Heisman Trophy – Odds to Win 2018

Heisman Trophy

Odds to Win Heisman Trophy by BetOnline

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college football. The Heisman doesn’t always lead to success at the next level, but a Heisman Trophy can undeniably improve a players positioning in the upcoming draft. A much less quarterback-centric award than the NFL MVP, players at multiple positions have often won the Heisman award. With odds from BetOnline, here are the odds to win the Heisman Trophy - 2018 edition.

Tua Tagovailoa - QB - Alabama

Odds to Win Heisman Trophy: +700

Tagovailoa saved the day for Alabama in 2017, but to date that's his only game in his career.

No player in the history of college football has received as much hype as Tagovailoa has.  The man has yet to start a game in college, but last year's 2018 National Championship performance where he saved Alabama’s bacon has the public consensus favoring Tagovailoa to win the Heisman award.  

Even though we’re just days away from the season, Alabama hasn’t announced its starting QB yet.  Junior Jalen Hurts is 26-2 as a QB and has made his candidacy for the team’s quarterback position through consistency in the pocket.  While Hurts massively struggled in the national title game and ultimately needed saving, he’s still a fantastic asset that has piloted the team to almost nothing but success.  If he wins the job, Tagovailoa will end up being a horrible bet for anyone looking for him to take down the Heisman.  It’s just not fathomable a QB would win the Heisman without starting.

Tagovailoa showed the world that he has the potential to be far more dynamic than recent Alabama quarterbacks. We think Jalen Hurts will have to take a backseat to Tua.  The two have comparable skills in terms of mobility, but Tagovailoa has a much better arm. His ability to push the ball down the field with his deep ball accuracy gives Alabama another offensive dimension and ultimately wins him the job.  

In terms of Tagovailoa’s Heisman candidacy, the award lends itself well to being the quarterback of the best team in the country. If Alabama runs off an undefeated season, the way it is expected to most years, Tagovailoa will be a frontrunner to win the award just by being the one in charge of a top seed in the College Football Playoff.

There’s a lot of risk here still.  Saban is a very unconventional coach and it’s odd that he hasn’t made a selection on a QB yet.

It might be a better idea to back a player who has been more proven in his career and has a more clear starting path with less competition. Taking favorite odds on a guy who has had one good half in his career isn’t prudent.  Even if that half was the greatest close we’ve seen in recent football history, it doesn’t justify favorite odds. This will be a disaster if the inexperienced QB misses out on the top spot. We’d stay away from Tagovailoa at+700 odds.

Bryce Love - RB - Stanford

Odds to Win Heisman Trophy: +800

Bryce Love is one of the most dynamic players in the country.

Last season, every team in the country knew that Stanford was going to hand the ball to their junior running back, Bryce Love, on a regular basis. It didn’t matter what they schemed for.  Love gashed teams in the Pac-12 left and right on the way to a stellar season where he rushed for 8.1 yards per carry. Only Washington State was able to hold the RB to less than 100 yards.  Only 30 players in D1 history have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season. None ever did it more quickly or efficiently as Love did in 2017.

In September, Love announced his presence on the national scene. Arizona State was left with 301 yards on their bill as the running back averaged 12 yards per carry on 25 attempts.  He scored three times too. UCLA gave up 263 yards on 30 carries just one week prior.

Love ended up with a total of 2118 yards rushing during the 2017 season and tallied 19 rushing touchdowns during his junior season. With his high level of production, many expected Love to enter the NFL draft and were surprised to see him return.  With a message of “unfinished business”, the senior is terrifying to look at going into 2018. He was simply unstoppable in 2017, and figures to be even better during his senior season.

Through three seasons during his college career, Bryce Love has averaged at least 7.0 yards per carry. He is a leader on a top 10 preseason Stanford team and they will be leaning on him heavily if they look to live up to that ranking.  

Given how good Love is, getting him at 8-to-1 odds to win the Heisman is a good value.  Very few defenses in the Pac-12 look equipped to tangle with him over a full 60 minutes.

Jonathan Taylor - RB - Wisconsin

Odds to Win Heisman Trophy: +800

Taylor should have a big year in a bad conference.

Bryce Love looks good value on the surface to win the Heisman trophy, but he is not the only RB looking to make a major impact in the upcoming college football season.  Jonathan Taylor hopes to be another running back that makes it into the national conversation as a back that can earn the highest award in his sport. The problem for Taylor is that his wins this season will be considerably less impressive than those from Stanford and Bryce Love.

Taylor should have a big season.  Much of that projection is a result of playing in a weak Big Ten West this year. Wisconsin looks strong in the preseason and should run through that division en route to a spot in the Big Ten title game barring surprises.

Beating up on a weak division shouldn’t put you in the Heisman conversation, unless it’s record type of production...  

Taylor will have some strong numbers, but unless he can deliver a similar performance in the Big Ten title game or set some Ron Dayne type of records, none of it will matter when it comes to the Heisman conversation.  We wouldn't take Taylor as our bet.

Jake Fromm - QB - Georgia

Odds to Win Heisman Trophy: +1200

Does Fromm have what it takes to win a Heisman?

Jake Fromm was a pleasant surprise for the Georgia Bulldogs when they qualified for the College Football Playoff last season. No one expected a title game, but that's right where Fromm ended up and he even had Alabama backpedaling.

While Fromm was successful in 2017, it’s is foreseeable that he will have a more difficult year ahead during this Bulldogs season.  Georgia loses a ton of talent from last year's team.

The departures of running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to the NFL leave a gaping hole in the backfield for Georgia.  We see this being a huge issue for Jake Fromm this coming season. Unable to rely on those two workhorse backs last year, Fromm will have a much more difficult time throwing the ball deep.  Last year, teams had to load the box to compensate for Georgia’s running back talent. If they can’t replace the two with something comparable, it could spell a regression in performance for Fromm this year.

Even if Georgia wins the SEC, the league doesn’t lend itself to big performances at the QB position. While the favorite, Tua, is a tough choice to back for the Heisman, Fromm could be an even more difficult choice given that the Bulldogs will be playing against weaker competition during the SEC season.  Their division won’t be as good as Alabama’s which hurts Fromm’s odds in addition to the personnel losses.

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Bryce Love

Odds to win the Heisman: +800

If Bryce Love is upright, his sheer will is going to secure him this year's Heisman Trophy.

Bryce Love is going to be more heavily relied upon than the two quarterbacks who are favored to win the Heisman race.  He will be more effective than both QBs on this list which bodes well for his Heisman candidacy. Love faces a difficult schedule in the tricky Pac-12, but his track record has proven his effectiveness over a year of games in the division.  He is nothing but consistent.

If Stanford has a good season, it will be because of Love. If it’s really good, Love wins the Heisman. Look for Stanford as a dark horse to make and win the College Football Playoffs.

Look for Love to win the Heisman at 8 to 1 odds on BetOnline.

Don't forget our other college football preview articles as well as our top sportsbook reviews.  It's bonus season!

Good luck out there everyone and enjoy the games!

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