On a hastily constructed stage in the middle of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field where he’d just slain the Georgia Bulldogs, Bryce Young stood and watched as Will Anderson and Phidarian Mathis hoisted the SEC Championship trophy underneath a rain of confetti. Next Saturday, far away in New York, the Alabama quarterback is likely to be stood on a different stage with the Heisman Trophy in his grasp. His mesmeric college football performance in burying the Bulldogs means Young is the clear favorite in the Heisman Trophy odds with hours left to vote.
Heisman Trophy odds following Week 14 of college football
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama -3500
- Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan +1600
- Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt +3000
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State +3000
- Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss +5000
- Will Anderson, OLB, Alabama +5000
- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State +10000
Bryce Young’s Heisman Trophy moment as odds slashed
Al Pacino’s famous speech in “Any Given Sunday” passionately illustrated that football is a game of inches. No more was that apparent than in AT&T Stadium, where Dezmon Jackson was a Jairon McVea tackle and mere inches short of winning the Big 12 Championship and potentially booking a College Football Playoff place for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Yet, football is also made of moments. We saw that in the Alamodome on Friday night, as UTSA secured a first-ever Conference USA title, coming up big in the final moment to thwart a Bailey Zappe comeback. In Allegiant Stadium, we witnessed the touching moment of two brothers — Nephi and Noah Sewell — embracing each other on opposite ends of a Utah victory in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Then, there are Heisman Trophy moments. They are that snapshot in a season that showcases pure sensationalism. Within that moment, we know that we’re witnessing greatness. Within this crazy, crazy college football season where people have leveled mediocrity at even the most memorable of moments, there is that minute where we know we have seen something truly special.
Let’s be under no illusion — what we saw from Young on Saturday night was special. It’s been a word that has been applied to the Georgia defense all season long. However, for the best of 60 minutes in the SEC Championship Game, they were reduced to ordinary by a performance so extraordinary that it earned Young the SEC Championship Game MVP.
Overcoming the odds to emerge as a clear Heisman Trophy front-runner
Coming into the clash, that vaunted Georgia defense had allowed just 6.9 points per game. Furthermore, they’d given up just 150.8 passing yards per game. However, in the biggest moment of the season, they had no answer for Young. The Alabama quarterback threw for 421 yards and 3 touchdowns (the passing yardage is an SEC Championship Game record).
Young also broke the record for all-purpose yardage in the SEC’s showcase. While he has shown mobility this season, you’d never label him a dual-threat quarterback. However, the Alabama starlet secured his Heisman Trophy candidacy with a moment of magic on the ground. In the depths of the second quarter, his gutsy 11-yard run gave the Crimson Tide a 24-17 lead that they’d never relinquish.
There have been multiple moments for Young this season. However, the manner in which he put this team on his relatively inexperienced back, in an underdog role that is foreign to a Nick Saban Alabama team, was Heisman Trophy-worthy in itself. However, Young achieved the upset victory despite losing wide receiver John Metchie III to an apparent ACL injury.
To win the Heisman Trophy, sometimes you have to overcome the odds. There’s no denying that’s what Young did with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. As a result, he’s now the overwhelming odds favorite to lift the Heisman Trophy next Saturday. Young’s -3500 odds from FanDuel Sportsbook are the lowest of any contender this season.
Hutchinson and Pickett trail in Young’s wake following championship weekend
While Alabama and Young were reveling in their SEC Championship-winning moment, his closest Heisman Trophy contenders were making magic of their own. The Michigan Wolverines dominated a turgid Iowa offense to capture the Big Ten Championship. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Panthers pummelled Wake Forest with a defensively dominant second half.
Although defense sealed the deal in the ACC Championship, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett once again placed himself in the pantheon of program history. His 2 first-half touchdown passes surpassed Dan Marino’s single-season record. Furthermore, he etched his name in conference history with the most touchdown passes in a single season in the ACC.
In this game of moments, Pickett has had many this season. His ability to play the position with panache, intelligence, mobility, and impressive arm talent is highlighted every week. However, no one play will draw so much attention as the “fake slide” 58-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring on Saturday night.
Pickett is now the third favorite to lift the Heisman Trophy as per FanDuel odds. While Young might have secured the award on Saturday, Pickett should at least be assured of a place in New York when the finalists are announced on Monday evening.
Hutchinson is the clear defensive contender according to FanDuel odds
Could we have a defensive winner for the first time since 1997? In this season of inconsistencies, there has never been a more legitimate claim for a defensive player to be deserving of college football’s greatest individual award. Jordan Davis and Will Anderson have both made compelling claims. But, it appears that the defensive hopes of lifting the Heisman Trophy rest with one man.
Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has been a monster this season. Every single game, he produces a moment that makes you marvel. In the Wolverines’ win over Iowa, he was simply unstoppable. Down after down, his power and technical superiority pose a problem for opposing offensive lines. Hutchinson is now the second favorite to lift the Heisman Trophy on Saturday with odds of +1600 from FanDuel.
While we fixate on Charles Woodson’s accomplishment as the last defensive winner, we could be set to see another historical moment on Saturday. Despite having multiple recipients of the award, no Alabama QB has won the award. Young looks set to overcome those odds to rewrite Crimson Tide Heisman Trophy history.