With the countdown to the first College Football Playoff rankings taking place over the past couple of weeks there has been plenty of excitement across the nation. At the same time, another interesting storyline is the progression of the Heisman trophy race.
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley appeared to be a lock to win the award after Week 8. However, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett made his case for the award with a signature win over Penn State in Week 9. Then Ohio State lost on the road at Iowa in shocking fashion while Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield put himself back in the conversation with a dominant performance of his own in last week’s thrilling win over Oklahoma State. And don’t forget about Khalil Tate. For a brief second, he looked like he might move from off the board to favorite when Arizona nearly upended USC last week. Is he still in the running or does he have too much ground to catch up? The odds makers aren’t expecting him to make a run.
With that in mind, here is a look at the Heisman trophy race according to the updated odds.
QB: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Heisman Trophy Odds: -175
Mayfield was considered an afterthought in the Heisman conversation just a few weeks ago. However, the senior quarterback is suddenly the sports betting favorite to win the award following an incredible stretch that peaked in last week’s 62-52 win over Oklahoma State. Mayfield threw for 598 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s win. He has thrown for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading Oklahoma to four straight victories. The Sooners are in the College Football Playoff hunt in large part due to their star quarterback. A strong finish to the regular season could be enough to help Mayfield secure the Heisman trophy.
RB: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Heisman Trophy Odds: +250
After an outstanding start to the season, Barkley has slowed down in back-to-back losses for Penn State. The junior running back rushed for 757 yards and eight touchdowns while leading the Nitany Lions to seven straight wins to open the year. However, Barkley has been held to just 107 rushing yards and one score in back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Michigan State to fall out of his frontrunner position. Barkley could still push himself back in to the top spot with a strong finish to the year. However, at this point it’s clear that Mayfield has replaced Barkley as the Heisman favorite.
RB: Bryce Love, UCLA
Heisman Trophy Odds: +1200
Love is in a similar position to Barkley in that he has cooled down tremendously following a fast start. Love didn’t play against Oregon State a couple of weeks ago and he certainly wasn’t at his best in his return to the lineup last weekend when he was held to 69 rushing yards and a touchdown against Washington State. Love’s Heisman stock has been substantially downgraded by the oddsmakers in the most recent updated odds. At this point he would have a tough time making it as a Heisman finalist.
QB: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
Heisman Trophy Odds: +3300
Just when it seemed as though Ohio State was bound for a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff appearance everything changed in last week’s loss to Iowa. The Buckeyes were absolutely rolling following a big win over Penn State when they laid an eye in a 55-24 loss to the Hawkeyes. After one of the best stretches of his career, Barrett completed just 18-of-34 pass attempts for 208 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. He fell from a top-two pick to contend for the Heisman to a +3300 long shot to win the award in one week. While Ohio State still has three games to go, it is unlikely Barrett will end up in the Heisman conversation following last week’s brutal performance.
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