Heisman Odds Undergo Unbelievable Change Following Rivalry Week

The impact of college football rivalry week was felt across the nation, but perhaps no two people were impacted more than USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Week 13 saw nine teams ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25 fall to their rivals, including four teams ranked inside the top 10. Ohio State, who was ranked No. 2, was one of the teams to fall — losing to their arch rival, Michigan. USC had no such bad luck, beating Notre Dame at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Those results will be felt in the next CFP ranking but had a more immediate impact on the Heisman odds of each programs quarterback.

Williams (-2500) is the new favorite at BetMGM after entering the week with +125 odds to take home the Heisman. His 267 total yards and four total touchdowns were enough to help the Trojans improve to 11-1 (7-0 at home) and bring them to the doorstep of their first CFP birth. With the ascent of Williams, someone had to fall down the odds board. Unfortunately for Buckeyes fans, it was Stroud. After entering the week with -130 odds to take home the award, Stroud now sits at +2000 odds thanks to a disastrous two interception game in a home loss.

Here are the current Heisman odds, per BetMGM:
Caleb Williams: -2500
C.J. Stroud: +2000
Max Duggan: +2500
Stetson Bennett: +10000

Williams and Stroud aren’t the only players who have seen their Heisman odds change in recent weeks. UNC quarterback Drake Maye, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, Michigan running back Blake Corum and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix have all dropped out of the running completely after being among the favorites.

With voters submitting their ballots prior to conference championship games, it appears we already have a strong idea as to who will take home the Heisman Trophy in 2022.