Forget Caleb Williams — Make This Heisman Trophy Bet Right Now Instead
Don't count out Washington's silky lefty
There hasn’t been a repeat Heisman Trophy winner in almost 50 years.
Ohio State running back Archie Griffin absolutely tore through the Big Ten with over 3,100 yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns across his junior and senior campaigns in 1974 and 1975.
Griffin is also the only two-time winner in Heisman history.
Fast forward to 2023, where USC star quarterback Caleb Williams finds himself atop the betting boards at every American sportsbook. The junior from Washington, D.C., has already passed for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns with zero interceptions through three games this season.
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Not bad, eh?
Thing is, Williams hasn’t even been the best quarterback in his own conference this season. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. is putting up bigger numbers and he’s doing it against better competition, too.
More betting
Odds to win Heisman Trophy at Caesars:
Caleb Williams +325 ($100 wins $325)
Michael Penix Jr. +550
Quinn Ewers +600
Sam Hartman +850
Jordan Travis +1200
Shedeur Sanders +1200
Dillon Gabriel +1800
J.J. McCarthy +1800
Bo Nix +2200
Jayden Daniels +2200
Marvin Harrison Jr. +2500 ($100 wins $2,500)
Penix Jr. throttled Boise State in Week 1 to the tune of 450 passing yards and five touchdowns, only to follow that up two weeks later with a 473-yard, four-touchdown performance last Saturday at Michigan State.
That’s right, he shredded the Spartans in their own house.
Penix Jr. leads a Huskies’ attack that ranks second in total offense and eighth in scoring. And if you extrapolate his statistics over the rest of the season, there’s a chance he finishes with over 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Sheesh!
“The kid from Washington has a missile for an arm,” one Las Vegas oddsmaker told NESN. “He drives it better than anybody in the country and he hits these receivers on a dime. He benefits from a wide-open, air-it-out system that produces ample big plays. And he makes all the throws.
“He’s a special college player — he was last year, too.”
Given the Heisman voters’ love for something new — not to mention the possibility of Penix Jr.’s end-of-year statistics — it’s smart to bet a guy with his arm talent playing in a conference that’s known for offensive fireworks. If Penix Jr. does what I think he can do, the sky is the limit.
I’m popping the silky lefty right now.
Michael Penix Jr. wins Heisman Trophy +550
RECORD: (135-147, +15.0)
