Heisman Trophy Odds Update (Week 7): Is Brock Bowers a Candidate?
We’re almost midway through the college football season, and the College Football Playoff picture is taking shape, as is the Heisman Trophy race.
Over the next few weeks, several CFP contenders will make their case, while stars of those teams will strengthen their place in the Heisman race.
This week, a lot of eyes will be on Seattle, which will play host to a Washington vs Oregon matchup that features two of the top three current Heisman favorites in Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix.
Many other eyes will be on the Hoosier State, where Notre Dame, whose CFP hopes have been all but mortally wounded by two losses in their last three games, will try to deliver a big blow to USC and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who sits between Penix and Nix.
2023 Heisman Trophy Odds
- Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington +225
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +275
- Bo Nix, QB, Oregon +600
- J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan +1000
- Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma +1100
- Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State +1600
- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina +2000
- Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia +2800
- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU +3300
- Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas +3300
- Carson Beck, QB, Georgia +5000
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +5000
- Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame +6600
- Drew Allar, QB, Penn State +6600
- Cameron Ward, QB, Washington +6600
- Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State +7500
- Marvin Harrison, WR, Ohio State +7500
- Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado +15000
Could Pac-12 Chaos Starn the Heisman Race Upside Down?
The Oregon-Washington and USC-Notre Dame matchups are two of the upcoming games involving Pac-12 teams that will have a significant bearing on the CFP and Heisman races.
Next week, Nix and Oregon will host Washington State, while Williams and USC will host Utah. Penix and Washington, meanwhile, will have the easiest (on paper) matchup with Arizona State coming to town.
Then, in two weeks, the Utes, who are still without quarterback Cam Rising, will welcome the Ducks to Rice-Eccles Stadium. That week, the Trojans and Huskies, who are off to the Big Ten next year, will visit the Pac-12’s two future ACC members, Cal and Stanford, respectively.
If Nix can lead Oregon to road wins over Washington and Utah and a home win over a strong Washington State team, there’s a very good chance that he will move past Penix and Williams and would be the Heisman favorite entering the USC-Oregon showdown on November 11.
But if chaos reigns and Oregon, USC, and Washington each end up with at least one loss over the next three weeks, the door will remain open for other contenders to move into the conversation.
Will Brock Bowers Become a Heisman Favorite?
One player who could benefit from some chaos in the Pac-12 is Georgia’s Bowers, who is on a real tear at the moment and can’t be overlooked.
In his first three games this season, Bowers had just 13 catches for 135 yards. But he and Carson Beck have connected much, much more frequently over the Bulldogs’ last three games.
Here are Bowers’ numbers over those last three games:
- vs UAB: nine catches, 121 yards, two TD
- at Auburn: eight catches, 157 yards, TD
- vs Kentucky: seven catches, 132 yards, TD
Were it not for his slow start, Bowers’ Heisman odds would likely be a bit shorter. Even so, he is Georgia’s leading pass-catcher by a wide margin, and he has more catches and yards than any other tight end in the FBS.
In fact, only three other tight ends (Ball State’s Tanner Koziol, Colorado’s Michael Harrison, and Colorado State’s Dallin Holker) have 25 or more catches.
Next up for Bowers and the two-time defending national champs is Saturday’s visit to Vanderbilt. In their last two games, the Commodores allowed Missouri’s Brady Cook and Florida’s Graham Mertz to go a combined 63 for 77 (81.8%) for 649 yards, seven touchdowns, and zero interceptions. So, another big day for Beck and Bowers should be ahead.
If a few wild weeks in the Pac-12 muddles up the picture for their trio of Heisman hopefuls, keep an eye on the odds for the likes of Bowers, Dillon Gabriel, and Drake Maye.
Where to Bet on College Football
Most top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of college football odds throughout the season.
In addition to being able to make weekly college football picks all the way from Week Zero to the College Football Playoff National Championship, you can also bet on Heisman Trophy odds, conference championship odds, win totals, and much more.
There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for college football betting. Below are some of the books that we highly recommend:
If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.
