After so most of the preseason Heisman Trophy favorites stumbled out of the gate this season, it looks like a large open race to win the award. One huge recreation has been sufficient to vault somebody into the early combine.
This previous week, it was Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza becoming a member of the listing of contenders. The Indiana quarterback was practically excellent towards Illinois. Mendoza accomplished 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Hoosiers received 63-10 in a recreation that was a top-25 matchup in primetime, so loads of eyeballs had been on it (and doubtless turned it off earlier than halftime).
Mendoza rocketed from +2500 to +900 within the odds to win the Heisman on BetMGM. Oklahoma’s John Mateer (+700) is the favourite once more after dropping to second final week, however Mendoza is correct there.
Mateer’s Sooners picked up a second high quality win on Saturday, this time beating Auburn 24-17 in a recreation that was tight the entire means and included a late security to offer a backdoor cowl (or push relying on the quantity you bought). Individually, Mateer was simply fantastic. He accounted for 2 touchdowns (one passing, one dashing), however had a misplaced fumble and began 8-for-19 passing earlier than ending 24-for-36 for 271 yards.
It’s nonetheless too early to make a lot of season-long stats, however Mendoza hasn’t racked up huge passing-yard numbers but as a result of in three of Indiana’s 4 video games, the Hoosiers had been up so huge that he didn’t end the sport. In Indiana’s solely aggressive recreation thus far, when the Hoosiers futzed round with Previous Dominion within the season opener (a 27-14 win), Mendoza didn’t attain 200 yards passing. Whereas he ranks exterior the highest 30 within the nation in passing yards, Mendoza leads the nation in passing touchdowns with 14.
The Hoosiers nonetheless have journeys to Oregon and Penn State on the schedule, so he could have extra probabilities towards prime opposition forward.
Talking of Oregon, Dante Moore is subsequent within the odds, together with Miami’s Carson Beck, at +1200. Beck was the favourite every week in the past.
In all, 14 gamers have odds of +2000 or shorter, implying every has no less than a 5 p.c likelihood of successful the Heisman. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith (+1600) is the one non-quarterback of that group.
Whilst you could not anticipate the Heisman race to have come into focus after simply 4 weeks of video games, all of final yr’s finalists (Travis Hunter, Dillon Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward) had been within the prime 5 spots within the odds by the top of September. That doesn’t all the time occur (Jayden Daniels was +3000 halfway by 2023 and received), however there’s an excellent likelihood the Heisman winner, or no less than many of the finalists, are among the many 14 with +2000 or shorter odds.
The Week 5 slate presents loads of big-stage video games for gamers to make a reputation for themselves. The Heisman is a story award, and exhibiting off in huge video games sways voters. This week options No. 4 LSU at No. 13 Ole Miss (which may get Garrett Nussmeier (+1500) again within the dialog), No. 6 Oregon at No. 3 Penn State (the place each Moore and Drew Allar (+3000) could make their first huge statements) and No. 17 Alabama at No. 5 Georgia (which is a possible showcase for Ty Simpson (+2000) and Gunner Stockton (+1400)).
(Picture of Fernando Mendoza: Wealthy Janzaruk / Herald-Instances / USA TODAY NETWORK by way of Imagn Pictures)
