As we head down the back stretch of the college football season, which Heisman Trophy contenders should you watch out for in Week 8, what are the latest Heisman odds, and how have the favorites been impacted by the ups and downs, highs and lows that was Week 7 of the college football season?
Heisman Trophy Odds Heading Into Week 8 of College Football
It’s easy to think of the Heisman Trophy as purely celebrating the best player in college football. In recent years, the evolution of the game has ensured that CFB’s highest individual accolade is often awarded to simply the best quarterback. Yet, there’s more to the Heisman Trophy than that.
Yes, it is allegedly awarded to the most outstanding player in college football. But, it’s meant to be more than that. The Heisman Trophy is meant to reflect all the things that make college football great.
It’s meant to incorporate the often unseen work behind the storylines that come to fruition on Saturday. The very mantra of the award is that “winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.”
Look around the CFB landscape right now, and it’s hard to find a player that meets that mantra more than Hendon Hooker. The Tennessee QB has persevered through some dark times at Virginia Tech.
He’s worked diligently to turn the Volunteers from an SEC also-ran to — as we’re about to dive into — something else entirely. That hard work is paying off as his name becomes synonymous with outstanding play at the quarterback position.
On Saturday, in front of a packed and rocking Neyland Stadium, Hooker helped take Tennessee to a place it hasn’t been since 2005. That’s 17 years of hurt, of underachievement, of a program failing and frustrating their fan base.
At the conclusion, a stream, river, and tsunami of orange enveloped the field, toppled the goalposts, and created an iconic college football photo for the ages.
Chase McGrath’s 40-yard game-winner might have settled the score, but don’t be fooled, their quarterback did this. Hooker did this. Going back and forth with former Heisman Trophy odds frontrunner Bryce Young in an epic duel, Hooker continually put his team in position to succeed.
Perfect, on the money throws, sprang Jalin Hyatt over and over again and led Tennessee to a 52-49 win over the Crimson Tide, their first in 15 years. The Volunteers are now ranked in the top four, putting them on a collision course for the College Football Playoff, something unthinkable before the season.
Completing 70% of his throws, the Tennessee quarterback threw for a season-high 385 yards and five touchdowns. The performance earned him PFN Quarterback of the Week honors.
However, it also cemented his place as a genuine Heisman Trophy contender, with DraftKings Sportsbook slashing his odds to +500 and solidifying him as the second favorite to land college football’s biggest prize.
It’s been a banner season for the more mature quarterback. Although they lost to Arkansas in college football Week 7, BYU quarterback Jaren Hall is a consistent high-performer who makes NFL throws look easy and produces them every single week.
Hall threw for 356 passing yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, with a sideline shot that was equal parts perfect pass and phenomenal pass catching from Puka Nacua set to be replayed over and over again.
While Hooker has Tennessee in unfamiliar territory, Tommy DeVito has Illinois playing their best football in years. In his fifth season as a starter, DeVito is performing at a level he wasn’t often able to replicate at Syracuse, and he’s dragged the Illini into the AP Poll Top 25 for the first time in over 10 years.
Unbelievably, he’s scored as many rushing touchdowns this year as he did in four years with the Orange. Another one on Saturday helped despatch Minnesota, 26-14.
Currently, neither of these quarterbacks have Heisman Trophy odds from DraftKings Sportsbook. With BYU limping to a 4-3 record, it’s understandable on Hall’s part, but DeVito should command more respect.
Perhaps it’s a case of Illinois being nationally overlooked, as running back Chase Brown — the first back past 1,000 yards this season — also doesn’t have any Heisman Trophy odds offered despite teams having to watch him dissect their defenses week in, week out.
The best bet for a non-quarterback winner of the Heisman Trophy comes in the form of Michigan marvel, Blake Corum. The fourth favorite behind C.J. Stroud (+100), Hooker (+500), and Caleb Williams (+800), Corum now has odds of +1200 after another magnificent performance as the Wolverines humbled Penn State.
Averaging 6.2 yards per carry, Corum has a ludicrous 13 touchdowns so far this year and is establishing himself — albeit behind an incredible O-line — as a top-level RB.
What To Watch for in Week 8 of the College Football Season
There are several high-profile college football contests to watch in Week 8 that also have Heisman Trophy permutations. Can anyone capitalize on these matchups and produce that “Heisman Trophy moment” that leaves us with no mistake that we’re in the presence of outstanding greatness?
With a noon kickoff in Memorial Stadium, the all-ACC, all-undefeated clash between Syracuse and Clemson has the potential to be a divisional decider. Meanwhile, Wake Forest lies in wait to take advantage of the slightest slip, as they’re the only unbeaten teams in the Atlantic division.
Heisman Trophy contenders come in the form of Sean Tucker — with odds of +20000 for the speedy running back — and Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei (+2200) who is playing better each week.
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At 3:30 p.m. ET, UCLA travels to Eugene to take on an Oregon team who are outperforming preseason expectations. After a shaky start against Georgia, the Ducks haven’t dropped a game since.
Quarterback Bo Nix has led the offense to over 40 points in five consecutive games, with DraftKings offering odds of +4000 to lift the Heisman Trophy in December. Unbeaten UCLA has Dorian Thompson-Robinson (+2500) and Zach Charbonnet (+10000) in the Heisman Trophy hunt.
If you can get eyes on both games at the same time — who doesn’t watch college football on five screens anyway?! — then Texas’ trip to Stillwater is must-watch action in the Big 12.
The Longhorns boast one of the top Heisman Trophy contenders in Bijan Robinson with odds of +7000. Meanwhile, Spencer Sanders’ performances for the 5-1 Cowboys may not get the national attention they deserve, but he still has odds of +3500 to lift the Heisman Trophy in December.
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State +100
- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee +500
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +800
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +1200
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +1800
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama +2200
- DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson +2200
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA +2500
- Adrian Martinez, QB, Kansas State +2800
- Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia +3000