2023 Heisman Trophy odds: Daniels, Nix betting favorites

All hope seemed lost a couple of weeks ago when a roughing the passer from Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner knocked LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels out of the game with 12:54 remaining.

Daniels watched from the medical tent in Tuscaloosa as the Tigers picked up their third defeat of the campaign. No. 5's Heisman Trophy aspirations seemed to be nothing more than a pipe dream; Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had seemingly created enough separation at that stage to set up a "winner-take-Heisman" Pac-12 Championship Game.

That is no longer the case.

Daniels has posted video game numbers in his last two appearances. The senior from San Bernardino, California, has racked up 1,115 total yards and 13 touchdowns in wins over Florida and Georgia State. Daniels has now undeniably worked his way back into Heisman Trophy contention as he heads into Week 13 as the favorite to win the award.

This latest development will have undoubtedly shocked Nix, who was superb  (24-for-29 with 411 total yards and six touchdowns) in Oregon's 49-13 drubbing of Arizona State on Saturday.

Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet.NOLA.com, sees it as a two-horse race between Daniels and Nix. The LSU signal-caller (-120) is the frontrunner to win the sport's most prestigious bit of silverware. Meanwhile, Nix lags shortly behind at +150 and Penix has plummeted to +600. They are the only other individuals with shorter than 10/1 odds to win the award.

If the former is to win the award, he would become the second LSU quarterback to take home the Heisman Trophy in the last few years. Daniels would also become only the third player in program history to win the trophy, joining Billy Cannon (1959) and Joe Burrow (2019).

Daniels will have one last opportunity to plead his case for the Heisman Trophy against Texas A&M on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 11 a.m. on ESPN. Nix's Ducks will take on their historic rival, Oregon State, the night before.

Regardless of what happens around the country in Week 13, it seems safe to say that Daniels, Nix and Penix Jr. can book their tickets to New York for the 2023 Heisman Trophy ceremony on Dec. 9.