Download App
Here’s a look at the Heisman Trophy odds after a really interesting week five.
Heisman Trophy Odds
-ny
Heisman Trophy Risers
Caleb Williams
As expected, Williams’ poor performance against Oregon State didn’t really matter all that much because USC did get the win. Williams’ excellent performance against Arizona State and Bryce Young’s injury (more on that in a bit) moved Williams into a solid second favorite behind CJ Stroud. Williams had 392 total yards and four touchdowns against the Sun Devils in a comfortable 42-25 win. USC’s defense is a double-edged sword for Williams. They’re still a work in progress so Williams is going to have to be great for the Trojans to keep on winning, but there might be a time or two where even he can’t overcome it as spectacular as he is. USC cannot overlook a feisty Washington State team this weekend ahead of next weekend’s massive showdown at Utah.
Adrian Martinez
Sometimes a change of scenery can be a good thing. Martinez was oft-maligned in his career at Nebraska, but he has been thriving in recent weeks in his new home at Kansas State. Martinez had 382 total yards and five touchdowns in K-State’s upset win over Oklahoma and he followed that up by running for 171 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score through the air in the Wildcats’ win over Texas Tech on Saturday. As a result, Martinez has vaulted up to the fifth favorite to win the Heisman at a couple of places. Betting on him to win the award is probably a sucker bet if we’re being honest. For one thing, it’s hard to imagine voters getting behind a quarterback who lost to Tulane. The Oklahoma defense is a mess and Texas Tech’s isn’t great either. The Wildcats play Oklahoma State, Texas and Baylor in back-to-back-to-back weeks and even getting out of that stretch 2-1 would be a major accomplishment for a team that’s trending in the right direction. Kansas State could make the Big 12 Championship game and if it’s on the back of Martinez he may get an invite to New York. Winning the award, however, is very unlikely.
Heisman Trophy Fallers
Bryce Young
Young was well on his way to a dominant performance against Arkansas throwing for 173 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but Young exited the game with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder and did not return. Things got dicey for Alabama, but backup Jalen Milroe and the Alabama run game stepped up and the Tide got a comfortable win in the end. There’s no structural damage to the shoulder which is good news. Nick Saban said Young has had this type of injury before and while it impacts his ability to put velocity on his throws, it usually responds well to treatment after a couple of days. Young’s status for the revenge game with Texas A&M is up in the air as of now and as a result Young’s odds to repeat have taken a tumble. Can he get back in the race? Certainly, but he needs a clean bill of health.
Stetson Bennett
Georgia sleepwalked through a nervy 26-22 win at Missouri and even though Bennett threw for over 300 yards, he was inconsistent. There have always been doubts if Bennett can win a game on a night when the Georgia defense isn’t great and even though he got the job done, Missouri is one of the worst teams in the SEC and he missed a lot of throws in this game. If a team like Tennessee or Alabama is clicking on offense against the Georgia defense, the doubt still remains that Bennett can win a game in a shootout. He still ranks tenth in the country in passing yards, but he’s the only quarterback in the top 10 who has single-digit passing touchdowns. He might have the yardage numbers to impress voters, but he only has five touchdown passes so that number needs to improve if he wants to have a shot to win the Heisman.