What a weekend it was in college football. The terrific slate of games we all thought would light up our television sets did just that in Week 7, none more so than the Oregon vs. Ohio State classic.
In fact, the Ducks and Buckeyes thriller pushed a new name closer to the top of the table in terms of the latest Heisman odds than we’ve seen him in some time.
Heisman Odds: Dillon Gabriel Climbs On Ashton Jeanty
After Week 7, the Heisman favorites haven’t shifted course, but they certainly saw a new challenger appear with a favorable schedule and a Heisman moment in his bag.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: +160 (was +220)
It wasn’t quite the performance we’d become accustomed to for Ashton Jeanty, but that’s because his torrid 5-game start was certainly unsustainable, even for Jeanty. Still, it’s amazing that we’re talking about a performance that saw Jeanty tote the rock 31 times for 217 yards and a touchdown as ‘not up to standard’ because that’s just how amazing he’s been this year.
For the season, Jeanty now rushed for 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns while he scored his first touchdown through the air against Hawaii in Week 7. All signs point to him not stopping now, and the invite to New York via Boise should be the first to come out.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: +380 (was +1400)
It’s incredibly likely that you have preseason bets on Dillon Gabriel as the Heisman winner. And if you did bet him last week, ahead of his matchup with Ohio State, then good on you.
Gabriel pulled into third all-time in college football history in terms of total passing yards, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns against the Buckeyes. But it was his legs that proved to be his Heisman moment against Ohio State.
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Keeping a read-option play for a 27-yard touchdown was the ultimate difference-maker, pulling the Ducks into the lead opening the fourth quarter. He then orchestrated an 11-play drive with crucial first-down conversion after another to seal the deal.
The defense closed the door on the Buckeyes while opening the door on Gabriel’s Heisman candidacy. A No. 2 overall ranking and a winnable schedule ahead of them puts Gabriel in the driver’s seat here.
Cameron Ward, QB, Miami-FL: +550 (was +450)
Okay, so, prior to the fourth quarter in Week 6, you could’ve kissed your Cam Ward Heisman bets goodbye. But, after perhaps the most dramatic comeback of the 2024 college football season, those Ward Heisman tickets are looking pretty nice.
In the come-from-behind victory against Cal, the Hurricanes signal-caller threw for 437 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on the ground as well. This gives him 23 total touchdowns through six games.
Despite the ‘Canes recent struggles to put opponents away as heavy favorites, Ward has been remarkably consistent. He’s thrown for at least 300 yards in every game and now has two 400-yard outings to his credit.
It’s that kind of performance that Heisman voters will remember in December and a reason why Ward remains a favorite.
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: +900 (was +330)
Travis Hunter’s odds were slashed following Colorado’s loss to Kansas State. However, unlike the others on this list, Hunter has the dynamic ability to leapfrog each player in front of him with more dominant outings like we know he can produce.
Sadly, though, injury concerns could plague his season and his Heisman candidacy altogether as he left the game against the Wildcats with a shoulder injury. The status of Colorado’s star is not known at this time in terms of how much time he may miss, but one thing is for sure, the Buffs needs him on the field more than arguably any team needs any player in the country.
That’s an indication of why he should be in the Heisman conversation on its own.
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: +1000
Jalen Milroe’s odds did not move following Alabama’s thrilling victory over South Carolina. That’s likely because you have to figure bettors and oddsmakers are likely waiting for the Crimson Tide to right the ship or fade away based on their recent level of play.
The Tide looked to be in control early but the defense let them down to close out the second quarter. Milroe was inaccurate and threw two interceptions early, but rebounded late to push Alabama over the top for good.
If you had a live chart of Milroe’s Heisman odds during the South Carolina game, it’d probably show a movement shy of +1000, way north of +1000, and ultimately settling back where we began the week. That kind of sums up the Tide’s season right now.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: +1200 (was +1300)
Cade Klubnik continues to impress for the Clemson Tigers, as does the whole team. They dispatched a pesky Wake Forest team, running them out of the building as Clemson looks more and more like Dabo Swinney’s teams of old as we progress through 2024.
Klubnik had arguably the best throwing day of the weekend from a quarterback, albeit against a hapless Wake secondary. Still, he threw for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns on 31-of-41 throwing the ball.
The Tigers have a very winnable schedule down the back half of their season, meaning we’ll likely see them in the ACC Championship. That’s the good for the Tigers.
But that also means that it’s likely Klubnik will lack the opportunities to have “Heisman moments” like many of the others will above him. He’ll have to play perfect football and hope for someone above him to falter at this point.
Other Heisman Odds
- Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: +1500
- Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: +2500
- Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss: +2800
- Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU: +3000
- Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: +3000
- Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana: +5000
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