The Heisman Race 🏆

12/01/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Conference Championship Weekend Is Upon Us, And It’s The Last Showing for Heisman Hopefuls

As college football enters conference championship weekend, two things are up for grabs: CFB Playoff spots and the Heisman Trophy. It’s the last chance for Heisman hopefuls to make a statement before the presentation of college football’s illustrious prize next weekend (Saturday, Dec. 9), and it’s likely coming down to three names. While there are stat-stuffers and superstars at many positions — like TE Brock Bowers (UGA) or WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU) — 19 of the last 22 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks. That trend will continue this season. Five QBs top the boards of the oddsmakers with four of those five vying for conference titles or playoff bids in the next 24-36 hours. LSU’s Jayden Daniels can only watch as Oregon, Washington, Georgia, and Alabama put their QBs on display.

Updated Heisman Finalists & Odds

1. QB Bo Nix (ORE): -160 Odds

2. QB Jayden Daniels (LSU): +130 Odds

3. QB Michael Penix Jr. (WASH): +1500 Odds

4. QB Jalen Milroe (ALA): +10000

5. QB Carson Beck (UGA): +15000 Odds

6. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU): +15000 Odds

The odds are usually a good starting point for tracking the voters’ intentions as the Heisman Trophy ceremony nears. We agree that three players stand head-and-shoulders above the field — Bo Nix (ORE), Jayden Daniels (LSU), and Michel Penix Jr. (WASH). The problem for Daniels is that he’s out of runway, and his team boasts the lowest win total of all five odds leaders. That leaves Nix and Penix Jr., who will go head-to-head for the Pac-12 title in (likely) the last Pac-12 game ever played. Talk about high stakes.

Heisman Scenarios: A stellar performance from Nix and a win for Oregon this weekend would likely send them into the CFB Playoff, and it might tie a bow on his Heisman nod. But another win for Penix Jr. would mean beating the Ducks (and Nix) for a second time this season, and Washington’s unbeaten record could be the difference in a Heisman honor. As for Daniels? He’s on the shelf hoping the Oregon-Washington game is a turnover-filled nightmare for both offenses.

The Heisman Race

1. QB Bo Nix (Oregon)

Stats: 4,055 Total Yards | 43 Total TDs | 2 INTs | 78.6 Completion % | 91.1 QBR | Record: 11-1
Oregon Heisman Winners: 1 (Last: QB Marcus Mariota, 2014)

2. QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)

Stats: 4,946 Total Yards | 50 Total TDs | 4 INTs | 72.2 Completion % | 95.6 QBR | Record: 9-3
LSU Heisman Winners: 2 (Last: QB Joe Burrow, 2019)

3. QB Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

Stats: 3,899 Total Yards | 35 Total TDs | 8 INTs | 65.6 Completion % | 82.8 QBR | Record: 12-0
Washington Heisman Winners: 0

When the season began (August), the three projected Heisman leaders were: QB Caleb Williams (USC), QB JJ McCarthy (Michigan), and QB Quinn Ewers (Texas). Oh, how far we’ve come.

It’s college football’s conference championship weekend on the way! Catch the full schedule in today’s must-watch list.

NBC Sports: Heisman Odds: Bo Nix Jumps Jayden Daniels as Latest Favorite

NCAA: College Football Teams With the Most Heisman Trophy Winners in History

Image via Joe Stella / Media Mobilize