Updated Heisman odds following Week 8 of college football
The Heisman Trophy race has narrowed once again through Week 8, and it appears increasingly likely that a quarterback will claim college football’s largest individual honor.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who finished Week 7 with +200 odds, had an excellent game against Tennessee this week and remains the favorite. Young completed 31 of his 43 passing attempts, good for 371 passing yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 42 yards and two more touchdowns. The performance was enough to make Young an even heavier favorite, moving his Heisman odds to +185.
If not Young, then all signs point to Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral for the Heisman, despite his odds shifting back from +210 to +250 this week. Corral has put together a Heisman-worthy campaign with both his rushing and passing abilities, but this past week hardly helped his case, despite playing through a knee injury against LSU. Although he didn’t make many mistakes against the Tigers, Corral’s 185-yard, one-touchdown performance through the air and 24-yard, one-touchdown performance on the ground wasn’t enough to make up any ground against Young.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud saw his odds increase significantly, making him the most likely of the longshots to claim the Heisman Trophy. He entered the week at +800, then completed 21 of his 28 passing attempts for 266 yards and four touchdowns, good for a 97.8 quarterback rating and an odds shift to +500.
In a year where quarterbacks reign supreme, two more round out the top five in Heisman odds. Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett and Oklahoma’s Caleb Williams still have a shot, despite Williams only making his way into the Sooners’ rotation a few weeks ago.
The top running back — at least, in terms of Heisman Trophy odds — is Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, who’s priced at +1600. Walker had a quiet game by his standards on Saturday, rushing for 84 yards on 23 carries without a score, but the next-best running back changed in Week 8. Previously, Texas’ Bijan Robinson was a close second to Walker among rushers, but after a Texas bye, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson has jumped Robinson in Heisman odds. Henderson had a two-score performance against Indiana, and he did so in efficient fashion, needing just nine carries to tally 81 rushing yards.
Through Week 8, it’s still too early to point to one candidate for the Heisman Trophy. However, with five quarterbacks in the top five and seven in the top 10, it may be safe to say that the honor will return under center for the first time since Joe Burrow in 2019, as wide receiver DeVonta Smith took it home last season.
Listed below are the full Heisman Trophy odds, via BetMGM, through Week 8.
Heisman Trophy odds following Week 8
The Five Favorites
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama Crimson Tide (+185)
Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Rebels (+250)
C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes (+500)
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Panthers (+1000)
Caleb Williams, QB, Oklahoma Sooners (+1400)
Rounding Out The Top 10
Kenneth Walker II, RB, Michigan State Spartans (+1600)
Desmond Riddler, QB, Cincinnati Bearcats (+2500)
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State Buckeyes (+2500)
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Longhorns (+4000)
Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+5000)
The Longshots
Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide (+6600)
Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati Bearcats (+8000)
Sam Howell, QB, UNC Tar Heels (+10000)
Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State Sun Devils (+10000)
Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Cyclones (+10000)
Casey Thompson, QB, Texas (+10000)