College Football betting futures: Michael Penix Jr. Heisman Trophy odds breakdown

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A few Washington Huskies stars of years past have come close to winning the Heisman Trophy, but none have sealed the deal. Michael Penix Jr. has an opportunity to change that on Saturday, Dec. 9th, when a new member of the Heisman fraternity will be named at 5 p.m. PST on ESPN.

Eight Washington players have finished top 10 in Heisman voting since 1951. The two most recent are Jake Browning, who got the sixth-most votes in 2016, and Penix, who finished eighth last season.

Penix was named a finalist for the award earlier this week, alongside Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and Marvin Harrison Jr. Interestingly, three of the four finalists are transfers, as Harrison is the only player to spend his collegiate career at one university.

Penix stands alone as the only finalist to lead his team to the College Football Playoff. The criteria to win the Heisman is being the most outstanding player in the sport, but earning a spot in the CFP will likely score Penix some favoritism among voters.

The LSU quarterback is a massive favorite to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy despite the Tigers’ 9-3 record and failure to earn a berth in the SEC Championship.

Statistically, Daniels is deserving of his spot on the Heisman odds board. The Arizona State transfer combined for nearly 5,000 passing and rushing yards, had 50 total touchdowns, and five total turnovers.

Nix is also a threat to Penix’s Heisman chances. Michael has a slim edge in passing yards, but Bo accounted for 10 more touchdowns and threw six fewer interceptions.

Penix holds an advantage over Nix in Washington’s two victories over Oregon. The first came in a Week 7 nail-biter, and the second in the Pac-12 Championship. Wins and losses shouldn’t count as quarterbacking stats, though an exception can be made when comparing Heisman finalists.

MHJ is the odd man out of the group and stunned oddsmakers when he was named a finalist. The Heisman typically goes to quarterbacks or running backs, and only four wide receivers have earned the award since its inception in 1935.

DeVonta Smith was the last WR to win the Heisman in 2020, and his numbers blow Harrison’s out of the water.

Smith had 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, and Harrison wouldn’t have touched those numbers even if he played in the Big Ten Championship and two CFP games.

There’s a possibility MHJ was listed as a finalist strictly to provide the Heisman ceremony with more clout, considering Harrison’s extreme popularity.

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