Can a player lose a conference championship game and win a Heisman Trophy?
That will be the question when the ballots are filled out through Monday.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams had the best odds according to BetMGM.com coming into the weekend, but No. 11 Utah beat No. 4 USC 47-24 in the Pac-12 championship game.
Williams was hampered by a leg injury in the second half. He finished with 363 passing yards and three total TDs, but a pair of fourth-quarter turnovers ended any chance for a comeback.
Max Duggan, who has the second-best odds, left in on the table for No. 3 TCU in a 31-28 loss to No. 10 Kansas State. Duggan finished 18 of 36 passing for 251 yards, but he led a game-tying drive in regulation. The Horned Frogs also still have a good chance of getting one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.
So, who else could step up and win the award?
Stetson Bennett led No. 1 Georgia to a 50-30 victory against No. 11 LSU in the SEC championship game. Bennett had 274 passing yards and four TDs, and now he will have the opportunity to lead a second national championship run. Will that get some voters' attention?
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Ohio State's C.J. Stroud also is in the mix, but he did not play in the Big Ten championship game. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, who won the award with Alabama last season, is not on the board. He's not the only one. Michigan's Blake Corum and Tennessee's Hendon Hooker suffered late-season injuries that knocked them off the board. North Carolina's Drake Maye also is off the board despite leading the Tar Heels to the ACC championship.
This is the last weekend to make a case, but right now the odds favor Williams. Here is a look at the current Heisman odds, the top potential finalists and need-to-know-items for the Heisman race:
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
Here are the current Heisman Trophy odds according to BetMGM.com. Only four players are on the board heading into conference championship week.
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | ODDS |
| Caleb Williams | USC | -2500 |
| C.J. Stroud | Ohio State | +2000 |
| Max Duggan | TCU | +2500 |
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | +10000 |
Heisman Trophy candidates
Caleb Williams, USC (-2500)
2022 stats: 4,085 passing yards, 66.1%, 37 TDs, 4 INTs
Williams finished with 384 total yards in the loss to the Utes, and he had 186 total yards in the first quarter before the injury. Williams' blend of play-making skills carried the Trojans to the Pac-12 championship game, and he still has a chance to become the third Heisman Trophy winner to play for Lincoln Riley. Williams did not lead a playoff run, however, and the last quarterback to win the Heisman without playing in the CFP was Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2016. Did Williams do enough despite the loss to carry the Heisman vote?
C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (+2000)
2022 stats: 3,340 passing yards, 66.2%, 37 TDs, 6 INTs
Stroud, who finished fourth in the voting in 2021, could be the only returning finalist this season. Stroud led the FBS in passing efficiency (176.2), and the Buckeyes finished 11-1 in the regular season. Stroud had six games with at least four TD passes and was the conductor of an offense that averaged 44.5 points per game. What's the problem? The Buckeyes lost to Michigan for the second straight season. Stroud had 349 yards and two TDs in the game, but he also threw two interceptions in a 45-23 loss. He does not have the conference championship spotlight to work with like the other three quarterbacks on this list.
MORE: Examining a potential Ohio State-TCU debate
Max Duggan, TCU (+2500)
2022 stats: 3,321, 64.9%, 30 TDs, 4 INTs
Duggan led the Horned Frogs added 110 rushing yards and a TD to his passing totals in the loss to the Wildcats. The three-year starter could not deliver the Big 12 championship, but he had a gutsy performance in the second-half comeback. The three-year starter lost his job in fall camp to Chandler Morris, but he led the Cinderella season for Sonny Dykes when Morris was injured in the opener. Duggan is among the most-efficient quarterbacks in the FBS, and there is no question he’s TCU’s MVP.
Stetson Bennett, Georgia (+10000)
2022 stats: 3,425 yards, 68.1%, 20 TDs, 6 INTs
Bennett does not have prolific statistics, but he hasn't lost at the controls for the No. 1 team in the FBS. In three games against ranked teams, Bennett had 299.7 yards per game with eight TDs and no interceptions. He had four 300-yard games this season, and Bennett been an efficient playmaker around a loaded roster. He might be a finalist as a result.
MORE: Bowl projections | Against the spread picks for championship weekend
Will Bryce Young be at the Heisman Trophy ceremony?
Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, and he finished this season with 3,007 passing yards, 27 TDs and five interceptions. Young missed one game because of a shoulder injury, and the Crimson Tide finished 10-2 in the regular season. Young, however, might not be a finalist but likely will still attend the ceremony as a past winner.
How many USC players have won the Heisman Trophy?
USC has six players who are credited with winning the Heisman Trophy. That list includes Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002) and Matt Leinart (2004). Reggie Bush was the Heisman Trophy winner in 2005, but he was forced to vacate the award because of NCAA violations. Ohio State and Notre Dame are tied with the all-time lead in Heisman winners with seven apiece.
Will this be the widest Heisman Trophy race?
LSU's Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy by the widest margin of votes in 2019. He received 2,608 points, which was 1,846 more than Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts (762). Hurts, of course, also played for Riley with the Sooners. That broke the record set by Simpson at USC in 1968. Simpson received 2,853 points, which was 1,750 more than Purdue's LeRoy Kyes (1,103).
When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?
The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 10, one week after the conference championship games. The ceremony will be televised at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
