Heisman Watch: Ranking the Top 5 Heisman Odds Candidates Heading into Week 4
Heisman Watch: Ranking the Top 5 Heisman Odds Candidates Heading into Week 4
Every week it seems as though we have a shuffle in our Heisman Watch list and the latest Heisman odds. To be fair, CJ Stroud has been pretty consistent at the top, but the rest of the list behind him has been playing musical chairs.
In last week's Heisman Watch list, I declared it officially a three-horse race as Caleb Williams made his presence known across the country and his Heisman odds began to shorten. This week, we've got even more movement in the college football world.
The reality is, this is still anyone's award to win. So, let's take a look at the Heisman Watch list for Week 4 and who you should be watching as the season kicks into gear.
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Heisman Watch: Top 5 Heisman Odds
1. CJ Stroud - Ohio State QB (+260) (Bet $100 to win $260)
Full transparency. I don't really know what to do with CJ Stroud and his Heisman odds. On the one hand, he's looked great the past two weeks and is putting up some big numbers. On the other hand, he's played absolutely no one. Even his Week 1 win over Notre Dame, where he looked incredibly pedestrian, seems unimpressive to this point because the Irish are really bad. We finally get to see Stroud against some Big Ten competition this week, but it's a Wisconsin team that lost at home to Washington State. I do think that he has the weapons around him to make a case for the Heisman as the season goes on. Marvin Harrison Jr. seems to be the real deal and will help Stroud as his No. 2 option. But, I'm going to need to see a dominating performance against Wisconsin this week to truly count him as the frontrunner. Even if sportsbooks are convinced it's his Heisman to lose at this point.
2. Caleb Williams - USC QB (+350) (Bet $100 to win $350)
The Caleb Williams Heisman hype train is running full steam ahead as we get ready for Week 4 in college football. At the start of the season, Williams was the third favorite and his Heisman odds sat at +800. Now, just a few weeks later, he's surpassed defending Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young as the second favorite. And, there are even some sites that have his odds shorter than Stroud's making him the outright favorite. Here's the thing. The criticism that I have for Stroud is also relevant here. USC has not played any really good teams this year. But, their last two wins over Stanford and Fresno State are infinitely more impressive than Ohio State beating Toledo and Arkansas State. I will continue to say this every week until I'm proven wrong. Caleb Williams is the best player in the entire country. There isn't a play he can't make on the football field and the Pac-12 is going to find that out the hard way. This week's matchup against unbeaten Oregon State will go a long way with his Heisman odds. If the Trojans can win big on the road and Williams puts up massive numbers, expect him to be the Heisman favorite everywhere come Sunday.
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3. Bryce Young - Alabama QB (+500) (Bet $100 to win $500)
The bad news for Bryce Young is that in his only game against a quality opponent this season, he looked pretty bad. The good news for Bryce Young is that he plays in the SEC so he will face quality opponents every week from here on out and has a chance to erase that bad game against Texas. The reality is that +500 Heisman odds for last year's Heisman winner is a great value. So, I went ahead and bet on Young to win the award at that number. I don't know if he has the weapons around him this season to win another Heisman. We will have to wait and see on that one. But, I do know that Bama will be in the Nation Title conversation come November and December. I also know they'll play on national TV every week and Heisman voters and sportsbooks will remember why he won the Heisman last season. These odds will only get shorter. If you want to bet on Bryce Young's Heisman odds now is the time. This may be the last time we see him as the No. 3 name on our Heisman Watch list.
4. Stetson Bennett - Georgia QB (+1200) (Bet $100 to win $1,200)
Imagine telling Stetson Bennett a year ago that he would win a national championship as a starting QB and be the fourth favorite for the Heisman. He would have laughed in your face. But, here we are and all that is true. Last week, Bennett's Heisman odds sat at +2000. Now, he's all the way down to +1200. His placement on the Heisman Watch list hasn't changed, but it will if he keeps playing like this. Every single time there is a test in front of him he passes with flying colors. Sure, he doesn't necessarily have the build of your stereotypical Division 1 powerhouse starting QB, but the kid can sling it. The best thing going for him is that he plays on the best team in the country and it isn't even close. At times, it looks like Georgia is playing a different sport. Just ask Oregon and South Carolina. Even more impressive is the fact that he's 13th in the nation in passing yards with 952 and his 92.8 QBR is good for fifth. He's no longer being described as a game manager. Instead, he's going out there and showing everyone that last year wasn't a fluke.
5. Dillon Gabriel - Oklahoma QB (+2500) (Bet $100 to win $2,500)
This fifth spot on our Heisman Watch list seems to change weekly. Last week it was somehow JJ McCarthy that had the fifth-best Heisman odds in the country. Now, it's OU QB Dillon Gabriel that has taken the spot. I think Gabriel is pretty good. But what did a win over Nebraska do to shorten his Heisman odds? Nebraska is one of the worst Power 5 teams in the nation. Why do 230 yards passing and 55 yards rushing against them now make Gabriel a Heisman contender? A better question is how is Michael Penix Jr. not in this fifth spot? He put up 397 yards passing and four TDs through the air against the 11th-ranked Michigan State Spartans. Not to mention that his 1,079 passing yards are the second most in the nation. Meanwhile, Dillon Gabriel is beating up on Nebraska. Here's the thing, if Gabriel plays fantastic this week and OU can take down Kansas State then I think we see these odds shorten even more. I'm just looking for a little justice for Micahel Penix Jr. from these sportsbooks.