Ashton Jeanty was effectively helpless in watching a big chunk of his edge in the Heisman Trophy race evaporate over the weekend.
With Boise State (5-1) and its star running back idle in Week 8, Miami quarterback Cam Ward took advantage by throwing for 319 yards and fourth touchdowns in a 52-45 victory at Louisville. The sixth-ranked Hurricanes improved to 7-0, and Ward saw his Heisman Trophy odds slashed from +650 to +250 by DraftKings.
Jeanty is still the +220 favorite, but lengthened from +160 despite not playing. Last week, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had the second-shortest odds at +400. He is now +380 after the Ducks won 35-0 at Purdue on Friday night.
Gabriel and the Ducks may have ultimately done Jeanty a favor, however. Oregon rose to No. 1 in the country, and Boise State’s lone loss so far was a narrow 37-34 defeat at Oregon on Sept. 7 in a game in which Jeanty rushed for 192 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
HEISMAN TROPHY ODDS (via DraftKings) PLAYER, TEAM, JULY ODDS, WEEK 1, LAST WEEK, CURRENT Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, N/A/, N/A, +160, +220 Cam Ward, Miami, +2200, +950, +650, +250 Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, +750, +800, +400, +380 Cade Klubnik, Clemson, N/A, N/A, +1200, +1600 Travis Hunter, Colorado, N/A, N/A, +1200, +2000 Carson Beck, Georgia, +800, +900, +1500, +2500 Jalen Milroe, Alabama, +1500, +1100, +1000, +3000 Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, +2200, +3500, +3000, +3000 Drew Allar, Penn State, N/A, N/A, +3000, +3500 Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, +1400, +850, +2800, +4000 Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, N/A, +2200, +6000, +5000 Will Howard, Ohio State, +1500, +1600, +7000, +7500 Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, N/A, N/A, +7500, +7500 Quinn Ewers, Texas, +1000, +1400, +2500, +7500 Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, N/A, N/A, +5000, +7500 Bryson Daily, Army, N/A, N/A, +7500, +7500 Riley Leonard, Notre Dame, N/A, N/A, +8000, +10000 Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee, +1800, +1200, +12000
Ward’s 400-point upward swing was among the biggest this week. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders enjoyed a +1000-point rise to +5000.
Going the opposite direction was Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter, who had the fifth-shortest odds last week. However, the two-way star tumbled to +2000 after catching only two passes for 17 yards in the Buffaloes’ 34-7 rout of Arizona. Hunter has only five receptions for 43 yards in Colorado’s past two games.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was briefly benched in the Longhorns’ loss to Georgia, essentially fell out of the race after plummeting from +2500 to +7500. Despite the win and the Bulldogs rising to No. 2 in the country, quarterback Carson Beck slipped from +1600 to +2500 following his three-interception performance.
The other notable drop this week was suffered by Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. The Heisman Trophy favorite for a week earlier this season, Milroe is now +7500 after the Crimson Tide’s second loss of the season, 24-17 at Tennessee.