How many wins does Colorado need for Shedeur Sanders to win the Heisman Trophy?
That is the question that will determine whether Sanders maintains a legitimate chance to win the award. There is no doubt Sanders is the hottest September candidate. According to BetMGM.com odds, Sanders' odds improved to +1800 after leading the Buffaloes to a thrilling 43-35 victory in double overtime on Saturday.
Sanders led a 98-yard game-tying touchdown drive in the final two minutes. He passed for 348 yards, four TDs and one interception. Sanders is second in the FBS with 1,251 passing yards.
Bettors have noticed. According to BetMGM.com, Sanders has the highest ticket percentage (20.3%) and the highest handle percentage (20.5%) ahead of the Week 4 matchup against Oregon, which will be televised on ABC at 3:30 p.m. That matchup also features Oregon's Bo Nix, who has the eighth best Heisman Trophy odds at +2200.
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What is Colorado's remaining schedule?
Sanders will face six more ranked teams as part of the 2023 schedule, starting with the Ducks this week. That could fluctuate, but it's a safe bet the Buffaloes will be underdogs in most of those six games.
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
| Sept. 23 | at No. 10 Oregon | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 30 | vs. No. 5 USC | 12 p.m. |
| Oct. 7 | at Arizona State | TBD |
| Oct. 13 | vs. Stanford (Friday) | 10 p.m. |
| Oct. 20 | Bye | |
| Oct. 28 | at No. 22 UCLA | TBD |
| Nov. 4 | vs. No. 14 Oregon State | TBD |
| Nov. 11 | vs. Arizona | TBD |
| Nov. 17 | at No. 21 Washington State (Friday) | 10:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 25 | at No. 11 Utah | TBD |
How does win total factor into the Heisman Trophy? In the last 30 years, six Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks won the award without playing for either the BCS championship or the College Football Playoff that season.
That list includes USC's Carson Palmer (2002), Florida's Tim Tebow (2007), Baylor's Robert Griffin III and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel (2012) in the BCS era. Louisville's Lamar Jackson (2016) and USC's Caleb Williams (2023) are the two QBs who won the Heisman without making the CFP since 2014.
Palmer, Manziel and Williams were on teams that lost two games in the regular season. Jackson and Griffin were on three-loss teams, and Tebow was on a four-loss team. So, it stands to reason that if Colorado can go 8-4 and Sanders continues to play at the remarkable pace this season, then he indeed will have a chance to get to New York and possibly win the Heisman Trophy.
The good news? It will play on the field over the next two weeks against Nix and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
What are Shedeur Sanders' Heisman odds?
Sanders moved into a tie for sixth with Michigan's J.J. McCarthy in the latest Heisman Trophy odds at +1800. Williams (+350), Michael Penix Jr. (+550), Texas' Quinn Ewers (+600), Notre Dame's Sam Hartman (+900) and Florida State's Jordan Travis (+1100) are the only five quarterbacks with better Heisman Trophy odds.
BENDER: Week 4 will be the best week of the season to date | Picks against the spread
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
Here are the current Heisman Trophy odds according to BetMGM.com. Caleb Williams has the best odds at +350.
A total of seven players have Heisman odds of +1800 or better heading into Week 3:
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | ODDS |
| Caleb Williams | USC | +350 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | Washington | +550 |
| Quinn Ewers | Texas | +600 |
| Sam Hartman | Notre Dame | +900 |
| Jordan Travis | Florida State | +1100 |
| J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +1800 |
| Shedeur Sanders | Colorado | +1800 |
Top Heisman Trophy candidates
Here is a closer look at the top seven candidates in the Heisman Trophy race for 2023. USC's Caleb Williams remains the front-runner, but he has competition:
Caleb Williams, USC (+350)
2023 stats: 878 passing yards, 78.6%, 12 TDs, 0 INT
Williams leads the FBS with an absurd 240.5 quarterback rating – and he had a bye week to prepare for a road trip to Arizona State. There has been no evidence of a Heisman jinx here, and the buildup to the Sept. 30 showdown with Colorado is already starting. The Trojans have six ranked teams left on the schedule, including three top-10 teams in No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 8 Washington and No. 10 Oregon.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington (+550)
2023 stats: 1,332 passing yards, 74.3%, 12 TDs, 1 INT
Penix is not getting the same attention as Williams or Sanders despite passing for at least 400 yards in each of Washington's first three games. The Huskies are eighth in the FBS with 46.7 points per game, and Penix will continue to be an off-the-radar value pick for the nation's top passing attack the next two weeks against Cal and Arizona. Remember, this award is heavily dependent on statistics.
