threw for 411 and a touchdown while running for 199 and four scores. Jackson has completed 59.7-percent of his passes for 697 yards with another 318 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns through two games. All eyes will be on the star dual-threat quarterback heading in to a key showdown versus No. 2 Florida State this week.
QB: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State Buckeyes
Heisman Trophy Odds: +1000
The fact that the Buckeyes were expected to rely even more on Barrett as the star of their offense this season put him under a microscope heading in to this year. While his 149 passing yards versus Tulsa wasn’t anything special, he did run for 55 yards and two scores to help Ohio State get the win and improve to 2-0. The junior quarterback has completed 66.0-percent of his passes for 498 yards and six touchdowns with another 85 rushing yards and three scores on the ground through two games. Bowling Green and Tulsa weren’t exactly elite opponents but the Buckeyes’ schedule picks up this week on the road against No. 14 Oklahoma State.
RB: Nick Chubb, Georgia Bulldogs
Heisman Trophy Odds: +1000
Chubb’s dominance in a 33-24 win over the Tar Heels helped elevate him in to the conversation among the top Heisman hopefuls while bumping Florida State’s Dalvin Cook and LSU’s Leonard Fournette out of the top-five for the time being. Chubb followed up a modest 80-yard performance against Nicholls with a monster 222 rushing yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina in the breakout performance that Bulldogs’ fans were hoping they would see. Chubb has averaged 5.8 yards per carry through his first two games but the breakout performance against a decent opponent in the Tar Heels has elevated him in to the top-five in terms of the Heisman trophy betting odds.
