It was not a pretty week for our Heisman contenders in Week 5 of the 2022 college football season. Bryce Young went down with an injury, Stetson Bennett needed a last-minute score to beat Missouri, and Caleb Williams and USC started out really slow against Arizona State.
That leads us to the bigger picture: Who really wants to win this darn trophy?
Five weeks into the season, we have an idea of who is going to be in the conversation for a trip to New York, though no one has truly separated themselves from the pack in terms of a true lead.
Only as we get deeper into conference play will the true Heisman moments come to the forefront.
Until then, there remains value in the futures category.
5.
Michigan RB Blake Corum (+1600)
A running back? Yes, a running back.
Welcome to the power rankings, Corum! The last three weeks are exactly the type of production Corum backers were hoping to see entering the season.
In total, Corum has the most rushing touchdowns of any player in the country (10) and is fourth in rushing yards (611) through five games.
Michigan has relied heavily on Corum the last two weeks, with 59 carries to begin Big Ten play against Maryland and Iowa.
The Wolverines are not looking like they are going to slow down any time soon, too. A very favorable schedule includes just one true test, which will be at The Big House against Penn State in two weeks.
Otherwise, Michigan will be playing Illinois, Michigan State, Indiana, Rutgers and Nebraska in the next six weeks.
I don't see a loss in those next six games, and the Wolverines' offense will surely be relying more and more on Corum in the backfield.
These odds won't be here much longer.
4.
Alabama QB Bryce Young (+900)
Injuries suck, and they suck even more so when they happen to the quarterback of the best team in the country.
But the game goes on.
The best thing you can do now is hope and pray that Young returns to the field as soon as possible.
With that said, the injury skyrockets Young's Heisman odds at Bet365 to the highest we have seen this season. Of course, this bet is completely dependent upon how quickly Young is able to return to the field, and should he only miss a week, you will be holding a goldmine of a ticket at +900.
My confidence in Young's Heisman odds are otherwise fading pretty quickly. One thing that is keeping the vision afloat is the idea that Bama will not suffer a loss until the SEC Championship despite having a tough road ahead.
There are probably better bets available at this moment.
3.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (+1200)
Taking advantage of the injury to Young and a bye week for the Vols, Hooker jumps to No. 3 this week.
I am a fan of Hooker's and should the Vols return to that 1998 magic, this will be the guy to get the job done for them.
I hope the bye week was spent well for Hooker because four of the next five weeks will consist of the Volunteers facing a ranked opponent.
The first on that slate will be LSU in Death Valley this weekend in what will be a must-win for Hooker's hopes of hoisting the trophy.
The stat line for Hooker could be better, but going through this upcoming gauntlet of a schedule and coming away victorious will do all the necessary talking for Hooker in the grand scheme of things.
Betting on Hooker now is a bet on the Vols shocking the world and winning games they are not supposed to — especially against Georgia and Alabama.
2.
USC QB Caleb Williams (+400)
The odds keep dropping for Lincoln Riley's new golden boy. At +400, this is right around the lowest we have seen all year for the Trojans quarterback, and I expect that to be the case for the future.
I mentioned in the early part of this article that the Trojans struggled against Arizona State, and that is not entirely off base. USC led just 21–17 at halftime, but it was Williams who ended up having a pretty impressive stat line by the end of the game.
The season stats for Williams include an eye-popping 12:1 touchdown to interception ratio.
The biggest game of USC's schedule is two weeks away. The Trojans should be able to take care of business against Washington State this weekend, setting up what will be a massive conference game against Utah the following week.
1.
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud (+150)
It was a pretty ugly stat line for Stroud this weekend against Rutgers. Well, as ugly as a 39-point win can be.
Stroud threw for just 154 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. So yeah, not a great showing for the Heisman frontrunner at the moment.
On the bright side, Stroud remains tied for third in the country with 18 passing touchdowns, and owns just two interceptions on the season.
The stat line will rival that of anyone else on this list, and the Buckeyes are going to be favorited in every remaining game. If there was one week for a down week, it was this one when just about everyone else in the race took a step back.
The odds are not pretty, but they haven't been for the entire season. With where things are now, the only way they get more favorable for bettors is with injury or a loss. It's tough to root for that to happen.
Stroud is still the guy right now at plus-money.
