Conference play is officially underway. Time for the real values in the Heisman race to stand out as the home stretch of the season begins.
There's a clear bunch of favorites at this current point in the season, and the results from this past weekend have altered the odds quite drastically.
Changes to this weekend's list include the addition of Tennessee's Hendon Hooker after a big victory over Florida. And as a result, Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel drops out of the top five following a home loss to Kansas State.
This is the time of the year when the fun really begins to ramp up. Three favorites lead the way here, with two longshots still patrolling campus with incredible value.
5.
Georgia QB Stetson Bennett (+2500)
Georgia won, but it was probably the worst performance holistically for the Bulldogs this season. For Bennett specifically, Saturday's game was one to forget.
He failed to score through the air and had a pass intercepted for the first time this season. That normally wouldn't be a huge deal, but that's not a good showing against a team like Kent State when trying to win the Heisman.
The Georgia quarterback did find the end zone on the ground, but again, voters would want to see a better showing against Kent State. Bennett is sitting at five touchdowns and an interception through the air this season but has found the end zone with his legs in every game this season.
Luckily for Bennett, he has a great opportunity to get back on the Heisman train this weekend with a solid road showing against Missouri.
4.
Alabama QB Bryce Young (+500)
It's been an interesting year for Bryce Young in 2022. His Heisman odds haven't moved much, but the +500 odds at PointsBet are still a relatively good value for the reigning Heisman winner four games into the season.
Alabama took care of an inferior Vanderbilt squad this weekend with Young lighting up the scoreboard. This is the exact type of performance that Young needed to have for his end-of-year stat line to catch the eyes of voters.
It's hard to put up a much better performance than a 385-yard, four-touchdown showing to kick off SEC play.
The odds are sitting pretty nicely for Young, but the tests for Alabama are coming up. The Tide have two straight ranked opponents on deck in Arkansas and Texas A&M.
3.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (+1700)
For just the second time since 2005, Tennessee came out victorious over Florida. It was a massive victory for the Vols, who held a double-digit lead up until the very end of the fourth quarter.
Regardless, a 38–33 victory is a big step in the right direction, and Hendon Hooker is a big reason for that.
Hooker was tremendous on Saturday, completing 22 of his 28 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns while adding 114 yards and a score on the ground. That's a complete game on a big stage that ultimately will go a long way when revisiting regular-season résumés come Heisman time.
Tennessee is planted inside the top 10 with a ranking of No. 8 in the latest poll. On the season, Hooker's numbers are beginning to look the part of a true Heisman contender, as he's posted 10 total touchdowns and no interceptions.
The next two weeks are going to be very big for Hooker with LSU and Alabama coming up. Quality showings in both would make you feel like a wizard for grabbing his odds at +1400.
2.
Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (+160)
Talk about starting conference play with a bang. CJ Stroud and the Buckeyes walloped Wisconsin to the tune of a 52-21 final score — and the highlights belong to Stroud.
Stroud found the end zone five times on the night on just 27 attempts. As a result, Stroud remains atop the nation with 16 passing touchdowns on the season.
Ohio State should continue winning. Next week, the Buckeyes are set to host Rutgers in what will likely be another high-scoring affair for Stroud.
Let's be honest — Stroud is the frontrunner for the Heisman right now. The odds show it, the stats show it. Four games into the season, he is the dude.
However, that's the exact reason he sits at No. 2 in this week's power rankings. For now, too much can still happen this season for me to go all in at just +160 odds.
1.
USC QB Caleb Williams (+650)
Caleb Williams remains in the top spot for this week's Heisman power rankings. USC won last week, but it wasn't the prettiest showing as Oregon State gave the Trojans all they could handle in Corvallis.
Williams and the Trojans escaped with a 17–14 victory over the highly-respected Beavers defense. The game didn't provide a Heisman moment for Williams, nor will it be one for voters to look back on at the end of the year.
But the Trojans came out on top, and as a result, they remain undefeated. For Williams to have any chance at lifting the Heisman, USC must keep winning.
They did just that, and Williams' odds almost doubled. The high-flying USC offense will return next week, and these odds will soon correct back to around +300.
I love these odds here. Williams can be found at +650 at PointsBet.
