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Ouch.
Heading into the weekend’s matchup against Auburn, Matt Corral held the second-best odds to win the Heisman trophy. Corral had put together a masterful season, and not many other players around the country were doing much to stand out above the pack.
Unfortunately, a hobbled Corral, without his top three receiving targets, wasn’t able to get it done on a huge stage in a top 20 matchup on the road against Auburn. On top of that, several players really rose to the occasion to position themselves as the favorites. Because of that, Corral has slipped to fourth in Heisman odds according to Bovada, and it’s somewhat difficult to see how he could get back on track to seize the lead and win the thing.
Corral only has a couple of chances at a “Heisman moment” remaining in Texas A&M and Mississippi State, but even if he orchestrates two beautiful games against the ag schools, he’ll likely be on the outside looking in. It’s just tough to imagine an Ole Miss player winning the trophy with two losses unless he has otherworldly stats, and injuries throughout the entire offense have made that type of statistical profundity impossible.
Bryce Young | QB | Alabama | +175
Young was excellent against Tennessee, accounting for four touchdowns with a final QBR of 90.3. He finally got things going on the ground as well, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and earning two of his touchdowns there. His season sets up nicely, with a road game @ Auburn to finish things off.
CJ Stroud | QB | Ohio State | +450
Stroud played a good game against Penn State, though it wasn’t quite the performance voters had seen in the three weeks prior (during which he accounted for 14 touchdowns). Still, he deserves consideration. If he plays well against Michigan and Michigan State at the end of the season, he’s got a pretty good shot to win.
Kenneth Walker III | RB | Michigan State | +500
Kenneth Walker III should be at the top of this list, in my opinion. He absolutely shredded Michigan in a huge rivalry game, and Michigan State is undefeated. Walker has already rushed for 1,194 yards at a 6.8 clip. If you’re in the business of picking nits, you could knock him for his 8 receptions for 36 yards on the season, but Walker is fantastic with what the Spartans ask him to do. It’s going to be tough for him to win though, with only one more game against a top 25 opponent (Ohio State).
Caleb Williams | QB | Oklahoma | +800
Caleb Williams has eclipsed the 100 passes attempted on the season mark!
Kenny Pickett | QB | Pitt | +1800
It’s not that Pickett was atrocious against Miami (he passed for over 500 yards after all); it’s just that the Panthers lost, and Pickett’s two interceptions played a big part in that, as one came on second down of what would ultimately be Pitt’s final possession. Things don’t look great for the Pitt QB.