Steve Starr
- BetOnline has updated its 2019 Heisman Trophy odds after Week 6 of the college football season
- Tua Tagovailoa (+150), Joe Burrow (+300) and Jalen Hurts (+350) have increased their leads on the field
- Justin Fields (+1200), Jake Fromm (+2000) and Jonathan Taylor (+2000) are quickly losing ground
Recent Heisman history shows us you need three things to win the bronze statue:
- you need to play the quarterback position (Derrick Henry is the only non-QB to win the award since 2010);
- you need to be on a great team (Lamar Jackson is the only winner not to appear in the College Football Playoff since the format began in 2014); and
- you need to pile up statistics (no exceptions).
Based on that criteria, the field of contenders is narrowing quickly. Let’s look at the latest odds at BetOnline and separate the players into two distinctive tiers.
2019 NCAA HEISMAN TROPHY ODDS
| Player (Position, Team) | Odds |
| Tua Tagovailoa (QB Alabama) | +150 |
| Joe Burrow (QB LSU) | +300 |
| Jalen Hurts (QB Oklahoma) | +350 |
| Justin Fields (QB Ohio State) | +1200 |
| Jake Fromm (QB Georgia) | +2000 |
| Jonathan Taylor (RB Wisconsin) | +2000 |
| Trevor Lawrence (QB Clemson) | +3300 |
| Sam Ehlinger (QB Texas) | +4000 |
THE TOP THREE FAVORITES
Of all the Heisman hopefuls, Tua Tagovailoa is the most likely to make the CFP. The apple of the Miami Dolphins’ eye enjoyed a bye in Week 6, but has been doing serious damage against sub-par competition to this point.
Last time out, Tua dismantled Ole Miss, accounting for seven scores while setting Alabama’s all-time school record for touchdowns (86) in just his 20th college start. He’s already thrown 23 TDs without a pick, but this week’s matchup against No. 24 Texas A&M will be his first against a ranked opponent all year.
Steve Young discusses what most impresses him about another left-handed QB, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.https://t.co/jeStasEhGp pic.twitter.com/dHAZgqslCa
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 2, 2019
Seemingly coming out of nowhere to become the story of the early season, Joe Burrow added to his impressive resume in a 42-6 Week 6 win over Utah State. The LSU senior had 344 yards and five TDs in the air and another 42 yards and a score on the ground.
It will be interesting to see if he can continue on his magical run this Saturday, where he’ll face a Florida Gators defense that ranks first in the nation in interceptions (12) and takeaways (17) and second in sacks (24).
Like Tua and Joe, Jalen Hurts will face his stiffest competition of the year when he travels to Austin to meet No. 11 Texas this weekend.
Texas’ B.J. Foster: Jalen Hurts Should Slide ‘Or It’s Not Gonna Be Good for Him’.#Hookem #ThisIsTexashttps://t.co/H74OmlbrQt
— Hookem Football (@hornsfootball) October 9, 2019
However, the terrific transfer should have no trouble adding to his video-game-type statistics (1,523 passing yards, 14 TDs, 2 INTs; 499 yards rushing, 7 TDs) in an expected shootout.
The Sooners and Longhorns rank second and 11th nationally, respectively, in points per game and last year’s Red River Showdown was a 48-45 barn burner in favor of Texas.
THE TIER-TWO CONTENDERS
This section should be named the “What the hell did I do wrong?” tier. After being listed at +500 just last week, Justin Fields fell to +1200 after leading his team to a 34-10 victory over No. 25 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes QB put up a rather pedestrian stat line (206 yards, 2 passing TDs with 61 rushing yards and a score) and could lose more ground this Saturday during Ohio State’s bye week.
Even more baffling than Fields’ fall, Jonathan Taylor dropped from +1000 to +2000 after racking up 215 combined yards and 2 TDs in a 48-0 blowout over Kent State.
Jake Fromm put Tennessee away with a spectacular showing through the air. pic.twitter.com/INtK3iVXbY
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 7, 2019
The Wisconsin back already has 16 scores on the season, but of the top six Heisman contenders, he’s the least likely to reach the College Football Playoff.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jake Fromm’s season averages of 215.2 yards and 1.6 touchdowns are nowhere near award-winning numbers, but he is the leader of a Georgia team that’s favored to make the CFP.
If the Bulldogs capture the National Championship, the NFL-bound Fromm could have an outside shot to take home the statue.
