Heisman Trophy update: Best bets, biggest risers, more after Week 8

We’re eight weeks into the college football season, and we’ve already seen movement in the Heisman Trophy odds, especially after last year’s winner, Bryce Young, had to miss a game with an injury and then saw Alabama lose to Tennessee. 

Each week we’ll take a look at how the odds are shifting in the Heisman Trophy race to try to help you identify the best bets or the biggest odds movement that might be best to ignore. While one or two weeks might not be enough to persuade you to change your bet, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the shifts in lines to see if it indicates value changes. 

So what are the odds after Week 8?

Updated Heisman Trophy Odds

Heisman Trophy odds courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook. To view, click here

With the injury to Bryce Young and the subsequent Alabama loss, C.J. Stroud (-110) has become the runaway favorite, seeing his odds climb from +150 the week before Young got hurt to -110 now. He was actually u p to -140 before, but he’s come back a little bit thanks to the play of Hendon Hooker (+200), who has jumped from +1400 over the last two weeks. 

Hooker threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns last week against the University of Tennessee-Martin, but he’s still riding high off of a 385-yard and five-touchdown game in the win over Alabama. On the season, Hooker is completing 70.6% of his passes for 20,93 yards with 18 touchdowns and just one interception. He’s also rushed for 315 yards and three touchdowns. 

Tennessee has a showdown with 17th-ranked Kentucky this week, but then faces the number-one team in the nation, the Georgia Bulldogs, on November 5th in a game that could all but decide Hooker’s Heisman Trophy chances. If you think Tennessee can pull off that upset, now may be the time to bet on Hendon Hooker. 

However, Stroud remains the clear favorite, even though Ohio State will face its first-ranked opponent this week when they take on 13th-ranked Penn State on the road. Stroud has lit up every defense he’s faced this season, but Penn State will be out to make up for laying an egg against Michigan, so there is a chance Stroud could struggle and open the door for Hooker. 

USC quarterback Caleb Williams (+1200) has now seem himself fall to third in the race, but he remains a good bet to be a finalist and even challenge Hooker if Tennessee slips up. He’s still thrown for 1,971 yards and 19 touchdowns to just one interception, while also rushing for 235 yards and three scores. USC was unable to overcome Utah, which is why Williams has seen his odds fall, but the Trojans won’t really be tested against until a November 19th showdown against UCLA, so the USC quarterback has plenty of time to get himself back into this discussion. 

It’s crazy that we’ve seen Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (+2000) fall behind Michigan running back Blake Corum (+1400), but this is where we are in the season. The Heisman is almost always a quarterback award, so I wouldn’t go casting your bets on Corum just yet, but it’s important to at least register what he’s doing. 

The 5’8″ 200-pound back has rushed for 901 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games, and he’s not just beating up on bad competition. In fact, Michigan limited Corum to 13 carries or fewer in each of their early tune-up games against Colorado State, Hawaii, and UCONN. Since Big Ten play started, Corum has rushed for 666 yards and six touchdowns in four games, including crushing Penn State, a defense thought to be elite, for 166 yards and two touchdowns. 

There’s a chance that Corum could emerge as a legit Heisman Trophy finalist, but I think that’s as far as we see it go.

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