As the college football season passes the halfway point, which Heisman Trophy contenders should you watch out for in Week 7, what are the latest Heisman odds, and how have the favorites been impacted by the ups and downs, highs and lows that was Week 6 of the college football season?
Heisman Trophy Odds Heading Into Week 7 of College Football
Unless something spectacularly disastrous happens, C.J. Stroud won’t be playing Michigan State next season. He’ll likely be starting in the NFL, presumably for the Houston Texans if our latest mock draft is anything to go by. But, if he was, it would be a safe bet that the Ohio State quarterback would throw for six touchdowns and several hundred passing yards. It’s become something of a habit for the current Heisman Trophy favorite.
The Michigan State secondary has been in a sorry state for several seasons and multiple quarterbacks have taken advantage of that. In this season alone, Michael Penix Jr. and Taulia Tagovailoa have thrown over 300 yards on the beleaguered defensive backfield.
Stroud, however, is a different beast. He’s become finally tuned to embarrassing the Spartans, surgically slicing up the secondary to maximum impact while using them as a springboard to Heisman Trophy recognition.
Like last season’s shellacking, the Spartans were already well behind the Buckeyes by the half. Stroud hit Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming for touchdowns that surpassed 50 yards in each of the first two quarters. By the time Ohio State wheeled out Kyle McCord, Stroud had averaged 13.9 yards per pass. The Buckeyes QB took just 21 completions to rack up 361 yards and six touchdown passes. Even an interception on an apparent miscommunication with Egbuka couldn’t dampen the sensational showing.
[bet-promo id=”149453″ ]Stroud has become a fixture near the top of the Heisman Trophy favorites for the entire season. Each week, we’ve watched him do a dance with fellow 2023 NFL Draft QB1 frontrunner Bryce Young as DraftKings Sportsbook has flip-flopped between the two. Yet now, with Young forced to watch from the sidelines, Stroud has become the odds-on favorite (-130) to lift the Heisman Trophy when the cream of college football heads to New York.
The injury to the Alabama QB and raising Heisman Trophy winner Young has seen him miss time, and subsequently, his odds have plummeted to +1500. Where once he sat as the main challenger to Stroud, a new contender has emerged in his place. Another SEC quarterback is terrorizing defenses in the conference while elevating his 2023 NFL Draft stock.
His name…is Hendon Hooker. The Tennessee quarterback put together another Heisman Trophy-worthy performance as the Vols tore apart a listless LSU Tigers team in Baton Rouge. While the defense limited Brian Kelly’s team to just 13 points, Hooker had the offense humming. It wasn’t even his most statistically sensational performance of the season, but Hooker continuously put the pull on a rope and allowed his receivers to make plays. The second-quarter 45-yard touchdown pass to Jalin Hyatt was a thing of beauty.
As a result of his performance in the 40-13 win, DraftKings slashed Hooker’s Heisman Trophy odds to +1100, making him the second favorite to win the award for college football’s most outstanding player. The Tennessee QB overtakes Caleb Williams (+1200), who struggled somewhat in USC’s win over Washington State. The former Oklahoma QB completed just 51.7% of his passes for just 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Another ascending quarterback — sadly we know that the Heisman Trophy is essentially a quarterback award these days, but we’re learning to embrace it — is UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson. After opting to return to the Bruins for another season, DTR has been in sensational form, earning PFN Quarterback of the Week honors in Week 6 after throwing four touchdowns and adding another on the ground in a 42-32 win over Utah. He enters the Heisman Trophy watch with odds of +1800 from DraftKings.
What To Watch for in Week 7 of the College Football Season
Having reached the halfway point of the season and now heading into the home stretch, some of the matchups containing Heisman Trophy contenders could make or break a contender’s candidacy to receive the greatest individual accolade in college football.
There are several all-undefeated matchups that could have a say in not just the College Football Playoff but also the Heisman Trophy race. While Stroud’s Ohio State team is on a bye, are there any contenders that could take advantage and put themselves in the shop window?
Hooker and Young go head-to-head in Tennessee as Alabama travels to Knoxville to face the sixth-ranked Vols in a prime-time clash. While the two QBs will be at the center of attention, the clash gives Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. the opportunity to showcase his credentials. DraftKings currently offers odds of +4000 on the dominant dynamo to emulate Charles Woodson, the only defensive winner in Heisman Trophy history.
MORE: Top 50 QB College Football Performances in Week 6
Earlier in the day, Penn State faces Michigan in a matchup that has serious Big Ten repercussions. It could also have an impact on the Heisman Trophy race. Michigan running back Blake Corum has been in dominant form recently and will look to extend his streak of 100+ yard rushing performances to four games. The Wolverines wonder is currently the favorite non-QB to win the Heisman Trophy with odds of +1800 from DraftKings. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is a +20000 longshot from the sportsbook.
Another all-conference clash featuring undefeated teams and Heisman Trophy contenders sees Oklahoma State travel to Fort Worth to face the Horned Frogs of TCU. Both teams’ quarterbacks are playing out of their minds this season, with Sonny Dykes’ arrival at TCU transforming Max Duggan into a world-beater. Duggan is currently +5500 to lift the Heisman Trophy by DraftKings, while Cowboys QB Spencer Sanders is favored slightly more by the sportsbook at +4500.
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State -130
- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee +1100
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +1200
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +1500
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA +1800
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +1800
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama +2200
- Adrian Martinez, QB, Kansas State +2500
- DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson +2500
- Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia +2800
Want to place a bet on one of these Heisman candidates? Head on over to DraftKings Sportsbook to get started.