The Heisman Trophy race might be wrapped up.
With Washington’s 36-33 win over Oregon on Saturday, Michael Penix Jr. established himself as the consensus Heisman frontrunner in the betting markets.
2023 Heisman odds
Here are the current Heisman odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Player | Odds |
| Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. | -140 |
| Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel | +900 |
| Michigan QB JJ McCarthy | +1200 |
| LSU QB Jayden Daniels | +1200 |
| Florida State QB Jordan Travis | +1600 |
| UNC QB Drake Maye | +1600 |
| Georgia QB Carson Beck | +2500 |
| Oregon QB Bo Nix | +3000 |
| Alabama QB Jalen Milroe | +5000 |
| Texas QB Quinn Ewers | +5000 |
Penix was brilliant in his team’s big win, completing 22-of-37 pass attempts for 302 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning one to superstar wideout Rome Odunze.
So far, Penix has been the best player in college football.
He ranks first in Pro Football Focus’s passing grades, and his Huskies lead the nation in Success Rate.
The southpaw has been the nation’s best quarterback for the nation’s best offense, and he’s the main reason Washington is 6-0.
Penix is the rightful favorite, and he’ll be the Heisman if the Huskies win out.
But it’s far too early to declare him the winner.
Washington still has some tricky games remaining, including road tilts with USC and Oregon State, not to mention a potential rematch with Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.
The Heisman winner will likely be a stat-sheet-stuffing quarterback for a conference winner and/or College Football Playoff contender.
Penix and Washington are in the driver’s seat but could still crash the car.
So, you can’t bet Penix to win the Heisman now at -145.
The odds are too steep, given so much can happen over the remaining seven weeks.
If you feel compelled to tie up some money with Penix and the Heisman, bet Washington to win the Pac-12 at better odds (+140 at BetMGM).
The Huskies likely need to win the conference for Penix to hoist the trophy in New York.
That begs the question, are there other options to consider in this market?
2023 Heisman Odds: Players to Consider
My first recommendation is to stay far away from Caleb Williams.
The Trojans are a lousy football team.
They played their first tough opponent last week, Notre Dame, and lost by three scores. Williams threw for fewer than 200 yards and three interceptions.
The defense is dreadful, and Williams has just one big-time throw over his past three games.
The Trojans scraped by Arizona State, Colorado and Arizona, and they won’t fare well against Utah, Washington, and Oregon in the coming weeks.
Williams’ quest for back-to-back Heisman Trophies is over. Don’t wager otherwise.
Instead, I’d look toward Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
With over 1,800 yards passing and 18 touchdowns to only two interceptions, Gabriel has been the engine for a Sooners offense that ranks ninth in Success Rate and fourth in scoring.
Oklahoma is 6-0 with a monster win over Texas. Gabriel had his Heisman moment in that game, leading a 75-yard game-winning drive with 1:02 left.
More importantly, the Sooners have no scheduling potholes ahead.
Betting on College Football?
They had their bye this past week and take on UCF, Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, BYU and TCU in the final six weeks, all lackluster opponents.
Oklahoma likely needs to beat Texas in the Big 12 championship game for Gabriel to clinch the award, but the Sooners are a shoo-in to get there.
In the meantime, their quarterback will continue to post video game numbers.
Gabriel is currently second on the Heisman odds board at +900.
I recommended betting him at 40-to-1 in a past edition of this article, but I think there’s value in the current number, considering he’s already overcome his toughest opponent.