While Las Vegas sports books are not allowed to accept bets on voted-upon events such as the Heisman Trophy, that wagering option can be found elsewhere, and Brian Edwards will provide for us updated mock odds throughout the college football season. Take it away, Brian ....
There are four major candidates to win the Heisman at this extremely early point of the season. Obviously, there's plenty of time for others to move to the forefront, and we'll mention some of those players after examining our top four (for the time being).
1.Todd Gurley (Georgia running back, 5/1 'chalk') -- No longer hobbled by an ankle that bothered him in October and November of last season, Gurley exploded in Week 1 to lead the Bulldogs to a 45-21 win over Clemson. Gurley rushed 15 times for 198 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to taking a kick return 100 yards to paydirt. After an open date, Gurley and his teammates play Saturday at South Carolina in a crucial SEC showdown.
2-Marcus Mariota (Oregon quarterback, +550) -- With his team trailing 27-18 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Mariota sparked Oregon to 28 unanswered points en route to a 46-27 win as a 13-point home favorite over Michigan State. He has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 585 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. Mariota has also rushed for 85 yards and one TD on 15 carries.
3-Kenny Hill (Texas A&M QB, +650) -- Hill has racked up amazing numbers in his first two career starts. He has connected on 61 of 86 throws (70.9 percent) for seven TDs without an interception in blowout wins over South Carolina (52-28) and Lamar (73-3). Hill's 794 passing yards ranks third in the nation.
4-Jameis Winston (Florida St. QB, +750) -- Winston's numbers were better in Week 2 after he was intercepted twice in a narrow season-opening win over Oklahoma State. As long as he stays healthy and the Seminoles are undefeated, last year's Heisman winner will be a strong candidate.
Others...
Bryce Petty (Baylor QB, 12/1) -- An injury forced Petty to miss a great stat day in Week 2 against Northwestern State, but his numbers are going to be amazing. If he can lead the Bears to a win at Oklahoma in November, Petty will get invited to New York City.
Nick Marshall (Auburn QB, 15/1) -- The stats will be there. His candidacy depends largely on Auburn's win-loss record.
Brett Hundley (UCLA QB, 17/1) -- Hundley's team is not off to a great start, but it is unbeaten. If the Bruins are in the national-title mix in November, we'll hear his name quite a bit.
Sleepers...
Christian Hackenberg (Penn St. QB, 20/1), Trevor Knight (Oklahoma QB, 22/1), Taysom Hill (BYU QB, 25/1), T.J. Yeldon (Alabama RB, 28/1), Dak Prescott (Mississippi St. QB, 35/1).
Sporting News Heisman watch: How does SN stack up the candidates
Brian Edwards is a college football handicapper who contributes a weekly column to The Linemakers on Sporting News. For more valuable information and insight, follow him on Twitter @vegasbedwards and visit his website, BrianEdwardsSports.com.
Sign up for The Linemakers’ free newsletter and follow us on Twitter.