All season long, Stanford QB Andrew Luck was the top dog on the odds to win the Heisman Trophy lists at all online sportsbooks.
But one slip-up against Oregon in the Pac 12 and some Heisman-worthy performances from Robert Griffin III in Baylor and Trent Richardson in Alabama have put Luck at No. 3.
“Luck’s still a lock to go No. 1 in the draft, but the odds are against him hitting the draft with the Heisman Trophy under his arm,” said Mike Pickett of OddsShark.com. “It’s a three-horse race with the wire Saturday night, but right now he would be the ‘show’ horse finishing third.”
The odds at Sportsbook favor Baylor’s dynamic quarterback. He was listed at 1/5 this week, meaning you have to bet $5 for every profit of $1.
Indeed, Griffin elevated Baylor to a 9-3 record while facing some of the league’s toughest defenses in the Big 12. His 36 TDs against just 6 picks, while passing for just shy of 4,000 yards and running for nine TDs puts his stats at the top of the Heisman heap.
The second pick is Richardson, who many believe was Alabama’s best running back two years ago when teammates Mark Ingram won this award. He has been dominant, being held under 100 yards just once after Week 1 and a racking up 133 yards per game and 34 rushing scores.
Sportsbook has him at 11/4 odds to win the Heisman.
Luck is the third pick and oddsmakers don’t expect him to be third-time-lucky. His stats are not quite as good as Griffin’s, his level of competition was a notch lower and he lacks Griffin’s dramatic flair. He will still be a franchise QB and make more money than all of these other guys, but for Saturday, he’s the third choice at 5/1.
Wisconsin RB Montee Ball could break Barry Sanders rushing TD record of 39 with a bowl-game score or two. He’s a 50/1 longshot on the heels of a dynamic season that led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl.
And the lone defensive player on the ballot is 100/1. LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu was dominant, but the Heisman is usually an award for QBs and RBs.
Odds to win the 2011 Heisman Trophy
Robert Griffin III (QB Baylor) 1/5
Trent Richardson (RB Alabama) 11/4
Andrew Luck (QB Stanford) 5/1
Montee Ball (RB Wisconsin) 50/1
Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) 100/1
Get the latest Heisman Trophy odds now at Sportsbook before Saturday’s announcement in New York City.
