Heisman Trophy stock report: Joe Burrow's odds move from 200-1 to 5-1
It appears the conservative, grind-you-out approach for the LSU Tigers' offense is a thing of the past. Quarterback Joe Burrow's stats - and Heisman odds - are a tell-tale sign of the revamped scheme.
Under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and passing game coordinator Joe Brady, Burrow has seen the biggest spike in Heisman stock heading into Week 3, jumping to 5-1 odds after previously being as long as 200-1 before the season.
Notable Heisman odds
| Player | Current Odds | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa | 3-1 | 5-1 |
| Joe Burrow | 5-1 | 200-1 |
| Trevor Lawrence | 5-1 | 3-1 |
| Jalen Hurts | 5-1 | 6-1 |
| Justin Fields | 10-1 | 6-1 |
| Jonathan Taylor | 14-1 | 15-1 |
| Sam Ehlinger | 20-1 | 40-1 |
| Justin Herbert | 25-1 | 30-1 |
| Travis Etienne | 25-1 | 40-1 |
| D'Andre Swift | 25-1 | 50-1 |
| Jerry Jeudy | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Adrian Martinez | 60-1 | 6-1 |
| Shea Patterson | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Jacob Eason | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| AJ Dillon | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| J.K. Dobbins | 100-1 | 50-1 |
| Kellen Mond | 100-1 | 50-1 |
Trending up
Burrow's found himself in elite company thanks to brilliant back-to-back outings to start the year. The Tigers, hell-bent on opening up the playbook this season with Brady coming over from the New Orleans Saints, did just that against Georgia Southern. In a 55-3 rout over the Sun Belt program, Burrow completed 23 of his 27 passing attempts for 255 yards and five touchdowns. The transfer quarterback from Ohio State drummed up another stellar outing during last week's prime-time game against Texas, torching the Longhorns for 471 yards and four touchdowns on 31-for-37 passing.
Oh, and Burrow gets Northwestern State next weekend; don't be surprised if there's another video game-like performance from the new Heisman candidate.
A couple of running backs - Clemson's Travis Etienne and Georgia's D'Andre Swift - have seen their odds improve through the first two weeks. Etienne, following a season in which he racked up 1,658 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground, already has 258 yards and three scores through two weeks. Swift, after splitting reps in the backfield a year ago, is now the Bulldogs' workhorse. He rushed for 147 yards in the opener in a win over Vanderbilt and has topped the 200-yard mark with a couple of scores so far.
Trending down
Adrian Martinez's bandwagon was full this offseason. The only problem with having a Martinez Heisman Trophy ticket was running the risk of Nebraska netting too many losses along the way. Following a 34-31 loss at Colorado, Martinez has significantly fallen back in the race. He's been a bit slow out of the gates, too, throwing for 468 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another pair of scores despite playing two below-average defenses.
Buy or sell
A running back is going to need monster games week in and week out if they're going to supplant the quarterbacks this year. Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa will put up plenty of numbers for contending teams, and now Burrow has cemented himself in the mix for an LSU team primed for a deep run this season. Sorry Jonathan Taylor, but we're still looking to sell after doing so last week.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.