Heisman Week has once again arrived and the field of candidates for this year’s Heisman Trophy has been reduced to three.
As expected, Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota remains in the hunt for this year’s award. The redshirt junior from Honolulu, Hawaii is the most prolific passer in Ducks history, and has led Oregon to 33 SU wins in the last three years, including 12 wins this year, and the 2014 Pac-12 Conference title.
Mariota has passed for an incredible 3783 yards and 38 touchdowns against just two picks, while rushing for an additional 14 majors, including three TD runs in the Ducks’ 51-13 rout of the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 Championship game; a victory that clinched Oregon a berth in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Mariota has been considered a favorite to win the Heisman since the start of the 2014 college football season, opening the campaign alongside Florida State Seminoles QB Jameis Winston, the defending Heisman Trophy winner, with short odds of 11/2 in college football futures betting at sportsbooks available through bettingsports.com.
In the final hours prior to the announcement of this year’s Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday night , Mariota is the heavy favorite to take home the hardware, pegged as an EVEN bet at the online sportsbooks.
Wisconsin Badgers running back Melvin Gordon also opened the season amid serious Heisman Trophy consideration. The redshirt junior broke camp as a 10/1 college football futures bet, and did not disappoint with his performance this season.
Gordon piled up 2336 rushing yards and 26 TD runs, including five 200+ yard games, while also making three TD catches this year, and leads the Badgers into the Outback Bowl against the Auburn Tigers on New Year’s Day, likely his last game with Wisconsin before turning pro.
However, Gordon has lost considerable ground on Mariota in the final days of Heisman betting this season, going into the weekend as a 19/1 bet.
Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper was not on the Heisman betting radar at the outset of the 2014 college football season. The 6’ 1”, 210 pound junior quickly changed that by making five TD passes in the Crimson Tide’s first four games, including a 201-yard, three-TD performance against the Florida Gators in Week 4 that fueled Alabama’s 42-21 victory and return to the Top 3 in the national rankings.
Another three-TD performance to go along with 224 receiving yards in the Tide’s 55-44 win over Auburn in this year’s Iron Bowl solidified Alabama’s position atop the College Football Playoff rankings and Cooper’s place as a finalist in the countdown to the awarding of the 80th Heisman Trophy.
Cooper has also been named the SEC’s offensive player of the year, but is a longshot in Heisman futures betting, pegged at a distant 50/1 in college football online betting.