Quinn Ewers, Texas (+600)
2022 stats: 740 passing yards, 60.7%, 8 TDs, 0 INTs
Ewers didn't have his best game in Week 3 against Wyoming. He finished 11 of 21 passing for 131 yards and two TDs. Ewers' performance in the Week 2 victory against Alabama still resonates, but was it more impressive than Sanders' two-minute drill against Colorado State? Ewers begins the Big 12 farewell tour at Baylor in Week 4.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (+900)
2023 stats: 1,061 passing yards, 71.1%, 13 TDs, 0 INT
Hartman should have better odds than this, but perhaps the proof will come either way against Ohio State in Week 4. The sixth-year quarterback will face a top-10 team with an improved defense that allowed 6.7 points per game the first three weeks. The Buckeyes limited Notre Dame to 253 yards in a 21-10 slugfest last season. How much does Hartman change the game?
Jordan Travis, Florida State (+1100)
2022 stats: 739 passing yards, 63.1%, 8 TDs, 1 INT
Travis' odds have dipped each of the last two weeks despite the fact the Seminoles are 3-0 heading into a ACC showdown at Clemson. Is this a penalty for Florida State squeezing out a 31-29 victory against Boston College in Week 3? The Clemson game matters more. This is the game where Jameis Winston took hold of the Heisman race in 2013. This is Travis' opportunity to remind voters he should be higher in the conversation.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (+1800)
2022 stats: 701 passing yards, 82.4%, 7 TDs, 3 INTs
McCarthy's odds dropped after a surprising three-interception performance against Bowling Green. McCarthy still has the best completion percentage among the candidates, and it will be interesting to see how his Heisman campaign unfolds in Big Ten play with the return of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh from a three-game suspension. Rutgers has a solid run defense. Will the Wolverines air it out this week?
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (+1800)
2022 stats: 1,251 passing yards, 78.7%, 12 TDs, 1 INT
That stats don't lie. Sanders has the fifth-best completion percentage – a nod to his incredible accuracy. Teammate Travis Hunter was taken off the board after suffering an injury from a late hit by Colorado State's Henry Blackburn. Sanders is the best Buffaloes' candidate, and the next two weeks will determine how long he stays in the hunt.
Shedeur Sanders Heisman Trophy odds
Sanders is +1800 to win the Heisman Trophy; the same odds as Oregon quarterback Nix. Five players have better odds in Williams (+350), Penix Jr. (+550), Ewers (+600), Hartman (+900), and Travis (+1100).
Updated odds, courtesy of BetMGM. Click here to sign up!
Shedeur Sanders' next game: Colorado vs. Oregon
Sanders faces an Oregon defense is allowing just 159 yards per game through three games. Here is how to watch the matchup between the Buffaloes and Ducks:
- Date: Saturday, September 23
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. PT
- TV channel (national): ABC
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Saturday's Colorado vs. Oregon game will be broadcast on ABC. Cord-cutters can watch on ESPN+, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Will Caleb Williams repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner?
Ohio State's Archie Griffin is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. Griffin won the Heisman in 1974 and 1975. Since then, a total of 10 Heisman Trophy winners have returned for another run since Griffin won the award twice for the Buckeyes. Florida's Tim Tebow had two chances in 2008 and 2009 after winning the award as a sophomore in 2007. Of those winners, Billy Sims had the highest finish the following year when he took second in 1979 behind USC's Charles White.
When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?
The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 9, one week after the conference championship games. The ceremony will be televised with an hour-long program on ESPN.
