Heisman Watch: Ranking the Top 5 Heisman Odds Candidates Heading into Week 9

Heisman Watch: Ranking the Top 5 Heisman Odds Candidates Heading into Week 9

This week's Heisman Watch list is here and it looks suspiciously like last week's Heisman Watch list. However, there are two massive changes to the latest Heisman odds that have us interested to see how things play out.

For starters, the gap between our No. 1 spot and No. 2 spot has been completely slashed as the two players are in a dead heat for this year's Heisman. Second, we officially have a new name in the No. 3 spot on this week's Heisman Watch list, which is big college football news.

As always, straight betting on college football picks is fun, but there is good money to be made on Heisman odds by monitoring how they move on a week-to-week basis. So, let's take a look at this week's Heisman Watch list to find the value.

Click here to check out the latest Heisman odds

Heisman Watch: Top 5 Heisman Odds

1. CJ Stroud - Ohio State QB (+100) (Bet $100 to collect $200)

On the surface, it looks like CJ Stroud did enough to keep his stranglehold on the Heisman Watch list that he had last week. But, a deeper look tells a much different story. For starters, this is a game that Iowa actually led early after a Stroud fumble was returned for a TD. Then, when you consider the fact that Iowa's defense held this OSU offense to just one TD for almost 30 minutes, you can start to see why this Heisman Watch race is getting so close between No. 1 and No. 2. Now, it's important to give credit where it's due. Stroud did finish with 286 yards and four TDs, but the 54-10 final score is misleading because it was anything but smooth sailing for this Ohio State offense. This week, the Buckeyes take on the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions. This was supposed to be a measuring stick game, but this is a Penn State team that proved they don't even belong on the same field as Michigan last week, so it's tough to give much credit to OSU if they don't blow the doors off of PSU.

2. Hendon Hooker - Tennessee QB (+200) (Bet $100 to collect $300)

It's not very often that you can play UT Martin and have your Heisman odds completely slashed, but that's the reality for Hendon Hooker and his place on our Heisman Watch list. The movement from Hooker has almost nothing to do with his performance this past week though, what it has to do with is Stroud's struggles against Iowa and the rest of the Heisman field laying an egg in Week 8. Hooker was great this past weekend, but we're not going to give him a ton of credit for ripping up an inferior team. Instead, we're focusing on this week's matchup against No. 19 Kentucky. This is an extremely important game for Hooker's Heisman odds and the Volunteers. A win against the Wildcats where HJooker puts up insane numbers could be just the thing he needs to find himself at No. 1 on the Heisman Watch list. My concern is that this is a classic letdown spot. You beat Alabama two weeks ago, next week you have No. 1 Georgia on the road. The Vols better make sure they don't overlook Kentucky this weekend or Hendon Hooker's Heisman odds may go tumbling.

3. Blake Corum - Michigan RB (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1500)

I feel as though Blake Corum is one of the more criminally underrated players in the country and yet he still finds himself third on the Heisman Watch list. I actually had a friend tell me that Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton is the best running back in the Big Ten before PSU and Michigan went head-to-head. Well, Corum finished that game with 28 rushes for 166 yards and two TDs while Singleton rushed six times for 19 yards in the biggest game of the season. That friend is a moron, so it's no surprise he was wrong, but it goes to show how little respect Corum gets outside of Ann Arbor. This week, Corum and the Wolverines take on rival Michigan State and the Spartans have had one of the worst defenses in the country this year. I expect Corum to put up massive numbers and find his Heisman odds even further slashed come Sunday.

4. Caleb Williams - USC QB (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1500)

As a Caleb Williams Heisman bettor, it makes me sad to see him drop outside the top three on our Heisman Watch list for the first time this season. But, he deserved to be dropped. He hasn't played as well as Corum, Hooker or Stroud, so here we are. Williams wasn't in action last week, so it's not totally his fault, but neither was Corum, who passed him. At this point, in order for Williams to win the Heisman we are going to need some magic. We'd need Tennessee to lose twice and Ohio State to completely fall flat while Williams leads the Trojans to a Pac-12 title and CFP appearance. That's not impossible, but it's also incredibly unlikely. This week, Williams gets a bad Arizona team and should be able to have his way with their secondary. If he's going to make Heisman voters forget about the Utah loss (despite playing well) and improve his Heisman odds, he needs a big showing this week.

5. Bryce Young - Alabama QB (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2600)

This one is pretty much over. I'd love to see someone like Spencer Sanders or even Bo Nix on here instead of Bryce Young, but the Heisman odds are what they are. Here's the thing, Young hasn't even been the best player on his own offense this season let alone the entire country. Jahmyr Gibbs has kept the Tide afloat most times in a down year for the defending Heisman winner. Here's the thing, all it takes is for Alabama to run the table and win the SEC for people to forget his slow start to the season. Remember, the SEC West is weak this year with UGA and Tennessee both in the SEC East. Up this week for Alabama is No. 18 LSU, a team that has had a wildly up-and-down season but one that Young should be able to pick apart if he's going to get back in the Heisman race.