What’s the latest update on the 2023 Heisman watch, and who’s currently in the lead for the Heisman odds race? The top spot has traded places almost every week to this point. And sure enough, there’s a new leader in the clubhouse after Week 9.
Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy Go Back and Forth for Heisman Lead
Last week, after a four-touchdown outing against the Michigan State Spartans, Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy surged into the lead for the 2023 Heisman Trophy.
This week, while McCarthy was on a bye, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. rode the wave to first place with his own four-touchdown showing against Stanford, passing for 369 yards in a high-flying conference victory.
Penix’s lead over McCarthy is microscopic. He is in first place for the Heisman odds watch at +280, while McCarthy is in second place at +300. But the Heisman odds fluctuate each week — it’s the nature of the odds race — and this week, the numbers lean in Penix’s favor.
Penix and McCarthy are the favorites at this point. They’re two of the four best quarterbacks in college football right now, and both QBs have their teams undefeated and in prime position to contend for conference titles.
As fair or unfair as it may be, team success may ultimately be the tiebreaker in the discussion between McCarthy and Penix. Both quarterbacks are all-league producers and all-league talents, but which one can keep his team undefeated and attain conference supremacy? That may be the decider.
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Both quarterbacks have challenging roads ahead in that regard. McCarthy still has No. 10 Penn State and No. 3 Ohio State on the schedule, while Penix has three ranked teams left to play: Oregon State, Utah, and a USC team led by top 2024 NFL Draft prospect Caleb Williams.
If McCarthy and/or Penix lose one of their remaining games, it could open the door for a secondary challenger to re-enter the race. LSU’s Jayden Daniels is close behind the two leaders at +400. Oregon’s Bo Nix, meanwhile, is in fourth at +600, and Florida State’s Jordan Travis is the last competitor within +1000, at +800.
The college football action to this point has narrowed down a top five in the Heisman odds race. But the action that remains will go a long way toward sorting out the eventual victor.
2 Non-QBs Separating Themselves From the Rest
There are five quarterbacks at the top of the Heisman odds race, but the Heisman watch isn’t entirely QB-dominated. There are also two non-QBs who’ve separated themselves as top performers at their respective positions.
Unsurprisingly, Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is not only the top non-QB prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft but also the top non-quarterback in the Heisman race.
Harrison’s Heisman stock soared after a dominant outing against Penn State in Week 8, and it only got stronger with a six-catch, 123-yard, two-touchdown outing against Wisconsin, which included an absurd pylon TD catch against tight coverage.
The Heisman Trophy is so QB-driven that it takes otherworldly production from other positions to win the award in this day and age. But if it’s ultimately the award that distinguishes the best player in college football, then Harrison has a case. He has 48 catches for 889 yards and eight scores through eight games.
Harrison is sixth in the Heisman odds race at +1200. The next non-QB is Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II, who sits in ninth place at +4000.
It’s unlikely that Gordon will take home the award, but the 6’1″, 211-pound true sophomore has been producing at a jaw-dropping clip over the past few weeks.
Over the past two games alone, Gordon logged 553 yards and six touchdowns on 54 carries. He tore apart the West Virginia and Cincinnati defenses for 282 and 271 yards, respectively, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry in both games.
Now, through eight games, Gordon is up to 1,087 yards and 10 touchdowns on 141 attempts, to go along with 21 catches for 201 yards and an additional score. Right now, he’s on a massive hot streak, with a susceptible Oklahoma defense on deck.
Realistically speaking, it’s unlikely that either Harrison or Gordon will win the Heisman with the quality of QB play we’re seeing at the top of the board. But at the very least, Harrison is a Biletnikoff favorite, and Gordon could take home the Doak Walker Award as a nice consolation prize.
