Heisman Trophy odds, favorites entering Week 10: Big Ten and SEC QBs head into November
The field of legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders is shrinking by the week College football The regular season enters its home turf. As the calendar flips to November for Week 10, only six players have FanDuel odds better than +3000 to win the award. They all hail from the two major conferences with two playing in the Big Ten and four playing in the SEC.
There are still, of course, plenty of Heisman hopefuls outside of the upper class. The unpredictable nature of this season in particular could open the door for one or more of them to join the front of the awards race over the next month. However, time is ticking down, and the chances of achieving a “Heisman moment” or shining against top-tier competition become slimmer as the season nears its end point.
It looks like a battle between six players for the prize, and the top 10 midfielders in that group have the brightest prospects, according to the betting market. No. 2 Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is back in the lead heading into Week 10, trailing only No. 1 Ohio State’s Julian Sain.
But don’t sleep on the SEC hopefuls, who will be under the bright lights during what promises to be an exciting final month of competition for conference supremacy and berths in the College Football Playoff.
Heisman Trophy odds entering Week 10
Storage: Haynes King is representing the ACC
It takes a seven-point trip down the odds board to find the first player outside of the Big Ten and SEC. This is where Georgia Tech quarterback Heinz King sits at +3000.
This isn’t the first time King has hovered on the fringes of the Heisman race. He entered the conversation earlier this year when the Yellow Jackets defeated then-ranked Clemson and hasn’t given up much since. King bolstered his case last week with his best outing of the season — a 25-of-31 passing effort for 304 yards and three touchdowns, plus 91 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.
The five-touchdown performance enabled Georgia Tech to pull out a dominant win over Syracuse and extend the Yellow Jackets’ winning streak to eight games. They remain undefeated and in complete control of the ACC and College Football Playoff paths as one of two teams still perfect in conference play.
Stock Down: Dante Moore exits early after puzzling performance
A bloodied Dante Moore exited No. 6 Oregon’s 21-7 win over Wisconsin after taking a hit in the face from a Badgers defender. He did not return, and the Ducks struggled to separate themselves from the struggling Badgers with him and without him in the lineup. From an efficiency standpoint, this was the second-worst start of Moore’s career at Oregon even before the injury. He completed just 9 of 15 passes for 86 yards, giving up yardage on the ground and failing to account for a touchdown for his first time as the Ducks’ starter.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning He noted this week That Moore will be ready for action when the Ducks return to the field Nov. 8 at Iowa State.
Longshot of the Week: QB Bear Bachmeier, BYU (+20,000)
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier was one of the most impressive freshmen in college football this season, and at +20,000 to win the Heisman Trophy, he arguably doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Bachmeier didn’t arrive on campus until the summer, was thrust into the starting job late in the offseason and had no prior college experience when he made his debut in the season opener. That didn’t stop him from leading BYU to a perfect 8-0 start.
A true dual-threat talent, Bachmeier leads the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns (9) — without sacrificing production through the air. He has completed 61.8% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions to start his career. He could be a bigger part of the offense this week if star running back LJ Martin is sidelined due to the injury he suffered in last week’s win over Iowa State.
Week 10 shows are worth watching
Heisman front-runners are, for the most part, either out this week or facing off against unranked opponents. We generally use this section to emphasize Top 25 matchups, but with a lighter roster, there’s more creativity.
Diego Pavia at No. 20 Texas
It’s the biggest game of the week due to its potential to clinch the SEC Championship, and it also has massive Heisman implications for Diego Pavia. No. 9 Vanderbilt will make it three straight wins over Top 25 opponents with a road win at Texas, and if that happens, Pavia will be the main reason why. However, he hasn’t seen a defense this strong all year.
Brendan Sorsby is No. 24 in Utah
Brendan Sorsby appeared in our “Long Shot of the Week” section earlier this season, and frankly, he remains undervalued in the Heisman market. He hasn’t thrown an interception since the Week 1 blunder against Nebraska and has multiple fumbles in every game except the season-opening loss. Sorsby has No. 17 Cincinnati on its way to a Big 12 Championship Game berth but faces a tough challenge on the road at No. 24 Utah.
Gunner Stockton vs. Florida
Georgia has won each of its last four rivalry games against Florida and seven of its last eight. It is imperative for Gunner Stockton and his prize that the No. 5 Bulldogs hope to extend this period of dominance in the series. He tallied five total TDs in his last start and leads the SEC with a sparkling 70.5% completion rate.