Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is our new ‘chalk’ to win the Heisman Trophy after leading the Ducks to a 45-16 win over Stanford in a double-revenge situation. Mariota accounted for 343 total yards rushing and passing and played a hand in four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, our favorite for the last several weeks, Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, saw his team struggle to get past Arkansas by a 17-10 count as an 11-point home favorite. Prescott and the Bulldogs had scored at least 34 points in every game this year, but three first-half turnovers had them trailing by a field goal at intermission.
Prescott would shake off a pair of interceptions to hit Fred Ross for a 69-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs’ defense did the rest to preserve the victory.
As we noted last week, things in the race can change quickly, but none of the other fringe contenders posted major statements in Week 10. Therefore, as we head into Week 11, we’re mostly looking at a two-horse race (for now, that is).
1-Mariota (-120 ‘chalk’) – He has completed 68.1 percent of his throws for 2,541 yards with a 26/2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Mariota has played a role in 34 TDs and has produced 2,977 all-purpose yards. The junior signal caller has led the Ducks to four consecutive spread covers and has them right in the thick of the hunt for a berth to the College Football Playoff. Up next is a tough road assignment at Utah.
2-Prescott (+250 odds) – The lackluster stats day against the Razorbacks hurts for sure, but big performances in road games at Alabama and Ole Miss will more than make amends for it. Prescott has a 16/7 TD-INT ratio, 725 rushing yards, 10 rushing scores and two receptions for 35 yards and another TD.
3-Nick Marshall (Auburn QB, 8/1 odds) – Marshall threw for 254 yards and two TDs to help Auburn earn a thrilling 35-31 win at Ole Miss. He also added 50 rushing yards and a pair of scores on the ground. For the season, Marshall has a 13/4 TD-INT ratio and 631 rushing yards for nine TDs. He still has three SEC games, including brutal road games at Georgia and Alabama, to add to his resume.
4-Everett Golson (Notre Dame QB, 12/1) – Golson had a monster performance in the Irish’s 49-39 win over Navy. He had 315 passing yards for three TDs and also rushed for three scores. For the season, Golson has a 22/7 TD-INT ratio for once-beaten Notre Dame. He also has seven rushing scores and can make big-time noise by leading his team to a win Saturday at Arizona State.
5-Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin RB, 14/1) – Gordon rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two TDs to spark Wisconsin to a 37-0 win at Rutgers. He is fourth in the nation in rushing yards (1,296) and second in TD runs (19). He’s a safe play to get invite to NYC, but he’ll need eye-popping numbers in Wisconsin’s last four games to become a serious threat.
While Las Vegas sports books are not allowed to accept bets on voted-upon events such as the Heisman Trophy, the wagering option can be found elsewhere, and college football handicapper Brian Edwards is providing updated mock odds throughout the college football season.
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.
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