As we head into the home stretch of the 2022 college football season, we should have a clear picture of the Heisman Trophy contenders. Such has been the chaotic nature of the nation’s greatest sport this season that a winner could emerge from anywhere, and the latest Heisman Trophy odds reflect that uncertainty.
Which Heisman Trophy contenders should you watch out for in Week 11? What are the latest Heisman odds, and how have the favorites been impacted by a crucial week of college football action?
Heisman Trophy Odds Heading Into Week 11 of College Football
There is no player more important to their team’s success than Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. It’s a statement that, prior to the season, might have seemed improbable. In fact, if you’d have dared to assert that the former Auburn transfer would emerge as the quarterback to watch for in the Heisman Trophy race, it’s likely that you’d have been carted off by a bunch of men in white coats, never to be seen again.
Yet, here we are. There are just three weeks remaining of the college football regular season, and the odds on Nix being named the Heisman Trophy winner have been slashed to +800 by DraftKings Sportsbook following incredible showing after incredible showing after incredible showing.
The Ducks are flying, and their opinion-dividing QB is uniting the team as they mount a genuine challenge for the College Football Playoff.
The oft-mentioned but difficult-to-define “Heisman moment” is usually reserved for a standout performance in your program’s biggest game. The now 1-8 Colorado Buffaloes certainly wasn’t the biggest or hardest game on Oregon’s schedule this season. However, the way that Nix orchestrated the offense was a joy to behold.
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With every play that went by, it felt like offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham was dialing up a game to define Nix’s Heisman Trophy résumé.
It starts with the less fun stuff. Nix was exceptionally efficient as a passer on Saturday. The Oregon QB ruthlessly carved up Colorado’s defense, completing 20 of 24 attempts for 13.7 yards per attempt and two touchdown passes. There was also the dual-threat ability that we’ve come to expect this season, with Nix finding the end zone twice more on the ground.
Then there was the creative, imaginative, exciting elements that help this game stick in the minds of any Heisman Trophy voters who had the privilege to watch it. Nix became just the third player in Oregon history to log a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in a single game, snagging a receiving score on an inventive play call from Dillingham. He now leads the FBS with 36 total touchdowns.
Nix is in exulted company this season. The Oregon QB is just the fourth Power Five quarterback with 20+ passing touchdowns and 10+ rushing touchdowns through eight games of a season this millennium. That list includes Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. However, most pertinently, as Nix’s odds continue to fall, it also includes 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
Blake Corum Has the Best Non-QB Odds To Lift the Heisman Trophy
While it’s become increasingly difficult for a non-quarterback to receive the highest individual accolade in college football, Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram II, and Reggie Bush (no, we will not vacate his award) have all proven that running backs can achieve success.
Michigan’s Blake Corum has regularly featured at the top of the Heisman Trophy odds this season and is the best bet for a non-QB winner. The ascending 2023 NFL Draft prospect now leads the nation with 16 rushing touchdowns after finding the end zone twice in the Week 10 win over Rutgers. Corum has now scored a TD in every single game this season, with four games where he’s scored multiple touchdowns.
Saturday’s win also saw the Michigan RB once again surpass 100 yards on the ground. Corum now has six consecutive games where he’s rushed for triple digits, starting with a 243-yard performance against Maryland at the end of September. He now has odds under +1000, as per DraftKings Sportsbook, to be named the Heisman Trophy winner.
Teams may try to bottle him up, but the reality is they can only watch as he continues to pad his Heisman résumé every week. Corum needs just one more touchdown to equal Ingram’s total in his Heisman campaign, is averaging more yards per carry than Henry when he lifted the award, and could realistically surge past Bush’s 1,740 rushing-yard total from 2005 before the season is out.
Is Jayden Daniels a Genuine Heisman Trophy Contender?
Ahead of the Week 10 college football action, there were comparisons between the 2019 LSU team and the 2022 Tennessee team being chucked about like they were wedding confetti. While that conversation should subside following the Vols’ loss to Georgia — and Hendon Hooker losing his status as the Heisman Trophy odds favorite — is a contender emerging from the Tigers for the first time since 2019?
After a difficult start to the season, Jayden Daniels has been on fire in recent weeks for LSU. As the Tigers climb their way up the CFB totem poll, resulting in a surprise 10th-place ranking in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, it’s the former Arizona State dual-threat who is providing the footholds for their ascension.
Daniels was impressive once again as the Tigers made the final, fatal bite in an overtime win over Alabama. Throwing for two touchdowns, the LSU QB burned the Crimson Tide on the ground to the tune of 95 yards and another score. No quarterback has rushed for more 10+ yard runs than Daniels, with only three running backs tallying more than his 34 mazy rushes.
Following the win over Alabama, DraftKings slashed Daniels’ Heisman Trophy odds to +2000 and installed him as one of their top-10 favorites. While the LSU quarterback might not boast the dominant statistical résumé normally associated with QB contenders, there’s no denying that his hard work and perseverance in turning around the Tigers — and his own performances — are the epitome of the Heisman mantra.
What To Watch for in Week 11 of the College Football Season
With Week 11 starting with MACtion in a little over 24 hours’ time, what should you watch out for as the Heisman Trophy race heats up?
Although the schedule lacks the sheer number of season-defining games that last week had, there are several key matchups to be aware of as you settle down to soak in college football action this week.
The first of the Heisman Trophy odds favorites in action in Week 11 is USC QB Caleb Williams. The former Oklahoma passer has the opportunity to replicate Nix’s showing when Colorado comes to the Coliseum in Friday “Pac-12 After Dark” action. Williams is currently the third favorite to land the prize as college football’s most outstanding player, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Having said there were few season-defining games on the Week 11 schedule, Alabama travels to Ole Miss in a game that could help decide the destination of the SEC West. Bryce Young remains amongst the Heisman Trophy odds favorites (+2500), but the game also features Will Anderson Jr. (+15000), Jahmyr Gibbs (+8000), and Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (+30000).
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Another game that has the potential to make or break a conference championship and CFP contender is TCU vs. Texas. The Big 12 showdown sees College GameDay travel to Austin with TCU’s candidacy for the playoffs facing the sternest test of their season so far.
Quarterback Max Duggan (+4000) is on Heisman Trophy watch, as is Texas RB Bijan Robinson (+10000). The Longhorns’ mulleted magician, Quinn Ewers, also has long-shot Heisman Trophy odds of +20000, per DraftKings.
Meanwhile, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye will look to continue his ascent up the Heisman Trophy rankings as the Tar Heels travel to Winston-Salem to face Sam Hartman and his Wake Forest Demon Deacons. A long shot just a few weeks ago, Maye’s dual-threat ability has turned him into a Heisman trophy odds favorite and UNC into an ACC title contender.
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
Take advantage of the Heisman Trophy odds with the latest offer from DraftKings Sportsbook!
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State +180
- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee +280
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +700
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +750
- Bo Nix, QB, Oregon +800
- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina +1200
- Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia +1600
- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU +2000
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +2500
- Max Duggan, QB, TCU +4000