To the college football pundits who complain about this year’s Heisman Trophy race lacking any tangible drama: Were you not entertained by Saturday’s incredible showings from Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud?
Were you not entertained? (Cue the classic Maximus clip.)
Two Men Enter, One Will Leave Victorious
Ohio State (No. 2 in Associated Press poll, No. 4 in CFP) took the field Saturday needing a convincing win against No. 7 Michigan State to improve its standing with the College Football Playoff committee. The Buckeyes needed all of 30 minutes to put that convincing win together — and in so doing, their quarterback vaulted to the top of the Heisman odds board.
In what was one of the greatest single halves of the last half-century, Stroud completed 32 of 35 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns, while guiding the Buckeyes to a staggering 49-0 halftime lead over the Spartans. (The reserves played out the proverbial string in the second half of OSU’s 56-7 victory.)
A few hours later, perhaps feeling inward pressure to rival Stroud’s performance, Young passed for a school-record 559 yards and five touchdowns against No. 25 Arkansas. And Alabama (No. 2 in CFP) required every ounce of Young’s magic to put away the pesky Razorbacks and clinch the 42-35 victory.
This wasn’t a typical ho-hum Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Arkansas never trailed by more than 13 points, and Young singlehandedly bolstered the NFL stock of wideouts Jameson Williams (8 catches, 190 yards, 3 TDs) and John Metchie III, who absurdly accounted for 18 catches, 363 yards, and four touchdowns in the narrow win.
This brings us to Thanksgiving Week: Young had been the presumptive Heisman favorite for nearly two months. And yet, Stroud now sits atop the Heisman Trophy odds board among five prominent sportsbooks:
BetMGM: Stroud -200 / Young +150
Caesars: Stroud -220 / Young +175
DraftKings: Stroud -200 / Young +150
FanDuel: Stroud -220 / Young +190
PointsBet USA: Stroud -200 / Young +150
**Odds updated as of 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 22.
Heisman Trophy Betting Action Update
With each passing week — and each passing Ohio State blowout victory — Stroud has made steady strides up the odds board at BetMGM, where he opened at +1,600. The freshman now ranks second in terms of betting handle at BetMGM, where 18.5 percent of all Heisman wagers have been on Stroud.
BetMGM opened the season with Young as the second choice to win the Heisman at +1,000 odds. The sophomore initially slotted behind Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler (+800), who has been relegated to backup duty the past several weeks.
Currently, Young sits third behind Stroud in money wagered at BetMGM (10.9%). The two QBs reverse positions in terms of ticket count, with Young getting 10.4 percent of all wagers at BetMGM and Stroud taking 9.0 percent.
The runaway leader in both tickets and money at BetMGM? That would be Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker, who is at 22.3 percent and 24.1 percent, respectively. Walker opened the season at +80,000 (80-to-1) at BetMGM and got as low as +350 heading into last week’s game at Ohio State. But a poor performance against the Buckeyes (six carries, 24 rushing yards; one reception, 4 yards) effectively ended his Heisman candidacy. Walker is now +2,200 at BetMGM.
Joining Walker on the outside looking in as former Heisman Trophy contenders are Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral (now +1,600 at BetMGM) and Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett (+4,000).
Down The Stretch They Come
Walker being out of the race no doubt brings a smile to those behind the counter at BetMGM — he is the book’s biggest liability by far. Still, though, Stroud is the second biggest liability at BetMGM, while Pickett — who could be the first pick in next year’s NFL draft — is in the third position.
That means BetMGM will be pulling for Young to hoist the hardware when the winner is announced Dec. 11.
Both have opportunities to impress Heisman voters this week. Young (3,584 yards passing, 40 total TDs, 71.7-percent passing) takes the Crimson Tide on the road for their Iron Bowl clash with Auburn on Saturday. He’ll then take No. 1 Georgia the following Saturday in the SEC title game.
Stroud (3,468 yards passing, 38 TDs, 71.1-percent passing) travels to The Big House on Saturday as Ohio State squares off against No. 6 Michigan in a battle for the outright Big Ten East title.
The game means everything to Stroud and the Buckeyes, especially since Young has already secured one final Heisman showcase on Championship Saturday (Dec. 4). If Ohio State knocks off Michigan, Stroud, too, will get to display his talents one more time in the Big Ten title game — which kicks off right about the time the SEC title game ends.
And there’s your (potential) drama!