2022 college football Heisman Trophy odds tracker: C.J. Stroud a minus odds favorite

After Week 6 we can see the first legitimate separation between Heisman Trophy favorites. As the familiar names begin to thin out among the top of the list, more and more darlings emerge in the eyes of bettors. So many fantastic performances this season have produced a large pool of players who would be worthy of the award. Week 7 could result in new legitimate options or give the favorite a stronghold over the award.

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2022 Heisman Trophy odds

All odds from BetMGM.

Top players to watch

QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (-155, +150 last week)

And just like that there’s no more plus money on the preseason favorite. Stroud definitely distanced himself this past weekend with his performance. Michigan State is not a contender this season in the Big Ten, but Stroud sliced through them like a hot knife through butter. When it was all over the redshirt sophomore signal caller added 361 more yards and six more touchdowns to his already remarkable season. His ability to place balls where only his receivers can catch the ball is uncanny. His performance must have NFL teams salivating at the prospect of getting their hands on him.

Ready for a crazy stat? 🤯@MarvHarrisonJr has a hat trick of TDs in three of @OhioStateFB's last seven games. 🎩

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 8, 2022

QB Caleb Williams, USC +1000 (+400 last week)

Williams had a decent day against a decent Washington State team. In the battle of quarterbacks, Cam Ward stood toe to toe with Williams as both threw two touchdowns, but neither managed to eclipse 200 yards passing for two offenses that usually have no issue putting yards up through the air. Williams’ odds continue to drop as other players across the country currently perform above Williams’ level. Next week someone could come up and knock him out of the top three.

QB Bryce Young, Alabama +1400 (+900 last week)

Young missed the game against Texas A&M with a shoulder injury. His odds continue to drop as his absence could be removing him from Heisman contention. There is a good chance that when you read this next week, there could be a new name in this spot.

Rising player to watch

Last week: RB Blake Corum, Michigan +2000 (+1800 last week)

Corum was the pace-setter for the Wolverines as they handled Indiana 31-10. He finished the day with 25 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown. The passing game was able to find success because of the attention Corum drew from the Indiana defense. Corum has 735 yards and 11 touchdowns as he leads an undefeated Michigan squad through a Big Ten schedule.

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This week: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA +1600 (off the board last week)

We can no longer ignore the fact that the Chip Kelly experience in LA is finally paying off. Thompson-Robinson is the main reason why the Bruins are 6-0 after beating the 11th-ranked Utah Utes. At the end of the game, he only had five incompletions. He had 18 completions for 299 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran in another score. One of the biggest reasons for his and UCLA’s success is improved accuracy. He has improved from 62.2% last season to 74.8% through the first half of the season. He has taken full advantage of his extra season, and the Bruins are reaping the benefits on the scoreboard and in the win column. He also had one of the most disrespectful jukes on this TD run below.

DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON CAUSED THE TWO DEFENDERS TO COLLIDE 😲

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 1, 2022

Falling player to watch

Last week: LB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama +5000 (+5000 last week)

Anderson did not light up the stat book with tackles and sacks. He only had two total tackles and no sacks. The impressive thing the pass-rushing outside linebacker did against Texas A&M was to consistently harass the quarterbacks for the Aggies. By the end of the day, he amassed eight QB hurries. On the season he has five sacks, and an interception returned for a touchdown. None of that speaks to the impact that he has while drawing the lion’s share of attention from opposing offenses.

This week: QB Adrian Martinez, Kansas State +2500 (+1400 last week)

The performance by Adrian Martinez was beautiful in an ugly 10-9 Kansas State victory over Iowa State. He had 249 yards passing with the game’s only touchdown and added a game-high 77 yards rushing. As a player who has always been blamed for the team’s shortcomings when he was the quarterback at Nebraska, it must be nice to be the cause of the 5-1 start for the Wildcats. He has more than 900 yards passing and 500 yards rushing so far this season. He also has 12 total touchdowns.

Slide to the left, criss cross@MartinezTheQB ➡️ @Pbrooks124

— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 8, 2022

Legit long shot

Last week: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama +3000 (+2000 last week)

In the absence of Bryce Young, Gibbs needed to be the star of the stars against Texas A&M. Gibbs accounted for 154 yards on 21 carries. When Young went down in the game against Arkansas, Alabama immediately flipped the switch from a pass-first team to a team dominating the run game. Gibbs is the major reason why the Tide is still rolling.

This week: QB Bo Nix, Oregon +8000 (+8000 last week)

We may all owe Bo Nix an apology. For years we believed that he was just overrated and could not get the job done at Auburn. Well, he and Auburn are now apart, and he has looked like an NFL talent at Oregon while the issues that Auburn has experienced still seem to be present. Nix led the Ducks to a 49-22 victory over Arizona. This season he is completing 70% of his passes after barely touching 61% last season. He has also thrown for over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns. That’s more touchdowns this season than in each of his previous two years. The scary part for opponents is that he has the potential to come back for a fifth season.

Bo Nix had a DAY 👏

Did his 80-yard rush touchdown in @oregonfootball win over Stanford earn the @76 Fan Fueled Moment? Tweet #FanFueled2 to vote!

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 5, 2022

FCS Walter Payton Award watch

Jaden Shirden, RB Monmouth

Shirden has been the most explosive back in the FCS this season. Monmouth’s rushing attack is one of the most prolific in all of Division I. Shirden has received less than half the carries in the backfield this season (97 carries), but he has amassed 932 yards. That is a remarkable number in only six games. With five games remaining Shirden may be imagining what it would be like to eclipse that 2,000-yard mark. If he were to eclipse that mark, he would be one of the rare backs in the FCS to accomplish the feat. The award named after the famous running back has not seen a ball carrier win the award since 2003. If Monmouth can win the CAA, it will be because Shirden has led them to victories over tough competition. His run at the Walter Payton Award should be a fun one to watch.

Jaden Shirden rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns and Owen Wright added 114 yards and 2 TD’s as @muhawksfb outlasted UAlbany, 38-31, for its fourth straight victory

— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) October 9, 2022

(Photo of C.J. Stroud: Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)